Shakira Stays Fit With This Fitness Gadget (And A Few Diet Tricks Too)

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The key to how Shakira stays fit: Monitoring her heart rate

Have you ever wondered how Shakira stays fit? Well, thanks to her trainer dishing to E News, we now know how she keeps so toned.

Shakira’s number-one fitness tool? A heart-rate monitor, says her trainer, Anna Kaiser, who says it’s the fitness gadget that keeps the songstress most focused. The 40-year-old pop star maintains her health not only for her own wellness, but so she can withstand her grueling schedule of a five-month tour.

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Shakira’s workouts are a bit of a mix

“We alternate between strength and cardio intervals,” shared Kaiser, who makes sure that Shakira’s endurance is always being developed, so she can put on a great two-hour show on tour. But further to building on strength and cardio, Kaiser also works with Shakira on working her flexibility.

Swim workouts are part of the regiment, too. The fitness expert says swimming is a fantastic way to calm the central nervous system and “move your body in a yummy way that almost feels like you’re taking a bath before bed but still getting a really good second workout in by working against the resistance of the water with no impact on your joints.”

Kaiser shares that Shakira sleeps well after these late-night swim workouts and feels great the day after. The trainer is the owner of AKT in Motion, a studio in New York City, and says she applies the rules from AKT workouts to Shakira’s swim workouts.

Shakira not only fits in five workout days a week, but that some of those are two workouts a day; more specifically two two-a-days, and three one-a-day per week.

If you’re looking to get in shape, Kaiser says settling into a routine is key. Getting started and some momentum for your workout regimen is the hard part, but “once you have a program and you get into the routine, it’s much easier to keep going,” she said. From there, staying consistent will set you on the right track, she says, adding that the heart rate monitor provides you with numbers that keep you accountable. “Sometimes you’ll think you’re lifting some very heavy weight, but you’ll realize your heart isn’t actually working that hard so you can push yourself a little harder,” she explained to E.

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Shakira stays fit, but how she eats is the other half of the equation

Kaiser, who used to prep Shakira’s meals herself for seven years, says her diet consists of three meals daily with a focus on a protein (she has fish almost daily) and fresh vegetables or low GI fruit. Two to three snacks between meals are also included and snacks, which lately have been soups. Kaiser says soups are easy to make, filling and feels like a meal so it’ll keep you well fueled til your next meal.

Not that there are no treats: A rice cake topped with cacao or chocolate tea are two indulgences the mother of two has.

But Kaiser recommends making your treat into a real snack. For example, rather than just eating a fruit on the go, “if you cut up a piece of fruit, peel it, put it on a dish, and top it with something fun and it feels like a real snack instead of just walking down the street peeling an orange and eating it.” she said. Kaiser says the ritual of sitting down to eat something, even if it’s just a few minutes, will trigger your brain.

Now we know that for Shakira’s hips and a whole body that don’t lie comes from putting in hard work. Do you think you can you keep up with her regimen?