“There was a time when fitness was not a factor in my life. I met my soul mate at 16, and I was married to him at 18. Within a year, I had my first bundle of joy and four years later, my second child arrived. Daily chores and taking care of family were my raison-d'etre. But now fitness has become an addiction. I credit my best friend Nishi, a fitness freak, with inspiring me to be the same.

When I go out with my teenage sons, I am often mistaken for their sister. People have told me that I am God-gifted which is why I look the way I do. I tell them that it has only been possible because of the dedication and hard work I put in everyday. I wake up at 4 am, with the first rays of the sun, for my fitness routine. No tummy tucks, no crash diets, no pills or medicines - I love my body and that is why I strive to make it beautiful the natural way.

Everyday, I get the house in order, prepare breakfast and lunch boxes for my sons and husband and then religiously go to the small gym available in our housing complex. There are no trainers or sophisticated machines, just my self-motivation as the driving force. I begin with 40 minutes of cardio and move on to power yoga, followed by stretching. With this, my workout is over for the day.

I believe that one needs to worship the body to remain healthy physically and mentally. For me, fitness is a spiritual process to cleanse my body and mind. ”