Milind Soman And Ankita Konwar: Our Love For Fitness Has Brought Us Closer

You can say it with hearts, flowers, baubles and candy on Valentine's Day – but Milind Soman and wife Ankita Konwar say that with a lil’ perspiration, sporty style and a whole lot of adrenaline in between! The duo – that celebrates their 7th wedding anniversary in April – has lived a life enriched with fitness to date, clocking marathons and barefoot runs in India and around the world and shareoing deets and tips on wellness on the gram to inspire folks to take up exercise, sans any excuses! So, what gives this won’t-die-down motivation? Milind and Ankita tell all in a candid and fun chat…

When Fitness Plays Cupid

Whether it’s about making push-ups an anywhere-anytime thing for busy folks, kicking up sand on a beach run or just sharing about homemade food together, they’re in perfect sync when it comes to their focus on fitness. The ex-supermodel, who’s also Ironman and Ultraman (having conquered these gruelling races), affirms how it adds to their relationship and says, “Our ideas on fitness and love for it have definitely brought us closer over the last ten years. We love being at our best mentally and physically, and no matter whatever else we might be doing, we completely support each other in our efforts to maintain that. At the centre of that is the desire to enjoy our lives together every moment, fully sharing whatever makes our individual lives meaningful.” It may not always be the same workout though and that’s fine as he adds, “Both of us love to run. I don’t do any yoga, but Ankita does. She is constantly telling me to breathe better, and I keep trying.”

Ain't No Mountain High Enough...

Finding Love On A Fitness Vacation 

 It’s clear: This way of life follows them into the hills, valleys, mountain peaks and faraway cities. Every now and then, you’ll see the two take off of on breathtaking holidays that feature exercise amidst all the scenery – from mountain treks in Fujiyama and Coorg and Perugia to diving in the Red Sea, swimming in the Brahmaputra and his bare-torso headstand in Kanchenjunga! Milind admits, “Yes, active holidays are what we would swear by. Rest and relaxation are not always lying on the couch, but most of the time choosing an activity that is different, fun and refreshing to your body, mind and soul. We love to run marathons together across the world, and also hike, swim, dive and cycle together, whenever and wherever possible.”

 
Ankita adds, “We love planning holidays around different marathons around the world. Or include hikes and treks in our trips. Milind and I also enjoy going on diving trips together and we manage to include at least one cycling trip to each holiday we manage.” If she had to choose places that left a mark on her heart, she smiles, “My favourite running vacation has to be in Paris. Cycling in Tuscany and diving in Japan.”

Gram-my Thoughts

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A post shared by Milind Usha Soman (@milindrunning)

The couple has also been sharing their zest for life and fitness on Instagram to get more people going. He echoes that while saying, “We do what we love doing and we only put it out there on social media because we know it does inspire some people to be consistent with their efforts. While not being too preachy or showing off too much we do want people to know that getting fit can be fun, and if you have a partner to share your joy with, it’s the icing on the cake.” 
For Ankita, she hopes it will reach out to even the farthest corners and make a difference: “I share some of my experiences online so that people, especially the ones feeling not very motivated can relate to it and know that they are not alone in this. Habits need to be created and they are never easy but once we push ourselves out of our comfort zone, we really enjoy the many benefits that come with it,” she states.

Life Is Not Easy, Fitness Helps

At a time like Valentine’s Day when people are busy gifting or thinking up ideas on what to give their better halves, Milind underlines how health and fitness are really the crux of any relationship. Mincing no words, he says, “I think the best thing you can do for your partner is to get yourself fit. Life is not easy, and relationships are not easy. But it really does get easier if you understand yourself well enough to be able to support your partner with how ever they want to live their lives. Fitness to me really means being prepared for anything at any time, whether it's physical or emotional.”
Ankita adds, “You can only do the best to support your partner in whatever they choose to do. The best thing would be to lead by example. Once you start taking care of your own health, slowly it’s bound to rub off on your partner as well. A change can never sustain unless it is self-realised.The Antidote To Big City Life

Of course, we largely live 24X7 lives in the city, but if you use the ‘I’m-so-busy-I-can't-help-it' excuse, it’s time to rethink. Ankita shares a page out her diary as she explains, “The lives in cities are more rushed than they are sedentary. So much stress, from traffic to concrete to people. But I personally believe that nothing can be as healing as nature. So, we must take out some time to go out and live simply as our ancestors did once.”

With a nod to the adage on getting out of your comfort zone, Milind adds, “The human mind and body are designed for challenge, with challenge they thrive, and without it they slowly disintegrate. But who wants that? That, to me, is aging, and we all want to stay young at heart and in love forever.” He advises, “Choosing a challenge regularly, however small, is the key to living a better, more enjoyable life.” 

Empowering Women To Get Healthy 

In a milieu where women tend to move away from exercise often due to societal norms and perceptions, he’s fueling change with his initiative Pinkathon. The pan-India movement has women from all walks of life get out and run, making the case for empowerment and hope. He’s elated that it’s become that beacon for so many and says, “Women traditionally take on the role of homemaker, while also having a job, kids, old parents to take care of. It is a lot. More often than not, they end up neglecting themselves while they take care of everyone else around. Pinkathon attempts to change this by encouraging women to take some time for themselves every day, a few minutes at a time.” He adds, “The impact across the country has been heartwarming. It has created a community of thousands of women, all believing in better for themselves and their families, and all of them there for each other all the time to motivate and encourage.”
Ankita is just as thrilled to be part of it every step of the way. “Women are nurturing beings. We like to take care of everyone around us and sometimes while doing so, we forget about ourselves. But I believe that women united are an absolute force of nature. We need to have each other’s back. We must support each other in our pursuit of health, because healthy women build a healthy family, healthy families create a healthy society, and a healthy society leads to a better economy and a stronger country. The group has created a beautiful space and community for women, where I’ve seen such huge positive changes in women that it is not only inspiring but life affirming.”

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