Shakira's Personal Trainer Shared Her Incredible Wellness Routine

Well, inspired is one word — but you may find Shakira’s health routine a little daunting as well. It sure isn’t for everyone. To look as good as she does, the 44-year-old mom has to push her body to extremes. It’s the only way to properly prepare for hours of prancing around on stage, swinging those marvelous hips in all directions.

While Shakira has always looked amazing, she has had to up her game in recent years. In 2018 the star embarked on her “El Dorado” world tour. Its grueling schedule saw the pint-sized star performing in more than 20 countries over the course of five months. She needed to get fit and to train her body to cope with taking to the stage night after night. But there was an even bigger challenge just around the corner.

At the start of 2020 Shakira gave a killer performance at the NFL Super Bowl. Audiences watched in awe as the Latina queen moved her body at lightning speed before their eyes. And all the while, she was belting out some impressive notes and flaunting her rock-hard abs in a barely-there glittery number. The performance really was quite something. And one thing’s for certain: Shakira wouldn’t have been able to pull it off without her intense health routine. 

Anna Kaiser is the lucky person who gets to guide Shakira in all things health. She’s a renowned dance choreographer who has set up studios in New York and Connecticut. Other stars on the fitness expert’s client list include Kelly Ripa and Sarah Jessica Parker. But her relationship with Shakira seems to be particularly special.

Shakira and Kaiser have been working together for over ten years now. The pair first crossed paths when the singer was filming her music video for “She Wolf.” And they have since struck up a great friendship. “We’ve been through so much together in the last ten years... babies, bodies, boys,” Kaiser wrote in an Instagram post for Shakira’s birthday in 2020. “I love you, and I am so, so proud of you, Shaki.” Aww. 

And it looks as though the feeling is mutual. The pair are always hugging and smiling in post-workout snaps — even after Kaiser has put Shakira through her paces. The fitness expert and singer link up multiple times every week, and just reading about their training sessions is enough to make you feel out of breath.

To begin her week, Shakira dives straight in with an hour-and-a-half-long dance-based calorie-burner. “The focus of this workout is cardio endurance,” trainer Kaiser explained to Vogue magazine in 2020. “I want her to push through with few breaks for the entire 90 minutes.” This prepares the singer for her long performances.

And not just from a fitness point of view, either. Kaiser notes that Shakira uses these sessions to cut loose and practice her own moves. “She will make some of the movements her own, adding flair with her hips,” she said. “Even though it’s super-intense, she’s still having fun!” We’d expect nothing less from Shakira than to add in some extra hip action!

At other points in the week, the focus of Shakira’s workouts is less about dancing and more about building strength. Kaiser designs hour-long classes that hit every one of Shakira’s muscles. And it’s in these sessions that the star works specifically on her envy-inducing tummy.

One of Kaiser’s go-to ab exercises while training Shakira for the Super Bowl was the ab-chopper. To have a go yourself, lie on the floor and bring your knees up so that your calves are parallel with the floor. Push a pair of dumbbells together and hold them out in front of you. And then lower your arms and legs in opposite directions at the same time, making sure your back stays flat to the floor. It’s a burner — trust us!

But when it comes to actually seeing results, Kaiser is all about the variety. “You need multiple types of muscular contractions and angles, as well as tempos,” she told Women’s Health magazine back in 2020. “If you do the same motions over and over, you’re not going to get the full benefit.”

And that’s why Shakira’s workouts vary so much day to day — and even week by week, for that matter. On days where the singer has been practicing performances, Kaiser will make the workouts short but intense. The pair might do a HIIT [High-Intensity Interval Training] session that lasts half an hour, for example. Or they could decide to get out of the studio completely…

Yep, Shakira will hit the pool a few times a week, too. But it won’t just be for a gentle dip. Oh, no. Kaiser still makes sure she brings the heat with these workouts. “I apply the rules that I use in AKT [Anna Kaiser Technique] and AKT workouts when we are doing interval training in the pool,” she explained to website E! News in 2017. 

In these sessions, Kaiser told E! that she gets Shakira doing “cardio sections with freestyle and the breaststroke and back and sidestroke, and then… [pausing] for a strength interval using the resistance of the pool and then... [going] back to cardio." And the singer has been known to smash out a session like this in the early hours of the morning. Yes, we’re talking after midnight!

That’s right: busy Shakira will try to fit these workout sessions in whenever she can — even if that’s after a long day of work. While most of us would favor getting straight home and tucked up in bed, the star will make sure she squeezes in a workout first. And this is a quality that Kaiser seems to admire.

