WITH A world tour of her new record just round the corner, Dua Lipa dished on the gruelling fitness and diet regime she swears by to stay in shape.
The ‘Radical Optimism’ singer is known for her toned abs and legs-for-days, but she’s ramped up her routine to her get body tour-ready.
Dua’s performances tends to be choreo-heavy, with strutting, hair flips and hip shimmies galore – and it sounds like her upcoming appearances will be no different.
The seven-time Brit Award winner chatted with Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett on the latest episode of their podcast Dish From Waitrose, ahead of her sixth tour kicking off in Germany on June 5.
Nick asked Dua: “What is life like for your now? Are you like ‘I’m an athlete, I’m in the zone’?”
“One thousand per cent,” Dua replied.
“It’s like rehearsals, no drinking, working out, just back-to-back preparing for all the shows to come,” the 28-year-old said.
“Also, I haven’t done a proper tour show for a year so I’ve got to get my stamina back up before I go into festivals.”
This involves “running, dancing, singing, all at the same time, to make sure I can hack it once the adrenaline hits as well”, the singer explained.
Dua said she belts out her songs during rehearsal to get used to signing and dancing at the same time.
“I’ve got to make sure that while we’re doing new dance moves that a certain move isn’t gonna make my voice shake,” she added.
If that was the case, she’d modify the moves to make sure she can sing while doing them.
Dua seems to be taking a leaf out of another pop star’s book, with Taylor Swift sharing she also tests the limits of her lungs and voice before touring.
The hit singer said she began training six months before the first show of her world tour.
“Every day, I would run on the treadmill, singing the entire set list out loud,” she said.
While singing and running simultaneously might sound bizarre, it is actually a very effective way to boost your fitness, according to PT Sarah Campus, the founder of LDN MUMS FITNESS.
She told The Sun: “When singing, you take deep breaths and exercise muscles like the diaphragm, lungs, and abdominal muscles, which can make you fitter.
“Increasing your lung capacity will help improve your overall stamina, and in time, you’ll see that you can run longer distances without feeling so breathless.”
‘TOUR MODE’ DIET
Dua also switches up her diet when she’s touring – and shared the two things she avoids.
When Nick asked her if her eating habits were drastically different while on tour, Dua replied: “Unfortunately. It’s not as fun.”
She went on: “But once I’m in the swing of things and I have like a routine and my body is really strong and healthy – it’s just getting into stamina mode.
“Then afterwards I’m fine because my body’s already at a certain kind of level. But there’s no drinking. Can’t have H๏τ sauce.”
She explained that H๏τ sauce could cause acid reflux – which is “no bueno” for the vocal cords.
The hit maker said most of her meals consist of meat and veg while prepping her body for touring, and she often enjoys steak.
Her nutrition team prioritises protein, meaning breakfasts typically include eggs and fruit – and no bread.
Meanwhile, the singer’s favourite post-cardio snacks is a banana with cashew ʙuттer.
Though she enjoys these meals, Dua said she still craves carbs: “I want the pasta. It’s the little things.”
Outside of tour prep, Dua shared that she’s a proper foodie, planning holidays solely around the restaurants she wants to visit.
“I think about the trip and then I think about the food, and I start putting it in the diary so I can book places to eat food, and my whole day revolves around food and then whatever else in between.”
“I love making a salmon bowl with brown rice and spicy mayo, pickled veg, cucumbers, teriyaki, black sesame. Just like a nice a mix of lots of different stuff.”
Work out like Dua
Dua’s coach Peter MacIver previously shed light on her weekly fitness routine, sharing that the ‘Training Season’ singer does a mixture of cardio and resistance training three or four times a weeks.
He broke down her routine for Women’s Health:
- Workout one: 20 min hill sprints, 40 min full-body body weight workout
- Workout two: 20 min hill sprints, 40 min full-body workout using equipment (balls, bands, bars)
- Workout three: 20 min hill sprints, 40 min full-body body weight workout with focus on balance and agility
Dua likes to start her day with a 7am workout, saying “getting physical really starts my day off right”, per Refinery 29.
The pop star likes to squeeze in a HIIT workout when she’s тιԍнт on time, but she makes sure to practice yoga daily to stay grounded.
Dua has been practising yoga consistently for about nine years and in 2022 posted a video of herself doing – and narrating – a 30 minute guided yoga flow class.
“What I love about yoga is that it really grounds me and makes feel really good physically,” she said.
“Especially with all the dancing I do onstage, I get so much from stretching and the low impact rotating of joints and muscles.
“I find that it also really helps me mentally – the deep breathing really balances and calms my mind, I feel the good effects all day.”
