Pernia Qureshi opens up on her dance and fitness regime...
Fashion entrepreneur, style maven and Kuchipudi exponent Pernia Qureshi has always been in excellent shape. When she floated in a one-shoulder Shivan and Narresh outfit at Lakme Fashion Week, one couldn't help but notice her taut arms and enviable collar bones. Her life-long dedication to dance and workouts has ensured that she always remains fit and fabulous. The jet-setting style maven divides her time between Mumbai and Delhi, however, she follows her fitness regime to the T without skipping a beat. She shares, "When I'm in Delhi, I begin my mornings with a dance rehearsal at my Guru's institute. For a-hour-and-a-half, I practise Kuchipudi then I come home shower and head to work. I do it five times a week. When I'm in Mumbai I go for pilates at Yasmin Karachiwala's gym."
Pilate's magic
Pernia's pilate sessions have immensely helped her as a dancer as it has strengthened her core. She has a weak ankle and pilate has helped her in giving it the much-needed strength. "Also, I wear a lot of heels which is again not good for my ankles. When I'm in Mumbai, I tend to feel lazy to work out. I do traditional yoga two to three times a day which is de-stressing and relaxing. Since I travel a lot, yoga really helps me. My 45 minutes-long yoga session involves Suryanamaskar, a breathing session of 10 mins among other asanas."
Diet mantra
Before her dance she has a green juice, almonds and a bowl of fruits. She cautions, "It's important to keep your pre-dance meal light otherwise you can't dance. After my dance I like to have a big brunch."
Her fitness goal has always been to change her diet but she's remained a die-hard foodie. "I have always been a bad eater. Thankfully, I'm gifted with a high basic metabolic rate. If I cut out sugar and gluten from my diet, it'll help me a lot but I eat everything from pizzas to chocolate chip cookies. I should be even more careful as both sides of my family have diabetes." Gifted with a high metabolic rate, she tends to lose a lot of weight before her dance performances. She's honest to confess her love for carbs. "So many times, I wake up in the morning hoping to diet but by afternoon that thought goes away. I have never gone a full-day without carbs. Also, I have a low BP so I need to eat properly."
Spa junkie
She shares, "I think it's important to get one sports massage each week as it removes all the knots from the body. I opt for one massage a week and enjoy it."
Fitness role models
"In Bollywood I admire Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif and in Hollywood I look up to Gigi Hadid and Jennifer Lopez when it comes to fitness role models."
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