Are you really that old?: PM Modi to Milind Soman
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met fitness icons, including Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli and actor Milind Soman as a part of 'Fit India dialogue'.
Speaking with Milind Soman, Mr Prime Minister asked him, "Whatever you say your age is - are you really that old or is it something else?"
Milind Soman replied with a chuckle: "Many ask me, are you 55? They wonder how I can run 500 KM at this age. I tell them my mother is 81. I want to be like her when I reach that age. My mother is an inspiration for me and many others."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi then told him that he had been forwarded a video of his mother doing push-ups and had watched it five times in awe.
Milind Soman said that older people in India used to walk around 50kms a day and woman in most part of the nation still do so to fulfill their daily needs like fetching water for household.
"But in cities we are sedentary. The more we keep sitting, our energy and fitness goes down. It is normal for any person to do 100 KM a day," he said.
He also suggested that to stay fit, everyone could do simple things at home. "Gyms and machines are not necessary. I can be fit at 8 by 10 foot space in home. You only need mental strength," he said.
Milind Soman asked Prime Minister about how he handles stress while performing his duties on the top post; PM Modi replied, "When we serve others instead of ourselves, without any greed but with a sense of duty, then there can be no stress. Instead, you get more energy. Also, pratispardha (competition) is a sign of fitness when it is healthy."
