Game of Thrones starts up its final season on April 14th, and fans of the epic series have been bracing themselves for the final descent into fantastical chaos.
Emilia Clarke plays one of the baddest bitches on TV — Daenerys Targaryen, mother of dragons and potential ruler of the Iron Throne. Surprisingly, her exercise regimen isn’t so aggressive.
Balance is everything for Emilia, especially on the health and fitness front. The actress recently opened up about surviving two life-threatening brain aneurysms during her early years on GOT. Learning to be gentle with her body, while still working to keep it strong, has been key to her recovery and overall well being.
The fierce actress works out with Aussie personal trainer and cookbook author James Duigan, who has been training with the queen for years. His approach is all about sustainability and self-love, focusing on treating the body with kindness and compassion instead of strict rules and body-beating workout programs.
KEEP IT SUSTAINABLE. Duigan told Australian lifestyle site, Whimm that “the best way to exercise is to pick a way of exercising that you enjoy so that it remains a fun and sustainable part of your lifestyle.” With Emilia, he uses resistance bands to sculpt a long, lean body without placing your muscles under extreme pressure” — they’re also a great portable tool for when Emilia is on-the-go filming.
THE IDEAL WORKOUT PLAN. The trainer also has her doing interval training, yoga and pilates to build balance and strength. He told Daily Mail that the ideal workout is four rounds of five exercises including body-weight exercises that can be done anywhere including squats, push-ups, alternating reverse lunges, planking and skipping or jumping jacks. He recommends doing each move for 40 seconds then switching it up. Don’t skip out on the recovery efforts after. A cool down will help to gradually push the lactic acid out of the muscles, whilst allowing the blood to circulate throughout your body and carry important nutrients and oxygen to your muscles and cells and assisting in the growth and repair of muscles.” Learn more about the science of recovery here.
