In a fitness industry dominated by strict diet plans and rigid gym schedules, model and actor Milind Soman offers a refreshingly simple and unconventional approach to maintaining a toned physique into his sixties. His philosophy? Ditch the strict diets and workouts, listen to your body, and never underestimate the power of eating right and exercising whenever possible. Also read | When Milind Soman opened up about his strict diet as ‘India’s first supermodel’
Milind Soman’s secret to boosted energy? Intermittent fasting. He fasts for 16 hours and eats within an 8-hour window. (Instagram/ Milind Soman) Milind does not stick to a routine or ‘formula’
In a July 4 interview with Free Press Journal, Milind revealed the pillars of his health routine, sharing that his lifestyle is driven by personal experimentation rather than fixed rules. When asked about his daily meals and diet routine, he said: “Nothing. There’s no routine. There’s no routine. It could be anything. 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 non-vegetarian that I can eat, I eat it. There can be eggs. But there’s no formula. No formula.”
Milind follows 16:8 intermittent fasting method
Milind, who practises intermittent fasting (IF) – a method of cycling between periods of eating and fasting – also shared that his approach to meal timing is the only structured element of his daily plan, and he credits it with boosting his energy levels. He dismissed the conventional wisdom that fasting leads to fatigue, arguing that the body quickly adapts to this eating schedule.
He said: “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. 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.”
‘I never go to the gym’
Milind is not a fan of high-intensity, expensive gym culture. He said that starting with a fundamental movement like push-ups and focusing on progression, not immediate perfection, can be the true catalyst for sustained fitness.
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.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition