nown for essaying the unconventional character of a dayan (witch) in supernatural thriller Belapur Ki Dayan (2018), Amar Khan made her acting debut with telefilm Chashme Num in 2017. A film graduate from Beaconhouse National University (BNU), Amar has appeared in leading roles in period drama Ghughi and Choti Choti Batain. More recently, the actress generated rave reviews for portraying the role of an antagonist in drama serial Dil e Gumshuda. Her brilliant repertoire of work may be attributed to her extensive training in theatre which led her to India where she attended master-classes with veterans such as Shyam Benegal and Naseeruddin Shah.

Amar Khan is now all set to make her big screen debut with Dam Mastam, not just as an actor but a writer as well, alongside Ranjha Ranjha Kardi actor Imran Ashraf. Instep got in touch with the writer turned actress to learn more about her healthy lifestyle choices and how she is maintaining her fitness regime during these unusual times.

A healthy lifestyle

Talking about her lifestyle choices, Amar Khan shared that she has been a health freak since childhood. “I was 15 when I started practising yoga,” informed the actress. She added that she consistently incorporated yogic exercises in her daily routine for almost four to five years and then of course, healthy eating also became a part of her routine.

As far as her fitness goals are concerned, Amar said, “Now that I religiously hit the gym, my goal is to stay fit and in good shape. To maintain it I follow all the exercises that are required to keep me in shape. Whenever I feel that I have gained a bit of weight I make sure to work out extensively.”

Eating preferences

According to Amar, the key to a healthy lifestyle is eating healthy. “I don’t diet as such and definitely don’t believe in skipping meals or anything of that sort.” She continued that she is also not someone who takes small portions after every two to three hours. “I don’t think it fits every body type, as the process varies from person to person. However, I take all my three meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner – at set times every day, like eating your breakfast not later than 9 and taking dinner by 8 max. I feel that proper timings make a lot of difference.”

The nutrients that dominate Amar’s diet include lots of proteins, vegetables and fruits. “I don’t indulge in carbohydrates, oily, fried food, carbonated drinks and sweets. Also, I am trying to incorporate fluids because it is essential to stay hydrated. But because I can’t seem to drink enough water, I am resorting to fresh juices like orange juice and strawberry juice, as it contains antioxidants which are really beneficial for your health.”

She furthered that for those who want to follow a healthy lifestyle, it is very important to incorporate seasonal fruits in your diet and also consume fresh fruit juices.

Workout routine

“When I am not shooting, I try working out every day except for Sundays, and when I am working, I make sure to exercise twice or thrice a week.” She revealed that she has a personal trainer, Shoaib Khan, who owns a gym called ‘Muscle Mania’ and is in fact one of the best trainers in Karachi. “He has been looking after my fitness regime since the past one and a half years.” Her workout routine includes a lot of cardio, sometimes weight training and at times High-intensity interval training (HIIT) as well as strength training. “It is a mix of all these exercises and obviously, yoga is something I practise at home, especially at a testing time like this when I am not shooting and have self isolated myself.”

Stress management strategy

The Dil e Gumshuda actress also spoke on the importance of mental health in today’s day and age. “Being in the entertainment industry, you tend to get over stressed and get anxiety attacks, so to relieve my stress I try to spend as much time as possible at home, with my loved ones, and I think there is nothing better for me at least.” She added, “I listen to music, as I think it heals you in many ways. And at times I dance to de-stress myself; dancing can be very therapeutic.”

Piece of advice

Amar Khan stressed on the fact that one’s mental health, happiness, emotions and performance are all interconnected, so one has to take utmost care in balancing them to achieve a healthy lifestyle. A tip that Amar swears by is drinking luke warm water first thing in the morning. “Consuming warm water on empty stomach kills viruses and bacteria and helps you start your day with a bang.”

On what precautionary measures she is taking to protect herself from the coronavirus pandemic, Amar asserted, “The best measure and the most compulsory measure is social distancing. The entire world is practising self-isolation; it is just better to stay indoors.”

The actress requested all her fans to isolate themselves and allow their systems to get a reboot. “This is the best way we can fight this pandemic together,” she concluded.