“It’s always harder to push through at the end of a long day, but [Shakira] was determined and focused to finish strong!” Kaiser told Vogue when talking about fitting classes around the Super Bowl prep. “Shakira is a mom, a rock star, a wife, a business owner, a philanthropist — every moment counts,” she added. And the singer has a clever way to make sure she’s always pushing her body to its full potential — morning or night.

Yep, Kaiser revealed to E! News that Shakira tracks her pulse rate in every class. This helps the star to keep her eye on the prize and smash her goals. In fact, Kaiser recommends that everyone who works out should do the same. She says it could have some amazing benefits.

“A heart-rate monitor is very important because every day is different. Sometimes, you may have a ton of energy, and other days you may not, but you can hold yourself accountable for knowing how hard you’re working by having a very specific goal to work toward,” she said to E! News in 2017. But as Shakira knows full well, reaching your goals doesn’t just come from getting your heart pumping. 

You need to look after your muscles, too. To do this, Shakira and Kaiser swear by foam rollers. Not only does using one of these help to relieve post-workout aches and pains, but it can also be the perfect way to get your body ready to train. And Shakira has a condition that means she perhaps needs these exercise aids more than most people.

Shakira, you see, is hypermobile. This means the singer’s joints can move further than most people’s, and it makes it more difficult for her to give her muscles a good stretch. “Foam rolling is really important and making sure we are rolling out her fascia, her feet, her legs, and upper body to make sure she stays nice and healthy,” Kaiser told E! News in 2017. 

Keeping Shakira healthy is, after all, Kaiser’s main goal. And that’s why the fitness expert also helps the star out with her diet — which, by the way, looks just as strict as her fitness regime. That said, for someone so tiny, Shakira probably eats more than you’d expect.

To make sure Shakira has enough energy, Kaiser suggests that she fuels her body with food every few hours or so. But not with any old rubbish! If it’s not healthy and nutritious, then you probably won’t find it on Shakira’s menu — well, except for a few sneaky treats every now and again, of course. 

Kaiser told E! News, “Breakfast, lunch, and dinner [will have] a protein in every meal and fresh veggies or small amounts of low glycemic fruit, and for snacks, we started introducing soups. Some great soups are filling and warm.” And it’s for this reason that Kaiser thinks more people could benefit from drinking soups.

“At 4:00 p.m., when people are craving caffeine and a cookie, soup is a really great option because it fills you up and feels like a meal so it can keep you going until dinner, but it’s not hugely caloric," Kaiser continued. So if this sounds uncomfortably familiar, why not try swapping that late-afternoon sugar rush for a cup of blended veggies? Who knows, after a few months you may end up looking like Shakira!

But if you’re still wondering what Shakira’s meals actually look like on a daily basis, don’t worry. Kaiser revealed what the singer typically eats to E! News. For breakfast, the star might have eggs or avocado with a protein-packed smoothie on the side. And this healthy theme continues throughout the day.

At about midday, Shakira will probably have a portion of seafood with a stack of vibrant veggies. And we already know that the star is a fan of a mid-afternoon bowl of soup to keep her going until the evening. So far so good, right? But we do hope you’re not too excited about what’s on the menu for dinner. 

Why? Well, it’s basically a repeat of lunch: fish and veg take two. Although this time, the dish will be hot rather than cold. So, now you know what Shakira is eating, it’s easy to understand why she looks so amazing. But that’s not to say she doesn’t have the odd treat every once in a while…

Eating like this all of the time doubtless becomes a bit boring. So every now and again, Kaiser puts one of Shakira’s most-loved dishes into her meal plan. Apparently, the singer can’t get enough of pork chops! And she does love the odd square of chocolate on occasion, too. Who doesn’t? But even then, we’re not talking about a Hershey’s for Shakira.

“Sometimes there will be dark chocolate [on the plan], like a really pure dark chocolate with little to no sugar in it," Kaiser told Marie Claire magazine in 2020. For the trainer, finding healthy foods that taste like treats is key. “We would do a cacao-topped rice cake or half of a protein bar, or I got her some chocolate tea which kind of feels like a treat with some dehydrated fruit,” she told E! News.

And it seems it’s not just about what you eat, but how you eat it. Yep, if — like a lot of people — you’re a sucker for wolfing down an unhealthy snack, Kaiser has a tip for you. “If you cut up a piece of fruit, peel it, put it on a dish, and top it with something fun, it feels like a real snack instead of just walking down the street while peeling an orange and eating it,” she said to E! News. 

