‘After 8 years of self-work and therapy, I’ve learnt to..’: Ira Khan reflects on fitness, mental health and healing

Ira Khan is “very happy to be the ‘boring’ person who goes to sleep early.” For her, the joys of life come from spending time with her loved ones, eating right, working out and enjoying the little things. Having struggled with mental health growing up, she realised the importance of keeping her mind quiet and not letting it turn into her own enemy pretty early on. Since then, it has been a journey of learning and unlearning, with the right support system and the best hype man beside her.

In an exclusive conversation with indianexpress.com, the founder of the Agatsu Foundation and daughter of actor Aamir Khan, spilled the beans on her fitness journey, self care routine and growing up without the presence and impact of social media taking over her life.

Ira Khan: My biggest takeaway from 2025 is that after 8 years of self-work and therapy, I’ve learnt to take care of myself, and I can start trusting myself again. If we’re talking about external takeaways, I learned that more than 10,000 people below the age of 18 die by suicide each year and have been for the past 3 years, But we seem to only show care during crisis and aren’t able to keep up post the initial uproar or conference weekend. It’s affecting us as a society more than we realise.

My goals for this coming year are to get fit, raise funds for Agatsu and have a little more fun!

Ira Khan: After my own experience with depression and everything that comes with it, it feels possible to work in this space and do whatever I can. I work out of fear, understanding and hope, but mostly understanding and hope.

Ira Khan: I did. Always. I didn’t want to burden them, and I couldn’t necessarily explain myself, but it was never because I wasn’t comfortable approaching them or felt unsupported.

Ira Khan: I am very lucky that my mother didn’t allow Junaid and me to have a phone until we were 15. I also got onto Instagram much later than everyone. I never scroll on reels or check my explore page or go anywhere near any comment section. I have started putting my phone away an hour before bed because I tend to get wrapped up in emails.

My digital hygiene is not bad. I used to get annoyed that I stopped playing video games and started playing games on my phone. But I would keep telling myself, “Why am I intentionally trying to develop a habit everyone is trying to get off?”

Sometimes I develop an unhealthy relationship with watching shows. When I’m not doing well emotionally, I restrict my content watching to only weekends and only light, happy content.

Ira Khan: I have a decent routine in place, having worked on it for nearly 8 years now. It’s flexible yet structured, following a framework that allows me to do what is needed and possible at that point in my life.

I have a few non-negotiables like getting enough sleep every night. I am very happy to be the ‘boring’ person who goes to sleep early. I love it. It makes me feel great when I have slept well and I am able to do all the things I want to with my day.

I’ve learnt what needs to be a regular part of my life and what to do when things are not going well as two separate categories of self-care. