Print Story
X
Actress and host, Ayesha Omar shares how she manages to stay healthy and fit during the coronavirus pandemic.
Almost everyone is staying indoors and practicing social distancing amid the coronavirus crisis, and celebrities are no different. They are also cooped up in their homes across the country, just like the rest of us. However, some of our favourite celebrities are not using isolation as an excuse to laze around and in fact have been finding interesting ways to keep themselves busy during the lockdown. While many have been documenting their makeup routines, various stars are inspiring their fans to get up and keep moving.
Actress and host Ayesha Omar, who is currently appearing in the second season of hit comedy show Bulbulay, has been quite active on social media since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. Not only has she been practicing social distancing and urging her fans to do the same, but Ayesha is also doing live workout sessions three times a week along with her trainer at HydroFit gym.
Instep got in touch with the host and actress to find out how she is maintaining her fitness routine during quarantine and what precautions she is taking to stay safe and active.
“I am not a health or fitness freak, but I firmly believe in a sustainable lifestyle,” shared Ayesha Omar. “I think if you become a freak about anything, you won’t be able to sustain it for too long. So I try to be as healthy as I can and whenever I can; there are no hard and fast rules. I make sure I stay away from processed foods, sodas and avoid spices, dairy products and refined sugar as much as I can,” she added.
According to the actress, she is not a big fan of junk food like burgers and pizzas unless they are made of gluten free bread or non-processed meat etc. “I feel that unfortunately living in Pakistan one can’t always have healthy lifestyle choices because our food is not very healthy. Desi food is overcooked; it is full of oil and spices. It might be delicious and yummy but it is not always very healthy,” she said, adding that home cooked food -such as simple daal (lentils) and sabzi (vegetables) and fish which is not overcooked – is healthy. “I believe that the human body needs a lot more raw vegetables and fruits rather than overcooked food. Though I’m not rigid as far as my health routine is concerned, I stay away from sugary stuff like cakes and cupcakes that have a lot of refined sugar and white flour.”
The host and actress revealed that she doesn’t follow a strict diet and that her lifestyle has been quite erratic before quarantine. Talking about her eating habits, Ayesha shared, “Currently I have three meals per day with healthy snacks in the middle. Even though I’ve never counted my calories, I am very particular about the nutrients I consume during the day.” She continued, “The nutrients that dominate my diet include fruits and vegetables whether they are cooked or raw. Moreover, I eat a lot of fish and organic eggs as well as gluten free bread, millet bread; some mutton (that I consume once a week), brown rice, lentils, beans and chickpeas.”
Ayesha further said that she doesn’t believe in taking fruit juices as it contains loads of sugar. However, she makes sure to take coconut water and some kind of vegetable juice. She also said that she takes vitamin supplements such as vitamin C, B complex and D. “Apart from this, I try to add calcium, magnesium, ashwagandha (Indian ginseng), zinc, a lot of turmeric, kalonji (Nigella seeds), flaxseed oil and green tea extracts in my diet.”
As for her workout routine, Ayesha shared, “I don’t follow a routine or discipline. Nonetheless I do a bit of cardio and these days I am walking every day. I recently bought a bike so I ride around the neighborhood. Also, since the lockdown, I am working out three times a week with my trainer and do live sessions on my Instagram handle.”
The actress informed that she is not shooting since COVID-19 pandemic has spread like wildfire. “The precautionary measures I am taking include washing hands frequently for 20 seconds, spraying surfaces with disinfectant sprays, using sanitizers and most importantly practicing social distancing.” Ayesha also revealed that she is taking a lot of vitamins, drinking warm water, gargling with salt water twice a day and incorporating turmeric, kalonji, and extra virgin olive oil in her diet. The Bulbulay star also urged her fans and followers to stay safe and isolated till things get a little better. “Make sure to wear a mask and gloves when going out.”
On how she stays active, she said that she lives in an apartment, so goes up and down the stairs quite often, walks and bikes around the compound as well as working-out with her trainer 3 times a week. “I am also doing a lot of house work, like washing dishes, cleaning, cooking and I feel that keeps me active as well.”
She requested everyone to eat a little less than usual and opt for healthier choices. Ayesha stressed on the fact that people who have self isolated themselves at home should do the housework and give the domestic staff off. “Doing all the household chores while no help is around will definitely help you stay active and fit. Climb up and down the stairs and walk as much as you can and don’t forget to work on building your immunity system.”
On a parting note, the actress and host said that she cooks all her food in coconut oil. “A tip that I swear by to stay healthy and fit is to have turmeric every night. Moreover, starting your day with a glass of warm water with some apple cider vinegar, baking soda and cayenne pepper is really good for your entire system,” she concluded.
