Fitness is as basic and important as living and breathing

Kareena Kapoor KhanIt isn’t hidden that Kareena’s day starts with pranayam, a yoga exercise, which keeps her fit and going throughout the day.Bipasha Basu-Karan Singh GroverMonkey love did not become popular with Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover just like that.Lara Dutta BhupatiLike Shilpa, Lara Dutta Bhupati too came up with her own fitness DVD which was proof enough that she has lost weight through yoga too.Jacqueline FernandezJacqueline is one of the fittest and hottest Bollywood actresses from the industry and some credit for that goes to yoga.

Fitness is as basic and important as living and breathing, and in order to remind us to keep fit and healthy, the world today celebrates International Yoga Day.Rani MukerjiPost turning a mom, Rani has taken to yoga in order to keep herself healthy yet again. Need more inspiration?Kangana RanautKangana too Rehabilitation Round follows the path of yoga and the proof of it was provided in the morning itself.Shilpa Shetty KundraApart from being known for her item songs and now hosting TV shows, Shilpa Shetty Kundra also launched a DVD on yoga, thus topping the list of our yoga-spiration. They work out together and are flexible like monkeys.Malaika AroraWhen Kareena can take up yoga, how can her best friend and also one of the hottest females in Bollywood, Malaika Arora, stay behind?Alia BhattFollowing Kareena’s footsteps like always, Alia Bhatt has taken up yoga for fitness too.Soha Ali KhanDespite being pregnant, Soha Ali Khan did some intense yoga and gave us fitness goals with the same.Some of the Bollywood celebrities too swear by yoga and give us yoga inspiration, which has been coined as yoga-spiration.

Avid runner and fitness enthusiast

"Kunal, who trains the likes of Ranbir Kapoor and Rana Daggubati, adds, "It is a good Wholesale Push-ups exercise. I have a hectic schedule and travel a lot too. Says celebrity fitness expert Batul Khan, "Climbing 20 flights of stairs can benefit your body, but never get down the stairs as you may strain your knees."Ruchika Sharma, too, follows the routine.Several people are now wearing headphones and simply heading to the staircase at their apartment instead of the gym. The workout density has to be high in this exercise or it would be of no use. It benefits only the heart and the lungs and damages back and knees. We talk while doing it, so it’s not just an exercise, but a way for us to bond. Says the celebrity chef, "I live in a eight-storey apartment. I think, it’s a good exercise."Celebrity fitness trainer Kunal Gir climbs 18 flights of stairs at his Lanco Hills apartment which has 30 floors. The alignment of your body has to be straight and never crouch. As a knee surgeon, I would not suggest this exercise at all.

Avid runner and fitness enthusiast Babita Xavier also climbs the stairs often.Says Samarpita Mukherjee Sharma, a freelance writer, "I climb anywhere between 5 and 25 flights of stairs every day. So when I am living in a hotel, I exercise by taking the stairs there as well. However, it’s not about how many stairs you climb, but how quickly you climb them. Use an elevator. I climb the stairs with my son or my friends. "It’s a good exercise, but you should know the right way to do it or you’ll only end up hurting your back and knees."So the next time the lift at your office or apartment doesn’t work, you might as well begin exercising. I live in a six-storey apartment and after I stretch in the morning, I begin my climbing exercise. As I live on the third floor, I get down, climb to the sixth floor and get down again and climb back. Go for brisk walking or swimming, they benefit your entire body."Another person who swears by the exercise is model Sharon Rose.". Says Dr Gurava Reddy, an orthopaedic surgeon, "The heart beats like it never does in a gym and your breathing increases when you climb stairs, however, it is not a full-body exercise. Every time you take stairs, four times of your body weight is exerted on your knees. She says, "I do stair-climbing at my apartment to tone my lower body.When I am travelling and do not have the time to go to a gym, I exercise using the stairs. If your climbing intensity is low, do the exercise for 40 minutes, but if your intensity is high, go for 20 minutes," she says. He says, "I climb 18 flights of stairs at my apartment every day. If it motivates you to get off your couch and burn calories, then why not make it a part of your exercise routine? The best part is that you don’t need to go to the gym and can exercise at your apartment. They say that climbing five to 20 flights of stairs helps them get fit when they do not have the time to go to the gym. Keep your back upright, chin and head up when climbing. Also, land on the ball of your feet first," says Babita.Doctors, too, warn about its side effects. Even if you take few stairs, do it rapidly.