As Shilpa walks into the room, I am struck by her flawless complexion, her beautifully styled hair and her maintained look. This is the woman who got instant stardom winning Big Brother. Shilpa’s not just the actor and model we knew, she’s now a yoga guru. And I can’t help admire her amazingly fit body. There isn’t an iota of fat on her arms; her abdomen is amazingly flat and her athletic legs show through her skinny jeans. Shilpa Shetty is no longer the glamour doll that we knew her as. She wants to be remembered as a fitness icon and is in Delhi to launch Shilpa’s Yoga, a step by step yoga instruction video that features her. Actually, a first by any Bollywood star. Her fitness hasn’t come easily though. She has kept her diet under strict control and trains for hours together. She bares her fitness secrets.
You now look fitter than you did in any of your movies. When were you bitten by the fitness bug?
I have always been quite regular with my workouts. In fact, I have my own home gym in which my sister and I exercise. But yes, I stepped up on my fitness in the past 4 years. My work kept me so busy that I developed spondylosis and a knee pain. Along with my regular workout I turned to yoga big time. I can’t tell you how much it has helped me become fitter.
What’s your fitness routine?
These days I hit the gym for at least an hour, four days a week. I cycle for about 15 minutes. Then I do yoga for another half hour. And finally another 20 minutes of weight training under the supervision of my trainer Sherin.
I am doing muscle-building exercises to prepare for a movie that I am producing. There isn’t a title for it yet, but I will be playing a bodyguard in it and need to show off plenty of bulging muscles.
Shilpa Shetty is now a yoga icon. When did this happen?
Initially I tried yoga to find a cure for my chronic back pain. My work makes me travel a lot. In fact, a few years ago, I would be flying halfway across the globe almost every week. My schedule was so punishing that it had begun to take a toll on me. My diet and sleep patterns had gone awry. My neck and back would hurt so much that I had to be on painkillers to be able to function. That’s when somebody suggested Bhujangasana to me. I tried it out and began to feel much better. Yoga takes time and offers no quick-fix solutions. I kept up with it and saw the results. My neck pain was gone and my knee was better as well. I then decided to learn Ashtang Yoga from Shiv Kumar Mishra.
Yoga did not just help me with my body, I became fitter from within. It helped me to focus better. In the movies we may look very glamourous and fit but believe me not many of us are actually fit from within. Yoga has helped me achieve that.
In our country youngsters follow their favourite stars blindly. They pound away at gyms to look like Salman and Sanjay Dutt. I hope some of my fans take to yoga and stay healthy.
What’s your diet plan like?
I eat sensibly. I feel it’s very important to consume healthy food. First thing in the morning I drink 60 ml of pure aloe vera juice. I take it without a sweetener or anything else. It cleanses my system. I have been drinking it for the past six months and it has improved my skin and has kept stomach problems at bay. I am not big on breakfast. I simply have oatmeal cooked in water mixed with one spoon of brown sugar. An hour or so later, I eat fruit such as papaya. I like to stick to low calorie fruits.
Lunch is light and healthy for me. I eat chicken or fish with two chappatis or a bowl of brown rice. There are days when I go vegetarian: I swap chicken with dal and veggies. When I work out in the evenings, I come back and eat an omelette with a slice of bread and a cup of tea. For me dinner is usually soups and salads. If 
I feel particularly hungry, I may have chicken curry and chappatis. Rice is a big no at dinner time. Also, I try and eat my dinner as early as possible.
I believe in binging once a week. This takes care of my cravings. I don’t eat huge quantities when I binge but I eat different varieties of food.
How difficult has it been juggling our fitness regime and your busy work schedule?
Nothing comes easy. I love my work and also want to be very fit. After all, only a fit body will allow me to work well. I have actually been sporty right from my childhood. I was quite chubby in the first eight years of my life. But then I began playing volleyball in school. That did it. I lost all my baby fat and became slim. I represented Maharastra in volleyball as well. Later, I also learnt karate. That’s when I was introduced to Yoga. But I didn’t keep up with it then.
What’s your health drink?
I love to drink plain hot water. I find it very refreshing. I have at least 8 to 10 tall glasses of water every day. Besides this, I love green tea and need to have it at least twice a day. Green tea is packed with health benefits and I also love its taste.
What do you feel lucky about?
I believe I am blessed with the ability to fall asleep just about anytime, anywhere. I can sleep on a flight, on a couch, and even on a bus. In fact, when my sister and I travel, she gets mad with me as I simply doze off on the flight. And not just a snooze, but proper, refreshing sleep!