“You’re not actually taking a minute to enjoy that snack so instead make it a little bit of a ritual, and sit down every two to three hours, even if it takes you five minutes to eat it,” Kaiser continued. “You’ll be surprised how that triggers your brain.” Now, this sounds like something we can do, too!

But what about Shakira? Surely she’s got too much on her plate to take five minutes out to devour a snack? Well, it turns out that even with her busy schedule, the star is all about living in the moment. It’s a big part of her self-care routine — something that Kaiser has also helped Shakira put into place. Yep, the trainer has even given her a strict rule to follow in the mornings.

As Shakira explained in an Instagram video, “Kaiser doesn’t let me turn on my phone until I finish my workout and spend time with my kids.” This rule, it seems, is supposed to keep the star grounded and motivated — especially with her workouts. Fair enough! We all know how much of a waste of time scrolling on our phones can be.

A lot of Kaiser’s guidance came out of Shakira’s training for her Super Bowl show. But the star is so dedicated to being her best self, that she appears to be keeping the routines in place after the event. If anything, she’s filling her spare time with more ways to get active!

If you follow Shakira on Instagram, you’ll have seen that she’s taken up surfing and skating. And with these interests, she seems to be killing two birds with one stone — staying fit and practicing self-care. Although the two really do go hand-in-hand when you think about it.

In a 2021 interview with Cosmopolitan magazine, Shakira described how she finds these new pursuits “very therapeutic” and that they “liberate her mind.” “I’m not a great surfer,” she said. “I just started a year ago, and it’s a hard sport to make progress on. It’s unbelievable how much pleasure I find in this. How all my troubles are washed away by the waves.”

The singer loves her newfound hobby so much that she even incorporated it in the music video for her most recent release, “Don’t Wait Up.” Shakira spends most of the video perched on her surfboard singing. But when the chorus kicks in, she really shows off her skills. Shakira is definitely being modest when she says she’s not very good! 

“There’s something about the ocean and the salt and the wind that heals all the wounds,” she told Cosmopolitan. “I found that’s my own meditation, but it wouldn’t be bad if I do the real kind. I think I need it.” Maybe this is another thing Kaiser will be able to help the star out with in the future! 

Meditation will be particularly helpful if Shakira finds herself preparing for another performance like the Super Bowl, which, in all honesty, sounded incredibly stressful. Thankfully, Shakira was able to work alongside friend and fellow performer J.Lo, who had an equally intense workout and diet regime to follow, by the sounds of things.

Lopez may have had to share the spotlight with Shakira at Super Bowl LIV. But during their 14 minutes on stage together, both parties managed to reel through much of their hit-packed back catalogs. “Jenny from the Block,” “Get Right” and “On the Floor” were just a few of the smashes that J. Lo wowed the crowd with.

Like Shakira, the J. Lo live experience isn’t just all about the songs. The vocalist/actress/dancer proved why she’s regarded as one of the ultimate triple threats with a whole host of dazzling moves. Perhaps her most memorable was the pole-dancing routine, which was presumably a reference to her acclaimed turn in stripper dramedy Hustlers.

Of course, Lopez’s fashion sense garnered just as much attention. The Hollywood star went through an extraordinary five costume changes during her halftime performance, which lasted less than a quarter of an hour. These included a bodysuit, a metallic outfit and a cape emblazoned with both the Puerto Rican and U.S. flags.

And J. Lo’s efforts certainly generated plenty of headlines. For example, The Independent commented, “Jennifer Lopez and Shakira didn’t so much erase as obliterate the Maroon 5 frontman’s excruciating Super Bowl halftime show with a high-octane, all-guns-blazing performance that went big on Latin pride.” Variety was just as impressed, writing, “These two gave it hip service, and for as long as they were on stage, no one with the slightest love of movement or rhythm could take a knee, or a seat.”

It takes a lot of work for a woman who’s turned 50 to put those pop stars half her age to shame, of course. But Lopez appears to spend just as much time in the gym as she does the recording studio or film set. Luckily, though, the glamorous star never sees a workout as a chore. “I am 100 percent convinced that working out is part of what makes me so happy,” she told Hello!.

“Dance has always been a huge part of my life and taking the time to move my body and do something that’s so good for me is key to my happiness,” Lopez added. “And I really believe that when you take care of yourself and work to stay healthy, you’re better able to take care of those you love. So working out is definitely a priority for me.”

