Lakshmi Manchu talks about her fitness and yoga

You can���t mess with Lakshmi Manchu, and definitely not after seeing her high intensity workout which includes kick-boxing. The actress can do a full split and pull off shape twisting yoga asanas. But all that seems inevitable once you get talking to her about her obsession with fitness. ���You���ll freak out if I reveal the full range of feats that I can pull off (laughs).I have always been an active person and intense workouts are more like an outlet for my endless energy. I wanted to sport a killer body and every time I worked hard towards achieving that look, I would give up because of some injury. So, I made up my mind to go all the way this time and took up kick boxing, apart from all the heavy duty workouts in the gym,��� reveals Lakshmi.
Talking about her endurance and energy levels, the actress confesses that she even planned to swim across the Godavari river a couple of years ago, as a part of promotion of Gundello Godaari and underwent training for that.But she gave up the plan at the last moment! ���I was actually ready for it and I completed my training under a coach.But then, I got busy with the last minute planning for the film���s release. When I think about it now, I feel I could have pulled it off,��� she says.
Apparently, it���s been four months since she took up kick-boxing and it was her brother, Manchu Manoj who recommended her a new trainer. ���I was outdoing my trainers all these days (laughs).But my current trainer has been pushing me to a whole new level. I have made it a point to never skip the gym and everyday I���m there on time for a 90-minutes session. The workout included kickboxing, yoga and stretching. I have realised that the more nimble your body, the more nimble your mind will become,��� she says.
The actress credits yoga for all the flexibility and confesses, ���It can do wonders to your body and you will feel magical inside every time you practice yoga. I have been practicing yoga for seven years and it���s not an easy act to pull off. In fact, when I was in the US, I was trained to become a yoga teacher; however, I had to quit in the last couple of months before I could complete the course. If you can manage to hold a padmasana for 45 minutes, you have mastered the art. It���s a pity that I don't do all that every single day.���
Admittedly, the only aspect which she is trying to cope up with is the diet and as an actress, she can���t help but rue over the self-imposed restrictions. ���That���s the only sad part about being an actress. I am a big girl and I love food. You can���t tell someone whose roots are in Rayalaseema and Nellore, to eat less,��� she laughs, adding, ���So, if I end up eating something which I���m not supposed, I burn all the calories in the gym.���