Adaptable athlete

Saiyami Kher

I have been told that an individual tends to lose muscle mass after the age of 30," says Saiyami Kher, tackling a popular notion in the world of physical wellness. Well aware that muscle mass is the currency of an athlete, the marathoner, easily among the fittest actors in Bollywood, believes her decision to take to physical fitness from an early age has perhaps mitigated some of the trouble that age could cause.

"My goals keep changing, depending on what I do. Strength training is not something I enjoy, but it is a necessity for women, especially after the age of 30," says Kher, weeks shy of her 32nd birthday. "Training with your body-weight is enough, so, exercises like push-ups, tricep dips, and functional training using the body-weight [can suffice], even though they are difficult to pull off. Having said that, I use weights, and do more strength-training sessions only when I'm six months away from a race."

Ensuring that she meets her protein intake "is always difficult". "But because I've been following this eating pattern for a long time, [I'm comfortable with it]. I have four eggs in the morning, and some chicken during the day. I manage to get about 120 grams of protein daily. I don't take artificial supplements or protein shakes. If you pay some attention to your diet, you can meet your needs [without consuming supplements]."

As an athlete who has prepped for the Iron Man challenge on more occasions than one, Kher admits that she has learned from her share of mistakes. "For anyone practicing endurance training, paying attention to strength training is vital. Most injuries are caused because [athletes] don't pay enough attention to this component of fitness. Also, since I swim, I get my [dose of] cardiovascular exercises, but, introducing yoga into my routine has helped me improve my flexibility. I do a lot more mobility work now than I did when I was younger, because it keeps me injury-free [as I age]."

Even though her achievements as a fitness enthusiast may be commendable, Kher has relied on rather simple principles to retain her athleticism over the years. "What kept me going was consistency. The minute you lose that, you begin to notice your fitness levels drastically dropping. I have experienced that as well.

After suffering a fall in May last year, I had to avoid physical exercise for six months. When I returned to my routine, my fitness levels had taken a hit. I could barely cover two kilometres," says Kher, who has knocked off several 21-kilometre bouts. "Subsequently, I had to work my way up again."

Kher has previously starred in the sports drama, Ghoomer, alongside Abhishek Bachchan. She played a physically handicapped cricketer in the offering.

120
Number of grams of protein Kher has daily