And Lopez has had to get in shape for several of her most famous roles, including her 1998 breakout movie Out of Sight alongside George Clooney. The star also had some revealing scenes in big-screen thriller The Boy Next Door and small-screen cop drama Shades of Blue.

But Lopez’s raunchiest role probably came in 2019 when she starred as veteran stripper Ramona in the acclaimed drama Hustlers. Lopez, who was in her late 40s when filming the movie, thoroughly convinced as the strip club’s star performer. And her pole dance routine to Fiona Apple’s “Criminal” was regarded as one of the stand-out scenes of the year.

In fact, Lopez was in such great shape for the film that she had to deny rumors she’d used a double for its more revealing moments. In an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the star claimed that the pole dancing was all her own work. “I have some bruises,” she said. “I took pictures to prove it!”

“Also, I said to the director… there’s a moment when I go upside down,” Lopez continued. “And I said, ‘I don’t care if I look like a bat hanging upside down, if my face is crushed. Make sure you get me! I don’t want anybody thinking it’s doubles.’ No doubles in this movie!”

Of course, Lopez’s body has been discussed in great detail by the press ever since she emerged on the scene in the 1990s. In a piece for Vibe magazine in 1999, Dream Hampton wrote, “Her b**t, in particular, has overshadowed her formidable acting ability. It is written about, photographed lovingly (with her cooperation, of course). It is used as an example, in teen mags for girls and grown women’s fashion tomes, of a changing body ideal.”

Thankfully, Lopez has always been happy to talk about her body and how she keeps it in shape. For example, in a chat with Hollywood Life the star revealed that she’s much more of a morning person when it comes to working out. “I don’t like doing it later,” she said. “It’s harder to get there when I have my day going already.”

And a little variety in the gym appears to help Lopez with her discipline. “When I’m in New York, I work out with David Kirsch – he’s an amazing trainer,” she added. “When I’m in LA, I work with Tracy Anderson. I like the balance that they both give me. They have two totally different approaches. I like switching it up with my body.”

So what exactly are the differences between the two routines? Well, Anderson allows Lopez to improvise a little more when she’s on the East Coast. Much of her workouts there revolve around weights as well.

By contrast, Lopez works up more of a sweat when being trained by Kirsch. Circuits, abdominal exercises and even martial arts are just a few of the elements of the star’s exhausting Los Angeles routines. And Lopez is also put further through her paces with the high-intensity exercise known as HIIT.

There’s also one particular exercise that Lopez favors more than any other: the Spiderman push-up. In addition, Kirsch informed SELF that a bosu ball routine is “pretty comprehensive… If you’re short on time, you can do it as a standalone move and feel like you accomplished something. You can also incorporate it into your regular upper-body or core workout.”

And Lopez certainly isn’t afraid to show off the results from her strict gym routines. In May 2020, for example, she uploaded a post-workout photo to her Instagram account in which she wore coordinating camouflage leggings and sports top. She wrote alongside the image: “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Lopez’s words were appreciated by her fans and quickly racked up millions of likes. An appreciative follower commented, “I need to come workout with you and get back into shape.” Another stated that they would “always admire your dedication,” while many couldn’t believe that the woman in the photo was about to turn 51.

And Lopez has been happy to give out advice for those wanting to emulate her strict fitness regime. “Drinking plenty of water, especially before a workout, can help you push harder and get more out of your exercise routine,” she explained to Hello!. “I try to keep my body hydrated and well-rested after every workout. That way, I’m ready to hit it hard again the next day.”

Lopez doesn’t recommend using coffee as part of your water intake, though. Indeed, she informed Hollywood Life that she hasn’t consumed caffeine in a very long time. The star has cut out alcohol from her lifestyle entirely as well, after consulting with HayliePomroy, a well-respected dietary expert.

Another of Lopez’s exercise tutors, Tracy Anderson, revealed to People magazine that the star is just as disciplined when it comes to her food intake. “I have her eating very clean, because she needs really good fuel for all the things that she’s doing,” Anderson said. “It’s all organic and it’s all very well thought out, with the balance of very high quality proteins and a lot of nutrient-dense food… everything is fresh.”

Moreover, Lopez told Hello! that she sticks to her nutritious regime if she’s spending time with loved ones as well. “Most restaurants offer healthy, low-calorie meals, so I watch for things on the menu that fit my lifestyle,” she stated. “And I make sure I drink lots of water throughout the meal.”

In fact, even the foods Lopez eats in between meals are supremely healthy. “I also love to relax with my kids after a workout and share a healthy snack with them,” she added. “I always carry fruit and veggies with me to give me something to snack on.”

