Shakira’s workout routine: How the singer maintains her jaw-dropping physique

Abs of steel, insane core strength and those effortless dance moves – we’re convinced that Shakira’s hips don’t lie even at the age of 46. Despite weathering major life changes including her split with footballer Gerard Piqué, prepping for back-to-back shoots, performances, Super Bowls, and FIFA openings as well as being a mum to two, Shakira looks stronger than ever and we’re really keen to know how. How does the Waka Waka hitmaker keep her body fuelled when many of us millennials and Gen Z struggle to hit the gym even once a month? As Shakira rides the waves of her latest megahits, let’s take a look at the Grammy winner’s workout routine and diet plan and get motivated to lace up our trainers.

Shakira’s trainer and good friend Anna Kaiser, who has been working with the star for over 13 years now, split beans about her intensive workout routine which spans five to six days a week. Kaiser tailors her workouts depending on the physical demands of the workday ahead, switching from sports and dance sessions to HIIT or circuit classes. The idea is to make sure that the singer gets a bit of everything to sail through a two-hour show or a five-month tour. Here’s every single thing we know about how Shakira stays in shape:

Shakira’s trainer spills beans on her six-day workout routine

Ahead of Shakira’s iconic Super Bowl performance with Jennifer Lopez in 2020, Anna Kaiser shared the star’s strict fitness routine with multiple media outlets.

“Every day is different because I want to make sure I’m preparing her not just for the Super Bowl, but for each day as it comes,” Kaiser mentioned. Mentioning how her workout is modified depending on her schedule for that day, Kaiser added, “She had a really long dance rehearsal in the afternoon one day, so we just focused on an hour of pure strength in the morning. (Some days) she has even longer days of physical dance rehearsals, so she just started with something very short: 20 minutes.”

The trainer stressed the importance of consistently switching up your workouts for nourishing your mind and body. By engaging in a variety of workouts, you can “keep your head in the game, you don’t get bored, and you have a workout that’s going to work for you that day for what you need to accomplish that day,” Kaiser stressed. Shakira works out six days a week with a rest day on Sunday.

Most importantly, Shakira’s trainer shared that the singer is committed to fitness and wellness not only to be in shape for a specific occasion, but also because she can “perform injury-free into her 40s and stay healthy.”

So, queue up your Hips Don’t Lie playlist, set your exercise mat and workout gear in place as we give you a breakdown of the exercises she does:

Alternating between strength and cardio intervals

Shakira’s workouts are a perfect blend of strength and cardio sessions. While some days it starts with cardio and goes to strength training, on other days it’s the opposite. “We like to mix it up,” Kaiser told E! News in an earlier interview. The star’s trainer focuses on ‘low intensity sustained cardio sessions’. This could be walking on a treadmill, going for a run, cycling, swimming laps and more. Her training sessions vary from day to day, but mostly combine lifting weights and short bursts of cardio. The workouts are spruced by dumbbells, resistance bands and other bodyweight moves.

While cardio exercises improve your endurance, strength workouts like Pilates and weightlifting enhance your strength and balance. When combined, the two work wonders for your overall fitness.

Kaiser focuses on compound movements that engage multiple muscle groups at times. For example, a squat is a compound exercise that combines the quadriceps, glutes, and calves. The biggest benefit of compound movements is the efficient use of your time. Additionally, they also help burn more calories, elevate heart rate, improve flexibility and strength as well as help maintain more muscle mᴀss.

Cardio-focused dance workouts

From her hip-shaking Hips Don’t Lie to her iconic Waka Waka – Shakira has given us some amazing signature moves over the years. With dance workouts, you can ace your fitness, flexibility, and coordination while jamming to your own tunes. Whether you’re sweating it out in a hip-hop studio or grooving to your beats in the comfort of your living room, dance hastens your heart rate and gets you going.

Kaiser alternates her strength training sessions with heart-pumping dance sessions. Did you know that you can burn 90 to 252 calories in 30 minutes of dancing, according to a Harvard Medical School report? Apart from weight loss, dancing results in boosted brainpower, a stronger, fitter heart as well as improved bone density.

Ab workout

In a January 2023 interview with Shape, Kaiser shared details about Shakira’s favourite ab workout routine. The singer swears by a six-move ab workout routine designed to work every muscle in your core.

The trainer shared that the ab exercises have a ‘funny’ effect on the Waka Waka singer as “it makes her hungry.” She added, “I don’t know anyone else that gets hungry during (abs exercises).”

Kaiser stated that the workout will challenge every muscle in your core. The workout includes full-body movements and not just isolating the abdominals since “your body works as a unit, not a combination of parts.” All the exercises are first performed on one side, then the entire sequence is repeated on the other side as well. Each move has to be performed slowly and in the correct form, exhaling on exertion. This can be repeated three to four times a week.

Here’s Shakira’s go-to ab-workout, as revealed by her trainer:

Please note: You’ll need a Pilates ball, a mat, a light set of weights (1-5 lbs), and a medium set of weights (8-10 lbs)

Side clincher (20 reps slowly)
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a set of medium weights in each hand.
Lower the right weight past your knee, while lifting the left weight toward the side of your rib cage. Hips should be centred.
Standing weighted march

Stay in the previous standing position and hold a set of light weights together above your head.
Lift your right knee up to your chest as you pull your arms down in a twist.
Exhale as the weight meets your knee. Slowly return your foot back down and extend your arms overhead.
Repeat it for about a minute and switch to the left side.
Lateral teaser
Sit on the right side of your hip, angling your toes and hips to the corner of the mat.
Place a Pilates ball between your thighs and squeeze your inner thighs and legs together.
Raise your left arm overhead, then pull your left elbow down into the left oblique as your knees bend in toward the chest.
Stretch left arm and both legs out. Do this 15 times on one side and then switch.
Twisted crunches
Sit with your feet on the floor and put a Pilates ball behind your lower back.
With hands behind your head, start leaning back at a 45-degree angle. Don’t move your hips to maintain a neutral spine.
With feet on the ground, knees bent, and hands resting behind your head, lift your chest towards your knees.
Rotate your torso and extend the right arm across the body, tapping behind your knees.
Repeat for a minute. After four reps, switch the side.
Seated c-curve (15 reps slowly)

Sit on the mat, with knees bent and heels going into the floor.
Press your inner thighs together and hold a towel between both hands.
Lean back as far as possible with a neutral spine position.
Staying in that position, bring your arms by your ears, raising the towel over your head.
Lower it back to put it in line with the shoulders.
3-count crunch (15 reps)
Lay on the mat with a Pilates ball just under your shoulder blades.

Extend legs out in a V shape, hands behind the head and toes pointing outward.
Take 3 beats to exhale as you lift your chest upward at three points of the crunch motion (pausing each time as you lift higher).