Viral: Weight Training In a Saree, Pune Doctor Is Internet’s New Fitness Sensation

As 38-year-old Sharvari Inamdar lifts weights and exercises in a saree, she looks as comfortable as one might be in regular work out clothes. The powerlifter and ayurvedic practitioner from Pune recently shared a video of her working out in this attire on Instagram, and it became viral, garnering over 2.5 lakh views.

“After one year of working out at home, I returned to the gym last month in June. I wanted that day to be like a celebration. So, I decided to wear a traditional Marathi saree along with a nose pin, and some jewellery – the way I would dress up during festivals or for any celebration with the family,” says Sharvari, in an interview with The Better India.

Here’s a video of her doing push-ups and lifting weights wearing a traditional saree:

 

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A powerlifting champion

Being the founder and chief doctor at Aahara Ayurvedic clinic, and a mother of two teenagers, Sharvari has always followed a healthy lifestyle. She regularly practised yoga and floor exercises, and went cycling. In 2016, her husband Vaibhav Inamdar requested her to join the gym with him so that they could work out together.

“While Sharvari did her exercises mostly at home, I preferred exercising at the gym. Once our children had become adults and Sharvari had more time on her hands during the day, especially in the mornings, I requested her to join the gym. While she has always lived a healthy lifestyle, I wanted her to focus on strength training,” says Vaibhav.

Sharvari and her husband Vaibhav.

When Shavari went to the gym, the trainer did a basic test of her stamina, agility and strength on the first day.

“Despite exercising regularly, I noticed that my body was weak. I could not lift heavyweights. So I took it up as a challenge, changed my diet, trained regularly and focussed on strengthening,” says Sharvari, adding that within one year, she began lifting weights as heavy as 100 kilograms.

In 2017, she participated in district and state-level powerlifting competitions and won gold medals in her weight and age category. In 2018, she represented Maharashtra at the national level and secured a silver medal.

“As women, we are regularly told to be healthy and have a petite body. But, no one asks us to be healthy and strong. Working on my strength has made me more active and feel 10 years younger than my actual age. Today, before prescribing any medicines to patients, I request them to consider lifestyle changes (food and body activity) for metabolism-related diseases like diabetes and obesity,” says Sharvari.

Follow Sharvari on Instagram and Facebook to see more videos.