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When you think of naming the most sizzling and fittest actress on TV, there is only one name that comes to your mind and that is Barkha Bisht Sengupta. This sexy seductress might have captured the minds and hearts of the viewers with her acting skills but it’s her curvy figure and shapely, sculpted Abs that many are envious of. Well, she naively exclaims that it’s not difficult to maintain a fit and healthy figure. In this column Barkha reveals her fitness secrets, shares her views on fitness with GR8! Read on to know more …

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For me, fitness is…

Fitness is a necessity. I think the career and industry in which we are, it is our basic responsibility to stay fit. Fitness is definitely a priority.�

I begin my day…

With working out in the gym for at least 45 minutes. I normally go to gym at 6.30 in the morning but if my shoot is till wee hours of the morning, I try to squeeze in some time for my work out later in the day.�

My daily diet…

Well I believe that everything should be taken in proportion and moderately. I follow a very simple diet pattern.�

Morning: I have a Proteins shake after workout.�

Breakfast: My breakfast is quite light, Cornflakes with milk.�

Lunch: I have a wholesome lunch i.e. two rotis, vegetables, dal and curd.�

Evening: I normally munch on protein bar or fruits.�

Dinner: I avoid indulging in carbs at night and prefer a bowl of dal, chicken or fish.�

Given a chance, I would binge on...

Definitely Cheese, I just love cheese. I would binge on cheese pasta, cheese grilled sandwich and obviously cheese pulav, I love cheese pulav.�

My workout regime…

Well, I workout in the gym everyday for minimum 45 minutes. I combine it with combat training, Martial Arts, Kick- Boxing and I also Dance my way to stay fit. I love dancing and it also is a good way to stay fit and it also distresses you.�

How would you rate yourself on a fitness scale of 10?

Well I rate myself quite high, a Nine! (Smiles)

Fittest celebrities…

There are many thin and size zero gals but I think the only fit actress in real sense is Deepika Padukone. Her abs and cuts are vividly visible and other than her I can’t think of anyone because my standard and level of fitness is high. In actors I think Indraneil (Sengupta) is actually fit and healthy in a natural way and unlike many others who take steroids and use other means to look fit in a short time. And the only other actor I can think of is Akshay Kumar as staying fit means being able to do a lot of physical activity and also he looks quite younger his age.

Your secret fitness tips?

There are no secret fitness tips as such. There is one and only one fitness tip that you should eat healthy and workout regularly. But many don’t work out and think that dieting is an easy way out.�

A common fitness myth…

I think the most common fitness myth is that Women should not do weights as they might end up making muscles like men which is just impossible because the body structure of men and women is different. Also the myth that one shouldn’t workout too much or else after discontinuing it, they would gain weight again is quite common and baseless. You don’t gain the weight back if you eat healthy in moderation.�

My happiness quotient…

Spending time with my hubby Indraneil and my daughter, seeing them and making them happy eventually makes me happy too.�

My idea of relaxation…

Hmm… working out for two to two and a half hours in gym, watching movies, spending time with Indraneil & my daughter and playing with my dogs.

Do you consider yourself a fitness freak?

Well, not really. See I like to work out and I workout not to lose or maintain my weight but to stay fit & healthy. I sometime do run for 45 minutes and not necessarily every slim person can do that; in fact there are people who are comparatively healthy but are fit and have the stamina. For me fitness doesn’t restrict to maintaining a figure. In our industry the longer you stay fit, longer would be your career but to give in 13-14 hours of shoot you need to be fit and not just thin. �And my workout includes various forms of exercises which doesn’t make it boring and I enjoy it.

You have mentioned various forms of workouts but not Yoga?

Well to be honest I find Yoga comparatively boring and stationary. I like physical activity and if given a chance and time, I would like to go rafting, cycling, trekking, jog on the beach, etc. I need high energy activities and thus I don’t indulge in Yoga as it also is monotonous. But I agree that it helps you calm down and gives you the peace of mind, so may be when I am older I might do Yoga. (Laughs)

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- Dharmishtha Dagia

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