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Regular-article-logo Friday, 15 August 2025

'No matter what, I exercise daily'

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AS TOLD TO LATA KHUBCHANDANI MY BODY - Actor Jimmy Shergill Keeps A Strict Watch Over His Physique AS TOLD TO LATA KHUBCHANDANI Published 07.06.04, 12:00 AM

I am in show business and therefore my fitness goals are dictated entirely by the roles I am playing and the way I’m expected to look. But overall, I try to maintain a fair level of fitness. I am quite a gym person — on an average, I visit the gym four to five times in a week and work out for an hour daily. I become very disturbed if I miss my workouts. I feel like I have sinned somehow! But this tends to happen quite often, especially when I am shooting outstation. You can’t find a gym in the mountains. Nor can you go for a jog if pack-up happens, say, at 11 at night. It took me some time to find a way of sorting out this problem. I couldn’t afford to use travel or irregular hours as excuses to miss workouts. So now, wherever I am and whatever my schedule, I exercise daily.

I first visited a gym in 1993. I was never overweight but wanted to join my friends who were gym members already. I was just out of college then and had a lot of time to myself. I really have fond memories working out with friends in the gym. I found it highly exciting — being on a diet and working for bigger muscles. We would have competitions to decide who did the perfect stretch or lifted the heaviest weight. This was while I was in Delhi. Later, when I moved to Mumbai, I joined acting classes and that put a stop to exercises for a while.

I spent most of my time looking for work and that took a toll on my fitness. Finally, I got a break in Mohabbatein. And then my exercise regime became very disciplined and regular. I had hired a personal trainer to help me get into shape for my role. I had met with an accident just before I got the offer and had many stitches in my body. My trainer helped me with my exercises and I slowly got back to normal.

Currently, I am concentrating on just running. This too is to get into the mould of a role that I am playing in a film. I need to look leaner and smaller — I am trying to lose weight and hence running long stretches. My favourite forms of exercise are running and lifting weights.

I am quite a gym addict and I think your fitness level depends on the quality of the gym that you visit. Very often, people compromise on that count to curtail expenses. But I feel that’s not the right attitude. To me, health is wealth. You might think you are saving a few hundreds now, but wrong equipment or a bad trainer will cost you more in the long run.

Lastly, you have to pledge to yourself that you will exercise. It’s not just a routine affair — your body is precious and you have to be passionate about it. There will always be a 50-50 chance for a workout given our hectic schedules but you must honour your pledge. Exercises give me a high. And I sleep better after keeping my date with my body.


What’s cooking!

My wife Priyanka is an excellent cook. Thanks to her skills, I get a taste of various cuisines at home. When in town, I always prefer having home-made food, cooked with a limited amount of oil and spices.

Breakfast: My day begins with egg whites — scrambled or omelettes. I also take a few slices of toasted bread along with a glass of fresh fruit juice.

Lunch: I avoid food served in film units. After all, nothing can beat the delicious chicken items that my wife dishes out — light and nutritious. I take chicken with rice and a generous helping of fresh vegetables — boiled or curried.

Tea time: This is one time of the day that I indulge in junk. It could be biscuits, wafers, sweets or something tangy.

Dinner: I love to retire for the night with a good taste in my mouth. This is why I take only home food for dinner. Even if I am shooting late into the night, I send my driver home to pick up my meal. Of late, I have been taking only soups and salads at night. I realised that it makes me feel better. After a light dinner, I wake up in the mornings feeling fresh and energetic (I often have to leave for early morning shoots). A light dinner keeps my energy levels high.

Note: It’s better to avoid excessive oil and spices in our food. In summers especially, one should avoid spicy foods. The first meal in the day should be a hearty one. And no matter how busy you are, never go on an empty stomach. And don’t neglect your intake of fluids. If you want to be fit as a fiddle, then eat well and work hard.

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