Milind Soman started doing half marathons at the age of 38 and there’s no sign of stopping

Sheetal

His chiselled body belies the fact that he has a sweet tooth, Or, that he never visits a gym. Milind Soman, the poster boy of fitness, convinces us that consistency is the key to success.

The popular actor and fitness enthusiast, who is in Chandigarh for Run for Health half marathon, says, “I am happy when I run. So, I am actively involved with Run for Health and it is really fun.”

While Milind gives us fitness goals, we wonder what his fitness goal is for 2023. He replies, “I don’t have any fitness goal but I do want to increase my mobility. I want to do a split which I can’t do at this moment. Also, I want to do a muscle up. It’s radial pull-up followed by a dip. It sounds tough but it’s quite technical.”

For the beginners, Milind’s advice is to first identify the level of fitness they want to achieve, for a 100 metre run is different from running a marathon or a doing a 10-km swim. “Because you need to train specifically for that. Also, when you are starting, go slow. Learn from your experience every single day and be regular. And you will be where you want to be in terms of fitness,” he says.

Milind started with half marathon at the age of 38 and it’s ‘regularity’ that made him reach this far. He explains, “People ask me how much time I devote to fitness or exercise. To be honest, it’s just 15-20 minute a day. I don’t go to a gym and I don’t work out a lot. But I know exactly what I need to do. Consistency makes all the difference.”

Milind acknowledges the role of diet in fitness, but he would not completely stop eating his favourite dishes. “I love jalebis and gulab jamuns. I love sweets. The idea is to have them in small quantities.”

On having a life partner, who is equally interested in fitness, Milind says, “I think it would have been less fun if she didn’t like to run. It’s great that she runs more than I do. She is also a yoga instructor and she is great at figuring out what’s best for her. I am not just talking about what’s best physically but also mentally and emotionally. Knowing how to keep yourself in a good space so you can have a happy life.”

On the work front, Milind was last seen in Lakadbaggha. He admits that he is quite selective while accepting projects. “I accept projects which I think are interesting. From the story, character to the director, everything has to be appealing for me to say yes. Lakadbaggha was one such project and it got good reviews. The next film which I completed filming is Emergency.”

The actor also played a transgender in Paurashpur. He says, “Every role is a journey within. You have to be in touch with your inner-self to be in sync with the character.”

The actor, who flagged off the half marathon from Sukhna Lake, loves the city. He says, “Food is great here and people are wonderful. It’s a beautiful city with its straight roads adding to the scenic brilliance.”

There is one more reason why Milind likes Chandigarh. His friend and a fellow marathon runner, Man Kaur, used to live in here. Kaur passed away in 2021 and Milind remembers her as ‘a very special lady who died at 105 and started running at the age of 93. “She represented India at the international level for many years and won many gold medals. She was really special.”