Milind Soman discussed quitting smoking and drinking at a Delhi health summit. His journey highlighted how swimming discipline and daily activity shaped his approach to fitness.Milind Soman and his family at Health Wealth Summit Fitness model and actor Milind Soman opened up about his struggles with smoking and drinking at the India Today Health Wealth Summit in Delhi on October 30.

He spoke about overcoming addiction and how those experiences helped him learn more about himself.Joined by his wife, Ankita Konwar, and mother, Usha Soman, Milind also discussed fitness and the discipline he developed as a competitive swimmer. The family said staying fit does not require expensive gyms or supplements, with Milind stressing that being active every day is more important than rigorous workouts.Recalling his early years, Milind said swimming had been the centre of his life from the age of nine to 23. “My entire focus was on competitive swimming from the age of nine till the age of 23.

I was swimming 65 km a week. I was the national champion in my event.

I have represented India in swimming. That was everything to me,” he said.His move into modelling, however, came unexpectedly.

Milind said he did not even know that modelling was a profession when he received an offer. “I got an offer, it was a lot of money, and I said yes. But with that came that world, with everything in it, and I had to experience all of it,” he said. #Exclusive "I used to smoke, I stopped smoking 25 years ago": Milind Soman (@milindrunning). #MilindSoman #Fitness #ITVideo #IndiaTodayHealthWealthSummit | @Sonal_MK https://t.co/VAZxd2nNYz— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) October 30, 2026 Milind added that the discipline he had developed through swimming helped him keep those experiences under control.

He admitted that he used to smoke heavily before quitting 25 years ago. “You get addicted. I would have stopped immediately, but it was an addiction,” he said.He also spoke about drinking heavily and the difficulty of giving it up. “I used to drink a lot.

It is an addiction, but I was able to stop,” he said. Recalling his mother's response, Milind said he would sometimes return home drunk and she would not allow him to enter.

Looking back, Milind said going through those experiences was important for him. “For me, I needed to go through this experience. It was good, it taught me about myself, and it was important,” he said.Milind's session traced his journey from competitive swimming and modelling to overcoming addiction, while underlining his belief that discipline and regular daily activity are central to staying fit.- Ends