'16 Hours Fast & No Gym': Milind Soman's Secret To Staying Fit At 59 (EXCLUSIVE)

From being a supermodel in the 90s to a modern-day fitness trailblazer, Milind Soman continues to defy age, all with a smile on his face and miles under his feet. Fresh off his 558-kilometre solo journey on foot and cycle from Mumbai to Goa, the 59-year-old is once again showing the country what it truly means to be "fit for life".

As part of the 5th edition of The Fit India Run, Milind took on a gruelling 5-day fitness run through Maharashtra's Konkan coast, crossing towns like Pen, Kolad, Chiplun, and Ratnagiri before reaching Goa. And if that wasn't inspiring enough, Milind and his wife, Ankita Konwar, were recently crowned Fittest Jodi of the Year at a recent awards show. This title honours India's evolving outlook on health, wellness and couple goals.

In an exclusive chat with The Free Journal, Milind shares his thoughts on extreme endurance, his evolving diet and why he never steps into a gym.

Milind’s journey from Mumbai to Goa: 'For my level of fitness, this is not extraordinary'

Reflecting on his preparation for the 5-day run, Milind explained, "I am always prepared. That's the whole idea about being fit: that you are prepared for anything that you want to do.” 

He continued, "So, you don't really have to prepare for it unless it's something extraordinary. For my level of fitness, this is not extraordinary. Suppose I was going to run very, very fast; then I would have to prepare. So, I run slowly, at my pace.”

Speaking about his food choices during such an electrifying fitness journey, he shared, “I eat whatever I get because you never know what's there.” 

"I don't carry packed food. So, I mean, I do have some dry fruits and stuff like that. But as you pass through India, you know that there are different regions and different foods. So, you eat whatever is available. But it's good if it's fresh and whole, you know, rather than packaged and processed and refined. So, that's all you look at. Otherwise, anything that is seasonal, local, and fresh is good,” the supermodel expressed. 

‘There's no formula. There's no routine' to Milind's everyday diet

On being asked about his typical day of eating, especially around workouts, Milind said, “Nothing. There's no routine. There's no routine. It could be anything.” 

He went on to explain, “Morning I have fruits and whatever is fresh, again. I love Khichdi and home-cooked, fresh, local, seasonal foods. It could be Dal Khichdi. It could be Dal Chawal. It could be Roti Sabzi. I'm not vegetarian. So, if there's something that's non-vegetarian also, and I can eat it, I eat it. There can be eggs. But there's no formula. No formula.” 

‘I fast for 16 hours and feel more energy than ever’: Milind’s on Intermittent fasting

Milind also revealed that he has been on an intermittent fasting diet for four months. “Right now I'm doing some intermittent fasting. So, I fast for 16 hours. And then I eat in the 8-hour window. It's something I'm trying out. And I've been doing it for the last four months. It feels really good,” he admitted.

The Bajirao Mastani fame continued, “You might feel a drop in blood sugar, a loss of energy, or tiredness because you're not eating. But, in fact, you feel more energy. You don't logically understand it. How do you feel more energy? Because we don't know how the body works. Every day, even scientists are learning more and more about how the body works. If you experiment on yourself — in moderation — you get to know how your body functions. Rather than someone telling you what will happen, do it yourself.”

His secret to staying fit at 59: 'Consistency, regularity, and testing yourself.'

The mantra to Milind's longevity in fitness is "Consistency. Regularity. And testing yourself." He said, "Because you have to know how fit you want to be and then you have to maintain that level of fitness.” 

“So, I've been fit my whole life since I was a child. Yeah. I learnt this, of course, only maybe 15 or 20 years ago — that I have to keep challenging myself as I grow older because naturally, there are certain weaknesses that become more pronounced as you grow older. You can't do anything about it. But you have to identify those weaknesses and work so that they don't pull your entire life down. Everybody has certain weaknesses and strengths — mentally, emotionally, and physically. You have to identify them and keep working on them,” the actor noted.

One-minute fitness rule: ‘Even one minute a day can change your life.’

In response to the common excuse of “no time to work out”, Milind made an effective statement. He said, “I don't have a routine. I never go to the gym. So, the biggest issue is when you have no time. But if you take out one minute to exercise, like, normally you think you have to go to the gym and work out for an hour or two. Suppose you have just one minute. What can you do? You start learning a movement — like push-ups. Maybe you can't even do a push-up, but you start to learn. There are progressions: first against the wall, then against a table, then a chair, then on the floor, then on your knees, and then a proper push-up. See how many you can do in a minute.” 

“Eventually, who knows where you'll get? You can get to 70 or 80. I know even girls who do 70–80 push-ups in a minute. There's no limit to what you can do, even if you start with one minute. And when you begin to improve, it motivates you.”

So, No gym. No fixed meals. No rigid routines.
Just movement, mindfulness, and moderation — that’s the Milind Soman way.