Mohan sisters Neeti, Shakti and Mukti: The trio that trains together

At 41 36 and 32 the Mohan sisters mdashNeeti Shakti and Mukti mdash could be model figures of athleticism Although they eventually ventured into different fields they were bound by their love for dance early on They count themselves among the first to volunteer for extracurricular dance and performing arts activities in their school and trace their athleticism to this tendency While they were exposed to the ldquoconcept of fitness as an entity only when they took to their professional endeavours the desire to ldquolook appealing for their performances kept them in shipshapeChoreographer Shakti Mohan says growing up in a boarding school implied that they were always on their toes ldquoWe participated in basket ball throw ball and school competitions Our school played an instrumental role in keeping us on our feet and exposing us to new activities be it music dance or sportWhile Neeti Mohan eventually established herself as a promising singer she understood the importance of fitness when she came to Mumbai to try her hand at professional dancing ldquoI was training at a dance school which taught me the importance of building stamina and how one could be pleasant to the eye with the right body language During that period I learnt a lot about how the body works says the singer who as part of the National Cadet Corps also participated in several camps and took part in the threeandahalf kilometre march at the Republic Day parade ldquoI am not adventurous but I am active And whenever the three of us gather youll always see us indulging in some form of physical activityHaving been exposed to both Indian and western forms of fitness activities actor Mukti Mohan finds comfort in the disciplines rooted in India ldquoOur pattern of learning is different from westernised methods For instance ballet principles talk of postural alignments mdash things like tucking the stomach and holding the core But Indian forms helped me understand how that is to be done While training to be an actor and having been subsequently exposed to forms like kalaripayattu and chhau I often found myself thinking that I could derive more from my ballet class if I had the knowledge that I got from these sessionsAlso Read Vidyut Jammwal Calling a woman happy is a praise calling her thin isntAs powerful as their collaborative dance pieces Shakti and Muktis partner workouts are a thing to aspire to The latter admits that with her frame resembling that of her older sister she finds in her an image of what she could be if she ldquopushed harder ldquoShe is someone who can show me what I can become She shows me how I can bridge the gap between who I am and my ideal self Having a friend or sibling back you during a workout can be helpful because unlike a trainer they know how to reach out to you based on your temperamentWhile their svelte frame may suggest that the family paid heed to healthy eating from the onset the trio admits that tweaking the familys habit has been a work in progress It was they who egged their parents to adopt better eating habits and new mother Neeti says shes ldquoproud of the fact that smarter food choices are part of both my households today Even while Mukti teases that Shakti ldquoonly sniffs food the dancer says watching what she eats is tougher in her line of work where her colleagues are not necessarily mindful of their choices ldquoIf you are around people who eat healthy their choices influence you too But if you are the only one eating a salad while others binge on pizzas or pick vegetarian meals because you are sensitive towards animals while others consume nonvegetarian meals its tougher to manageSimple tricks however have seen them through Neeti loves to eat her meals at home before turning up for a wedding dinner only choosing to indulge in desserts at the venue Mukti follows suit Neeti commences her day with a workout regardless of where she is ldquoConsistency really matters she says As for her food she advocates consuming local fruits Shakti does a 45minute warmup ahead of every dance performance ldquoAlso mental health is really important Whatever we eat or however we train we must enjoy it so that our body can receive it with loveExercises that Neeti recommends for singersFor live shows your stamina matters Your breath is your biggest power and must be in your control especially if you are a musician and a singer We need to cover distance on stage right from one end to the other Often we need to do this in heels and in the midst of a performance To pull this off you need to be fit So working on the breath is vital I practice yoga and would do so for 90 minutes during the pandemic Pranayam has helped me I also recommend taking to cardiovascular work I walk a lotAlso Read Monday Motivation These pictures of Ishaan will make you want to hit the gymExercises Mukti recommends for actorsThe forms that I was exposed to during my acting training like kalaripayattu and chhau helped me find my voice We were taught our ancient art forms that train you to exhaust the body and use the lungs Until then I had a tendency to modulate my voice But after learning about the breath work I was taught to find my own voice Chhau teaches you a lot about the different gaits of animals and opens the body out That is essential for an actor It helps you stay on the edge and be agile and ready at all times I would recommend that actors take to any form of martial arts Also I find running powerful It increases your endurance capacity manifoldExercises Shakti suggests for dancersCrossFit is something that I really enjoy I emphasise on the importance of body conditioning When you learn to do squats and lift in the gym you realise how your jumps and plies dance movement improve This has helped me strengthen my body overall and I think my performance has improved Even if I dont dance every day when I return to the studio I can notice that my body is still active and strong and I have better lung capacityAlso Read Arjun Kapoors bootcamp video will inspire you to start your fitness journey