Kareena Kapoor. (Instagram/@kareenakapoorkhan) For Kareena Kapoor, aging is not something she wants to fight. It is something she wants to prepare for. The actor spoke at the book launch of The Common Sense Diet by Rujuta Diwekar, on why she chooses to spend her time and energy on food, movement and strength rather than constantly chasing younger-looking skin through treatments such as Botox.“I’m spending time doing all of this rather than skin treatments and Botox. Like eating ghee, eating Khichdi, doing a little bit of weight training for muscles, strength training, walking a little, you know, my Surya Namaskars,” she said.
9 Feb 2026 | 17:24
How has your idea of beauty changed over time?Kareena says she is more interested in how her body feels and what it allows her to do. “Doing my little work on my own, it’s not about the way I look, it’s about the way I feel,” she said.
For Kareena, age is a number
Kareena says she is more interested in how her body feels and what it allows her to do.
Kareena, who has continued to work through different stages of her life and career, says she wants to remain physically capable as she gets older. “Age is just, I mean, it’s just a number,” she said. “I want to always be fit, be able to do what I have to do, whether it’s to go to the set also at 70, 75.”Her goal is not simply to look fit. It is to remain independent. “I want to keep working all my life. I want to be able to do things and not be dependent on someone or a stick,” she added.That changes the way we can think about fitness. The goal does not necessarily have to be a smaller waist, clearer skin or looking younger than our age. It can be much more practical: being able to walk comfortably, climb stairs, carry our own bags, get up from the floor, travel, work and continue doing everyday things without needing help.Kareena also points to the foundation behind that independence: eating well and maintaining mobility. “Before that, I need to eat right and have mobility to work out,” she said.
The lesson for women is bigger than just Botox
There is nothing wrong with choosing Botox, skin treatments or other cosmetic procedures if someone genuinely wants them. Women should be free to make those choices without being judged.But Kareena’s comments offer another perspective: what if aging well was not only about looking younger, but about staying stronger and more independent? Women often spend years being told to correct something about their appearance like grey hair, wrinkles, weight, skin texture, fine lines or signs of aging. It can become easy to treat the body as a project that constantly needs fixing.But there is another way to measure whether we are taking care of ourselves.Can we lift something without hurting ourselves?
Can we walk for 30 minutes without feeling exhausted?
Can we maintain muscle and balance as we get older?
Can we get up from a chair or the floor comfortably?
Can we carry our own luggage?
Can we keep doing the work, hobbies and activities we enjoy?These may not show up in a mirror, but they matter enormously as we age.
Women need to think about their overall fitness
One particularly useful takeaway from Kareena’s routine is her mention of weight training and strength training. For many women, fitness still begins and ends with weight loss. Walking, dieting and trying to fit into a particular size can become the focus, while building strength gets pushed aside.But muscle is not just about appearance. Strength supports everyday movement and physical independence.This is especially important as women get older. A fitness routine does not have to be extreme. Strength exercises, walking, mobility work and activities such as yoga or Surya Namaskars can all have a place, depending on a person’s age, fitness level and health.
Eating “ghee and Khichdi” is not a diet prescription
Instagram/@kareenakapoorkhan
Kareena’s reference to ghee and Khichdi is also worth looking at in the right context. She is not suggesting that women need to follow a particular celebrity diet.There is often a tendency to swing between extreme diets and guilt around food. A healthier approach is usually far less dramatic: eat a balanced diet, get enough protein and other essential nutrients, stay hydrated and choose foods that work for your body and lifestyle. And yes, traditional foods can be part of that. Eating ghee does not automatically make a diet healthy or unhealthy. The overall eating pattern matters far more than one food.
A better question to ask as we age
Perhaps the most useful shift is to stop asking only, “How old do I look?” Instead, women could also ask: “How well can I live at this age?”That means paying attention to strength, mobility, sleep, nutrition, recovery and mental well-being alongside skincare and appearance. If someone wants Botox or a skin treatment, that is a personal choice. But it should not become the only definition of self-care.