Danial Afzal Khan made his acting debut a few years ago but he feels that Quddusi Sahab Ki Bewah, in which he essayed the character of Azam Kalti, was his first major project. In 2016 he ventured into movies and was part of a horror film titled Aksbandh, which didn’t do too well at the box office. Currently, the actor can be seen in drama serial Raaz e Ulfat, in which he brilliantly portrays the character of Nomi. While Danial has made quite an impression in the ongoing drama serial, the actor is all set to appear in Ghisi Piti Mohabbat that features Ramsha Khan, Wahaj Ali, Samina Ahmed and Saba Hamid amongst others.

Apart from Raaz e Ulfat, the actor is also geared up for an upcoming web-series alongside Alizeh Shah and has started shooting for two drama serials as well.

We got in touch with Danial to ask how he stays fit and above all, how he maintains a healthy lifestyle.

Lifestyle choices

Talking about his lifestyle choices, Danial Afzal Khan says, “You can call me a fitness freak, because I believe your health is very important. If you aren’t healthy, you won’t be able to achieve anything in life.” The actor further reveals that besides his bad sleeping pattern, he tries to lead a healthy life.

According to the Raaz e Ulfat actor, fitness is all about consistency and resilience. As far as his fitness goals are concerned, he shares, “My goal is very simple: for me it is important to be ready for a shirtless shoot any day, any time.” He continues, “I don’t believe in excuses such as ‘give me some time to get in shape’. Of course, when you are in the best of shape, you will automatically look great in anything you wear.”

He also believes that a good amount of sleep is necessary to stay healthy. “A minimum of eight hours of sleep is important to function at your full potential, lesser than that and you will be compromising some way or the other.”

For Danial the motivation to lead a healthy lifestyle is simple; it comes from maintaining what you have achieved over the years. “I keep telling myself that it has taken me many years and a lot of hard work to get to this point and now that I have it, I need to maintain it,” he asserts.

Eating preferences

As for his diet plan, Danial says that it is high in protein and mixed with plenty of greens. “Incorporating healthy fats and carbohydrates every now and then and not to forget indulging in cheat meals at times is quite necessary as well. I consume three meals a day, nothing more, nothing less. I think keeping a check on your calorie count helps a lot in maintaining a healthy diet,” he explains.

When asked if juices or shakes are a part of his diet, he informs that fresh juices and shakes are important for energy as well as your skin health. “I go for grape fruit, orange and pineapple juice, depending on which seasonal fruit is available. Also, whenever I feel low on energy, I prefer having a banana shake,” he adds.

Workout regime

“I work out six days a week and sometimes seven, depending on how rigorous the workout regimen is for a specific season or time period,” Danial shares, adding that he has had trainers in the past but now he does it on his own. “However, one trainer who has really helped me in achieving my best physique was Salman, a very experienced guy in this business.”

On what types of exercises he performs, he says that he is big on weight training but not with very heavy weights. “I believe in high intensity focused workouts. Having said that, whenever I have time I would love to try out yoga but for now I’m sticking to weight training.”

Speaking of how he managed to stay fit and active at home during lockdown when all the gyms were closed, the actor informs, “Lockdown definitely hampered with my routine, but being a little famous has its perks. I was given permission to work out at the gym, alone late at nights so that the SOPs were intact.”

Stress management strategy

The actor firmly believes that mental health is the most important thing. “You can’t be good at anything if your mental health isn’t in place. I really try hard to keep my mind away from negativities,” he stresses. “As for what is my stress management strategy, well I keep myself distracted from all negative thoughts. The distraction could be of any kind, whatever helps calm down the brain. Watching movies or TV shows and hanging out with close friends work well for me.”

Piece of advice

On a parting note, Danial advises his fans that the best way to stay healthy and fit is to follow some kind of routine, it can be anything. “Fix a time for physical activity, the easiest and the healthiest is to put on your trainers and go out for long walks. It’ll keep you fresh and the best part is that you‘ll have something to look forward to. And don’t forget to take precautions and follow SOPs,” he concludes.

“My goal is very simple: for me it is important to be ready for a shirtless shoot any day, any time!”
– Danial Afzal Khan