Choose a workout routine that makes you happy, says Mrunal Thakur

Thakur likes to experiment with cuisines, but she makes sure there’s no junk on her plate.

Mrunal Thakur, 27, went from TV soap Kumkum Bhagya to a film career with the critically acclaimed Love Sonia in 2018. She acted alongside Hrithik Roshan in Super 30 and with John Abraham in the recently released Batla House. Thakur’s fitness mantra? Activities that make you happy…

I believe you have to enjoy a workout. It has to be the kind of activity that makes you happy — whether that’s dancing or tennis, walking, running or swimming.

My favourite exercise is TRX, which I got introduced to a while ago. You hang TRX bands from a bar or put it with some weights in between doors, and work out. The best thing about it is, if you have it with you, you can get a full cardio or strength-training workout anywhere.

Whenever I’m travelling, I go out running, exploring whatever city I’m in, getting the vibe of it. I never neglect to do my stretches.

When it comes to food, I like to experiment with cuisines. Anywhere I go, I make sure to try the local cuisine. I was recently in Vienna and I loved the chicken schnitzel. It’s fun to eat things you wouldn’t really get in India.

I eat a lot of vegetables and fruits. I generally avoid fried and junk food or foods with a lot of sugar. A lot of people have this misconception that carbs are bad. If they want to lose weight, they stop having carbs. But the moment you do that, you shed a lot of hair, it affects the body negatively. So I always include carbs in my diet, for energy. Not a lot; I generally have carbs every alternate day.

My favourite healthy snack is almond protein bars. I munch on those whenever I’m peckish. I love nuts and I always have some kind of fruit in my bag.

Guilty pleasures? Ice-cream, chocolate. In Europe recently, I tried a lot of desserts. In Sweden I went to a place where you can make your own ice-cream sundae. I also enjoyed a lot of classic Mozart chocolates. I absolutely love them.