Meghan Markle‘s followers won’t be surprised to learn she likes to keep fit and healthy with the help of one particular kind of workout – pilates.
While yoga focuses on spiritual wellbeing, pilates is all about strengthening muscles with repetitive movements that focus on balance, posture, and flexibility.
It is said Meghan’s love for pilates was passed down by her mother, Doria Ragland, who was an instructor.
In 2016, the former TV actress told Best Health Magazine: “Yoga is my thing. My mom is a yoga instructor and I started doing mommy-and-me yoga with her when I was seven. I was very resistant as a kid, but she said, ‘Flower, you will find your practice – just give it time.’ In college, I started doing it more regularly.”
Professional personal trainer, Nancy Best, told Hello! Magazine about the health benefits pilates creates for Meghan and other workout fans: “Pilates is a brilliant form of restorative, low-impact exercise that builds full body strength and stability.”
Breaking down the benefits of Megan’s go-to exercise, trainer Nancy added: “With a particular focus on improving the connection to your deep core muscles, which includes your diaphragm, pelvic floor, and transverse abdominis, it’s a great form of pre-and-post natal exercise.”
It would therefore be a good exercise for the mother of two to carry out in-between looking after her young children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in Montecito, California. Meghan loves yoga so much, that she even reportedly had a yoga studio built into Frogmore Cottage where she previously lived with Prince Harry when they were working members of the Royal Family.
Trainer Nancy believes “consistency is key” to seeing results. She added: “Research shows that the compound impact of short movement sessions is just as effective as more irregular, longer sessions. When you begin with a commitment of 15 minutes, you can build from there.”
Meghan is also a big fan of hot yoga claiming to regularly pop into a class. In 2016, she told Women’s Health: “I’ll do yoga a couple of times a week – hot yoga specifically.”
In an exciting year for Meghan Markle, she is soon poised to show off her daily lifestyle including her cooking in a new upcoming Netflix series which is being filmed in California.
The series was announced shortly after the launch of her brand ‘American Riviera Orchard’, and will supposedly celebrate “the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining, and friendship”.
PR guru Carla Speight of Carla Speight & Co explained the show could give royal fans a perspective on who Meghan is as a person. She explained exclusively to Express.co.uk: “It offers her the chance to shine a light on who Harry fell in love with as well as her as a mother and a successful woman.
“Historically, women have always been the homemakers, the ones who bring a sense of belonging, warmth and care to the lives of those around them.”