And during the course of the day, I cycle and run. I love using my cycle especially in the middle of the night. It gives me a high and relaxes me completely. I have cycled it to my farm house in Panvel from my Bandra house with my security guys following me in my car. I have been doing it ever since I was a child. In fact, my whole family is into fitness, maybe that's why none of my family members suffers from any serious aliments.
I was very thin in my school; I started working out after I bagged my second film Maine Pyaar Kiya. My director Sooraj R. Barjatya wanted me to remove my shirt and shoot bare body for some of the scenes. I told him to give me some time and decided to hit the gym with a vengeance. And when I walked into the sets and removed my shirt for the shot, everyone present on the sets was amazed.
And from that day onwards, I started taking it seriously and started working out. I work one part in a day and never have taken any steroids or other body building substance. It's a lot of hard work and dedication and doesn't come easily.
Your body is everything, treat it and pamper it and it will never give you any problems in your life. Maybe that's why my eyesight is intact, heart pumps well and both kidneys are fine. I have thousands of fans and fellow actors coming up to me for advice and to know the secret of health. My answer to them is simple, it's no rocket science, if I can do it; anyone can do it. Thankfully all the new breed of actors we have today are fitness conscious, John, Dino, Ashmit, Shahid, Saif, etc. People are awakening to the fact that fitness is the key to man's health."
(As told to Gautam Buragohain)
Source: 21 Apr, 2008, INDIATIMES MOVIES