Anupam Kher adopted a structured fitness regimen after the age of 60. However, he admits he would have liked to take it up sooner. "I used to host the show, Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai, the clips of which often pop up on social media. I look like a potato in them. Now, I cannot help but wonder how much I would have benefitted had I adopted [resistance] training sooner."
Investing in understanding the science of fitness has helped the actor realise that age-old notions relating to physical well-being are insufficient in meeting fitness goals. "I used to think [our ancestors] had stayed fit by walking, and that was enough. But I began to [appreciate] the science of fitness. Now, I have a wonderful trainer.
Invest in learning something new, regardless of your age. Kher had first attempted to learn swimming 42 years ago, but an untoward incident left him with a sense of water phobia. After learning the skill no at the age of 69, he finds swimming "therapeutic".
Like every gym-goer, the actor admits to waking up with muscle soreness, and feeling too lethargic to train. However, he encourages himself to pack in yet another workout each day. "To think about problems and converse with yourself about them is also stimulating for the mind. You live once; try to be healthy for your own self."
Discussing his eating habits in a previous interview with mid-day, Kher had said, "I begin the day with water and saffron that has been stored overnight in a copper vessel. I follow it up with soaked almonds and walnuts."
Intermittent fasting may have been beneficial for many, but Kher isn't in favour of picking patterns that don't align with one's mindset. " I eat every two hours. I cannot take to a format like intermittent fasting, where all that you think about for 24 hours is food."
In a bid to look in ship shape, Kher makes his battles public. He had said that he shares his story on social media so that he can make "my journey accessible to the public". "In doing so, I will be more inclined to stick to my routine. No one will want to see me [out of shape] again.”
Despite the fact that his zeal to pack in 10, 15 and 20 thousand steps had once left him with a knee injury, Kher still considers walking a "great exercise".
He will never get over his love for sweets, but Kher says he continues to practice discipline when it comes to his lifestyle. "I don’t like to drink, and don’t smoke."
Finally, he says his attempt to give his nod to projects that give him a "kick" help him stay young. “I don’t have the desperation to be young; I have the desperation to be youthful. I take up projects like Vijay 69 because they give me a kick. There is a certain validation and pleasure that you derive when you do a sporty film after the age of 60. More than the physical benefits, it helps train the mind."
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