Singer, actress, fashion designer, entrepreneur, writer, and mom of two Thalía shares her parenting, lifestyle, fashion, and beauty tips as a POPSUGAR Latina contributor.
Finally! Thalía Reveals Her Kickass Fitness Routine
As we leave Winter behind us, it's time to get ready and to "oil your machine" by working on your body. Here are some of my fitness tips that I hope will inspire you to get moving so we can all be ready for Summer 2016 in no time.
Work on Getting Inspired
It's hard to find inspiration when we come home exhausted from work or school. As soon as we step into our homes, the race begins to help the kids with homework and ready for bed, study, and hopefully find some free time for ourselves.
It's because of the daily chaos in our lives that we have to make an effort and set aside 20 or 30 minutes to focus on our well-being. Something that helps me achieve my goals is to set up an inspiration board. Hang or tape one to your closet, home office, vanity mirror, or bathroom mirror, and add magazine articles and images that you believe will motivate you. Some of those images can include vacation destinations, pretty swimsuits, sandals, beach hats, beautiful cover-ups, and long maxi dresses you want to wear this Summer. The point is to get excited about what you are seeing on the board and to find inspiration in the positive images in order to start working on your mind and body.
Think how great you will feel when you finally get to go on that long-awaited vacation and when you wear that fabulous swimsuit you gifted yourself for working hard! I find that once you get inspired, take the first step, and develop a routine, everything starts to fall into place and you will feel much better.
Stretch Without Fail
Yes, stretching is amazing for your muscles and your posture! When I stretch different parts of my body, I feel like I am helping it release toxins and urging my muscles to get rid of the buildup of lactic acid right after a workout.
Stretching also helps us become more flexible, which in turn will better prepare our bodies to confront aging, and keep good walking and sitting posture.
I believe that, even if you don't exercise every day, you should definitely do some stretching. There are many practical and simple exercises that serve as guides to do it adequately. Maybe after getting used to stretching daily, you will feel good enough and motivated to start adding cardio and strength training to your routine.
Remember That the Best Exercise Is to Be Active
I often get asked what type of exercises I do to maintain my figure, and I always answer that it depends on how I feel at that moment. There are times in life in which we feel very energetic and strong, like indestructible superheroes. It's during those times when we invest more time at boot camps or at the gym, doing cardio and weights, and that is great.
But, there are moments in which one needs more comfort, tranquility, and peace, and our body wants to feel more centered. During those times, in my case, I do more yoga and Pilates, and I dance to music that makes me feel happy and free. I also like to take walks on sunny mornings to get some vitamin D, which is great for keeping depression away and gets the body energized. Morning light also helps regulate our circadian rhythm, so we can go to sleep and wake up earlier.
The most important thing is to listen to your body. Don't force yourself to go to the gym because you pay a monthly membership or because all of your friends will be going together to a Zumba class. If you learn to recognize the signals your body is giving you, you will be more successful at keeping active while doing what you enjoy. Staying active is what counts!
Don't Think About the Way You Look at the Gym
I'm always amazed when I get to the gym and I see some women there who look like they just stepped out of a staged Instagram photo. They dress in low-cut, supershort shorts and mini tops and have their faces covered in full makeup with their hair perfectly done.
If that is your preference, I respect you. Kudos! But, in my case, I like to be completely comfortable when I am exercising and do not feel the pressure to impress anybody while I am at the gym. I like to forget about how I look so I can fully focus on, for example, the group of muscles I am working that day, so I don't make mistakes that can get me injured. To me, keeping my belly in or making pretty faces to look more attractive when I am lifting weights is not my priority. My advice is to be comfortable, be authentic, and be true to yourself. Just be you!
Don't Force Anything
Listen to your body and your rhythm. Sometimes we have more energy, and other times our bodies want to feel comfy with just a morning walk to get some fresh air.
Take care of your body by understanding how it works, and in addition to exercising, watch your diet. About 80 percent of your success relies on your healthy food choices.
It's very important to try your best to eat clean, control your portions, and stay hydrated by drinking a lot of water. Add a large dose of positivity and relaxation, and you will be on your way to reaching your goals and feeling amazing.
Mix It Up
My exercise routine at home varies. Like a DJ making a music remix, I try to mix a little bit of everything. Some days I only practice Sivananda yoga, which includes salutations, breathing exercises, headstands, bends, and deep relaxation.
On days when I have a lot of energy and I want to be more active, I do cardio and lift weights at my home gym. When working with dumbbells, I don't go over 18 pounds, and I work different muscle groups on alternate days. One day I only work legs and glutes, because they are the largest sets of muscles and it takes me one full day to recover. On a different day, I work chest and biceps, and on a separate day, I work my back and triceps.
Usually, when working the various muscles, I do four groups of three different exercises each. For example, I do a group of three exercises and I repeat them three times. I continue to do that until I finish four groups. If I am a bit tired, I only do eight repetitions of each exercise, but if I have more energy, I do 12 or 15.
I do not like lifting heavy weights, because I do not want to increase volume, I just want to get definition and get more toned. Lastly, I try to do abs every day, and, like I said, I always finish my routines with stretching exercises.
Scroll ahead for a few of my routines.