And Lopez will occasionally adhere to an even stricter diet, as she did during a particular ten-day stint during 2019. Alongside her ex-boyfriend, former MLB star Alex Rodriguez, the singer reduced her carb intake even further than usual and cut out all sugars from her food intake. She didn’t find this particularly easy, however. “Alex and I have struggled through,” Lopez admitted in a January 2019 Instagram story. “Anybody who stuck with us through the whole 10-day challenge, congratulations.”

Lopez may seem like she’s willing to try anything on the menu if it’s healthy enough, then. But there are two nutritious foods that she tries to avoid, according to Lopez’s own chef. “I know Jennifer doesn’t love salmon,” Kelvin Fernandez told Us Weekly in May 2020. “So if I’m cooking salmon for the [table], I always got to do a sea bass or a halibut or cod for Jennifer.”

Fernandez was keen to point out that Lopez’s dislike of salmon isn’t to do with its nutritional value, however. “She’s just not a fan of the texture and the taste of salmon,” the chef explained. Lopez also isn’t keen on berries, either, although she has to ensure there are always plenty around as they’re a favorite with her kids Emme and Max.

In fact, fruit in general isn’t something that Lopez especially enjoys. Vegetables, on the other hand, are a different story. When asked about what’s always stocked in the star’s fridge, Fernandez replied, “There’s always greens like spinach, cucumber, and celery to make green juice. They love starting their day with a green juice.”

“I think the most important thing is that the pantry is always stocked, the fridge is always stocked,” Fernandez continued. “The team does a very good job. I think what the most important thing is Jennifer and Alex love consistency, so the team does a great job following that up.”

Fernandez admits that he can sometimes feel anxious when it comes to cooking for his celebrity clients. “I can’t remember the amount of times that I would have to ask over and over again about dietary restrictions and allergies, just because you don’t want to mess up, even though you know,” the chef confessed. And there are certain occasions when Fernandez has to be more alert than ever.

After bagging the Super Bowl halftime show gig, Lopez decided that she needed to commit even more stringently to her healthy lifestyle. Indeed, in order to be as fit as possible for the performance, which was viewed by more than 100 million people, she adopted a pretty extreme diet. And this included constantly having the same food.

“There were simple carbs and complex carbs and different types of carbs that we had to implicate into the breakfast, lunch and dinner structure,” Fernandez explained to Us Weekly. And the chef was left surprised by some of Lopez’s choices. “I’ve never had breakfast vegetables before,” he admitted. “But this woman was having egg-white scramble with vegetables three different ways and every single day.”

Of course, J. Lo wasn’t the only Lopez family member whom Fernandez had to feed at breakfast time. The chef will often serve up more calorific dishes such as eggs Benedict or French toast to satisfy the star’s children. Fernandez’s efforts haven’t always been appreciated, however.

On one occasion, for example, Fernandez cooked a large platter packed with rice and chicken for all the Lopez family to dig into. Unfortunately, the matriarch of the household didn’t like being tempted by such dishes in the run-up to her big day. And Lopez ensured that she told Fernandez about her discomfort.

“The next day she’s like, ‘Kelvin, you served me rice,’” Fernandez recalled. “And I’m like, ‘No, no, no, no, no, there was chicken, there was salad. You grabbed the rice!’” Following his discussion with the superstar, though, the chef made sure that he altered how he dishes out the meals that he’s lovingly prepared.

Thankfully, Lopez was able to see the funny side of the incident. Nonetheless, Fernandez went on to add, “From that moment I said, ‘Alright, Jennifer. I’m going to serve you every single plate individually. Do not look at anyone else’s plate. Do not look at what anyone else has.’”

Of course, Fernandez doesn’t hold a grudge against his superstar boss for voicing her concerns. In fact, he believes that Lopez has every right to expect nothing but perfection in the kitchen. “If I mess up once, I will hear it,” the chef continued. “And she deserves to put me on my point.”

And Fernandez has nothing but admiration for Lopez’s commitment to her cause. “She’s such a hard worker. When she puts her mind to something, it’s incredible how much can be accomplished,” he continued. “When she wants something healthy, she’ll stick to it.”

But surely Lopez has at least one weakness when it comes to her diet? Well, Fernandez told Us Weekly that the star and her family aren’t averse to the odd Mexican dish. “They love taco day,” he revealed. “It could be Tuesday, it could be Wednesday, it could be Thursday. It doesn’t matter. They love tacos.”