Trends 2019: Workouts that kept sports stars fighting fit this year

From HIIT to Circuit Training, here's how your favourite sports icons did at the gym this year!

Written by Jayashree Narayanan | New Delhi | Updated: January 1, 2020 11:34:38 am

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Sport stars have given us some major fitness goals this year. (Photo: Instagram; designed by Gargi Singh)

Fitness has been the buzzword in the field of sports and athletics for long, proving that a fit frame — both physical and mental — is needed to stay in the game. And this year, many sport stars from various sports including cricket, wrestling, gymnastics, athletics, badminton and tennisgave us major fitness goals. If you thought a sportsperson is only about how well they play the game, think again. From Virat Kohli to Sania Mirza, these popular sports icons have only gone on to show that fitness is an essential part of daily life, no matter, you are on the field or not. Some of the sportsstars have also highlighted the importance of a strong will during recovery periods, and sure, we are in awe.

From yoga to High-Intensity Interval Training, these sport celebrities have motivated us with their commitment and discipline. Don’t believe us? Take a look!

HIIT or High-Intensity Interval Training

A good HIIT workout can deliver what you seek from traditional cardio workout — burning fat, elevating your heart rate, pushing you to sweat, and improving lung capacity — in a fraction of the time, making it especially useful for those who can’t spend all day at the gym. If you ever wondered how to do it, seek some inspiration from these celebs.

Bajrang Punia – Wrestling

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A post shared by Bajrang Punia 🇮🇳 (@bajrangpunia60) on Nov 27, 2019 at 10:39pm PST

Rani Rampal- Hockey

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A post shared by Rani Rampal (@ranirampal4) on Nov 26, 2019 at 10:29pm PST

Sunil Chhetri – Football

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A post shared by sunil chhetri (@chetri_sunil11) on Aug 1, 2018 at 12:34am PDT

Maria Sharapova- Tennis

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A post shared by Maria Sharapova (@mariasharapova) on Nov 25, 2019 at 1:28pm PST

Gymming

Gymming is said to improve cardiovascular fitness by strengthening the heart and lungs, and increasing strength through creating lean muscle. Studies show that regular exercise and an increase in one’s strength and cardio fitness levels can help reduce the risk diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes (type II), depression and stress-related illnesses.

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A post shared by Sania Mirza (@mirzasaniar) on Dec 4, 2019 at 2:27am PST

Virat Kohli- Cricket

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A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) on Aug 7, 2019 at 7:45pm PDT

Saina Nehwal- Badminton

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A post shared by SAINA NEHWAL (@nehwalsaina) on Jun 20, 2018 at 10:02pm PDT

MS Dhoni- Cricket

Secret behind those lightning fast stumpings and monstrous sixes revealed! @msdhoni giving us workout motivation!🔥❤

#MSDhoni #Dhoni #FitnessFreak pic.twitter.com/cNykkYdwdN

— MS Dhoni Fans Official (@msdfansofficial) October 25, 2019

Running

Running, as an aerobic exercise helps develop cardiovascular fitness besides building strong bones. Both literally and scientifically, research has shown that exercise can instantly boost mood and help one start their day in full force.

Ravindra Jadeja- Cricket

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A post shared by Ravindra Jadeja (@royalnavghan) on Nov 19, 2019 at 3:45am PST

Pawan Kumar Saroha- Wrestling

Power Training

Power training is important for sports where sudden bursts of activities is required — sprinting, jumping, changing direction, moving solid objects quickly, and so on. You can see how football, basketball, cricket, track and field athletics, golf, and baseball rely on power for some elements of a performance. Specific training programs for these sports have a general preparation phase in which basic strength, muscle, and general fitness are the primary focus.

Yuvraj Singh- Cricket

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Last year I was told that I’m old for power training and should stick to my normal routines. Don’t tell me I can’t do something cause I’m going to #doitagain till I reach my goals 👊🏽 Look forward to start of a new season. So always remember it’s never too late to learn something new and achieve it #doitagain #neversaynever #livedareinspire 👊💪🏋️‍♂️

A post shared by Yuvraj Singh (@yuvisofficial) on Sep 13, 2018 at 12:19am PDT

Hima Das- Sprinting

Circuit Training

Circuit training is a style of workout where you cycle through several exercises (usually five to 10) targeting different muscle groups with minimal rest in between. The result is a workout that taxes your muscular strength and endurance, and your cardio-respiratory system.

Sania Mirza- Tennis

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It’s time for Day 6 – body was sore and had been doing quite a lot of weights so we did a lot of cardio sessions stuff .. skipping ,burpees (I hate 🤮) sprints .. a loottt of them 😅 it was tough cardio vascular stuff cause I thought at least in my case my muscles were adapting fast but my stamina had obviously dropped become quite bad and needed to rebuild that from scratch !! It was a process and I understand that completely today after I’ve been able to reach my goals ! 🙃 #mummahustles

A post shared by Sania Mirza (@mirzasaniar) on Oct 4, 2019 at 4:53am PDT

Dipa Karmakar – Gymnastics

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A post shared by Dipa Karmakar (@dipakarmakarofficial) on Jul 14, 2017 at 1:38am PDT

Suresh Raina- Cricket

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A post shared by Suresh Raina (@sureshraina3) on Nov 10, 2019 at 3:58am PST

Yoga

From increasing flexibility to improved athletic performance, yoga has become to be a favourite among celebrities as they have incorporated it in their daily routine. From backbends to advanced postures, regular practice can help you manifold.

PV Sindhu- Badminton

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YOGA A way of connecting your body to the soul. Happy international yoga day 🧘‍♀️ #worldyogaday#mindbodysoul#🧘‍♀️

A post shared by sindhu pv (@pvsindhu1) on Jun 21, 2019 at 2:19am PDT

Yogeshwar Dutt- Wrestling

योग सिर्फ एक कसरत नहीं है, यह अपने आप पर काम करने जैसा है। #InternationalYogaDay #YogaDay2019 pic.twitter.com/drIAyT1aox

— Yogeshwar Dutt (@DuttYogi) June 21, 2019

Pilates

From improving core muscle strength to aiding in recovery, this year saw the rise of Pilates. As a low-impact flexibility and muscular strength discipline full of endurance movements, Pilates emphasises proper postural alignment, core strength and muscle balance. Some sportspersons also took to Pilates this year in a full-fledged way.

Joshna Chinappa – Squash