Jacqueline Fernandez on how you can get a fit celebrity body like hers

Fitness means everything to me. It’s a way of life. It’s a way to love and cherish myself irrespective of all that could be happening around me. Fitness is how I take care of my core.

And my favourite sport is running, but funnily enough, I’ve never managed to bring myself to the idea of running a marathon. Let’s see how this pans out.

When I think of running, the first thing that comes to my mind is footwear.

Comfortable footwear makes all the difference in our fitness journey. Thanks to the technology that exists today, we have a varied range to choose from.

Our fitness journey can now actually look really appealing, thanks to the luxury of choices we are inundated with.

Nowadays, I see so many young girls wanting to be fit.

I appreciate the desire to be fit but the need to diet (the extreme ones) isn’t something I understand.

Any kind of dieting without the addition of an exercise regimen is a waste.

Our bodies shouldn’t feel punished when we try to lose/gain weight.

Our bodies need to feel satisfied and happy at the core of it — it’s only then that we are inching towards fitness and not just towards looking good.

And that would be my advice to girls — work towards feeling healthy and fit and not just looking good.

With age, our looks may fade but our health doesn’t need to. The glow from the inside always shines brighter anyway.

I strongly believe in girl power and I think that we can make a difference if only we choose to!

Look around us — we are surrounded by women achievers — some decorated with medals and many without, but achievers nonetheless.

The Guinness World Record that 1,623 women recently broke by planking for one minute was a beautiful display of our core strength.

Puma had organised this event and the garden was swarming with enthusiastic women who wanted to nail the record! Here I must say that I was too skinny when I first came to India.

I was told that I was too thin and my stomach too flat! I had started working out on the treadmill, did weights and squats in the gym during the Miss Sri Lanka pageant in 2006, and did a lot of intense workout regimes during the Miss Universe contest.

I believe one should stay fit and must exercise regularly. So, I wake up at 7am, drink tea and then work out for an hour at home on the mat, while listening to rock, pop and EDM tunes.

If I’m feeling particularly energetic, I work out twice a day! These days, I prefer light weights and opt for heavier ones with the legs.

My favourite de-stressing move is the headstand. Yoga is the prefect stress buster, and it also helps me detoxify my skin. You sweat out all the toxins while practising.

I firmly believe in the saying: A healthy mind resides in a healthy body, and yoga has always been an indispensable part of my fitness regimen.

I try to do it twice a week for two hours. I take a protein shake after working out.

My meals comprise three portions: carbohydrates, proteins and vegetables, some rice, beans or proteins and salad or stir-fried vegetables.

Even when I cheat, I try to keep it healthy.

(Part of Mail Today's ninth anniversary series.)

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