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Malaika Arora’s HIIT workout: 5 fat burning exercises the fitness icon swears by
ETimes.in / Updated: Jul 6, 2026, 11:13 IST
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Malaika, the fitness icon
Malaika Arora has once again taken over the internet with her fitness reel that featured a series of high-intensity interval training.The actress who has defined fitness through yoga mainly, has been captured doing meticulous exercises. Her commitment towards health and wellness is commendable. Malaika’s exercises never solely focus on one or two aspects. Instead, the fitness regime that she follows combines balance, strength, spine, mental calm etc. The 52 year old actress has always been an advocate of a healthy lifestyle. Recently Malaika posted a new reel in Instagram, where the glimpses showed her doing a number of fat burning exercises. Her posture and the way she was performing has accumulated a lot of praise. The reel was captioned as ‘Fat burning steeper session.’ Fans also didn’t wait and showered immense love.But what were the exercises that Malaika was doing? Let’s have a look.
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Standing cross body crunch
According to Spotebi, you need to follow a number of steps to perform this home workout. It’s not difficult, but one has to be careful while doing it. First, stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart and your hands behind your head. While bending your right leg, lift your knee as high as you can. Then comes rotation of your torso to the right and bringing your right knee to your left elbow. Then to complete the set, repeat on the opposite side and keep alternating sides.The standing criss cross crunches involve your core muscles, open your elbows, keep your neck relaxed and your back straight. Adding the crunches to the fitness regime that one follows, helps to increase core strength and stability, improves flexibility and coordination, and helps to sculpt and trim down waist. It is also effective in improving heart rate and burning body fat.
Image credit: iStock
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Lateral knee drive
For this exercise as well, one needs to follow several steps. According to Healthline, stand tall with your feet about hip-to-shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides and then looking straight ahead, open your chest, and engage your core muscles. The workout then will start, by bringing your right knee toward your chest, slightly above waist level. The high knees exercise is an excellent weight-bearing, full-body movement that helps increase the heart rate improving the cardio-vascular health, and warms the muscles in the lower and upper body. It also prepares for more complex exercises and activities. Increases heart rate and burns caloriesThe exercise is also visualized as calisthenics, which can burn about 7 calories per minute. If you’re working at a moderate pace, you can expect to use about 3.5–7 calories per minute.
Image credit: iStock
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Standing toe touch
Have you ever tried touching your toes? Because it is no child’s play. Toe touching is a classic demonstration of flexibility in the muscles from your lower back down to your calves. In fact, the “sit and reach” is a common flexibility test for both athletic and general fitness populations when planning a stretching and exercise routine.The main benefit with which the exercise is associated is flexibility in hamstrings calves and lower back. Being able to touch your toes reflects good flexibility in these areas. It is also associated in introducing the risk of hamstring strains, risk of Achilles tendon injuries, improved performance in flexibility-dependent sports that improved movement during functional activities.
Image credit: iStock
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Plank jacks
Plank jacks are a combined cardio and core-strengthening exercise. It helps in muscle strengthening, of both the upper and lower body.Adding it just a few times a week in your routine, and it will enhance your core strength and burn calories, and help reduce fat.It mainly focuses on strengthening core muscles. They also activate the muscles in the hips and back.Plank jacks deal with any kind of existing back pain, it helps in reducing risk for lower back pain. Nevertheless it burns calories and fat as well. Plank jacks are a cardiovascular exercise. Cardiovascular exercises can help you to burn calories and regulate your weight.
They may also help lower blood pressure and reduce your risk for heart disease
Image credit: iStock
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Mountain climbers
Mountain climber is one of the exercises that belongs to the HIIT group.It is an effective body weight exercise that is mainly associated with training your muscles like chest muscle, triceps, shoulder muscles, serratus anterior, and abdominal muscles, that work mainly to support your body against gravity while holding a plank position.According to Woman & Home. The way to do this exercise is: you start in a plank position and drive your knees towards your chest in a running action. It’s a simple move, but it delivers a big payoff for both strength and cardio fitness.It also cares for your cardiovascular health.Image credit: iStock
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