Vidyut Jammwal : If you can do a simple thing well, you can achieve difficult things too

You don’t have to look beyond Vidyut Jammwal if you need a fitness inspiration. Movies like Force, Commando and Junglee have proved that when it comes to fitness and physical agility, the word ‘impossible’ doesn’t exist in his dictionary. In recent times, the action star has taken his on-screen persona to real life as well. Ever since the lockdown started, the good-looking actor has been doing live fitness training sessions on his social media handles, where he teaches simple exercises for the body and mind. And going from the comments that people have left on those sessions that are shown with the hashtag #ITrainLikeVidyutJammwal, they are simply loving it! TMM got a chance to speak to the actor about how he is taking this time to better his own skills and spreading positivity through his fitness sessions…

As an actor, you get used to being at home when you are not working, so it was not that difficult. I realised there were a lot of things which could have been done, which I’m doing and enjoying now. I don’t think I have even a single complaint.

Oh, a zillion things! I had a lot of things to catch up on, a lot to process internally. I have been reading, training on a lot of skills physically and mentally. I am using my time constructively. I have slept a lot during these days. There was a day I didn’t feel like waking up, so I slept for 12 hours. Then I thought let me see how much I can sleep. I managed to sleep for 16-17 hours! There was one night I couldn’t sleep and I was awake till 4.30 in the morning. I thought let me see how long I can stay awake, I managed almost two days and then I slept. So, I have just been doing things I have not done earlier.

I have a fan page called Jamwalions. They are always asking me to teach them how to do fitness training or to tell them about diet etc. I thought this was a great time for me to tell them. I decided to use one part of my training with my fan pages. Luckily, people liked it and it started spreading like fire. A lot of people joined me. I tell people that it’s not about the most difficult thing you can do, it’s how well you can do a simple thing. If you can do simple things well, you can also do difficult things well. That’s how I train them. I have got around 18,000 messages from people who have healed themselves of injuries they had 5-8 years ago. They were scared because their doctors said not to move. So, I made them move. So, if it’s helping them, then I don’t want to stop.

You could be anywhere. I do a ten-minute workout and you can learn a lot of new things from there. I have been learning Kalaripayattu since the age of three and I represent this martial art. People tend to think in terms of muscles or gaining or losing weight, but this is about six different systems. So, I have been trying to work out with them on small things which are very big.

I have no advice. I don’t follow anything. I don’t really completely agree that food is everything. It’s in the last few years that people have started saying ‘eat right’. I see people who are into fitness give up salt and sugar, but they don’t understand that the neuro-muscular system needs salt and sugar. That’s why we see people angry, depressed, anxious and nervous. If you love food, please eat it. If you have a big body, it’s not a bad body. I don’t agree with the idea of having six-pack abs or looking perfect. I don’t train like that. I believe people should have the right amount of salt, sugar and water. If your hair is greying, let it grey and grow. See how beautiful you look. Love yourself the way you are. Enjoy this time. What is stress?

Social distancing is a great teacher. It teaches you to spend time with yourself. This time will never come back. Don’t be sad or anxious.

I’m loving the fact that a lot of people have sent me pictures of their parents doing these exercises. Someone sent me a video of her grandparents and mother all sitting and watching the exercises and doing them. I was so proud of this! There was a 72-year-old lady who got in touch with me through my manager and told me that she had a backache because of which she had stopped moving around. But now, after doing these exercises, she has started walking around again. I can’t explain the high that it gave me to listen to her!

Your fitness inspiration: So many! From yoga gurus to martial artistes like Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, I have learnt a lot from different people.

An exercise tip for the mind: Use everything from the other side. For instance, if you are a right-handed person, try and use your left hand for one week. It trains your mind. You will notice that stress and anxiety will start going away because you are working on yourself in small ways.

Movies that inspire you: I love watching Charlie Chaplin movies.

Motivation all these years: Since I come from an army background, I have had childhood friends from different places. I feel very happy when my family and my friends relish my stardom and feel proud of me.

Your biggest takeaway from this time: I am learning new skills, getting to know myself in an amazing way and doing a lot of things that I had not done earlier. What I come out of this, I don’t know. What I am in it, is very happy.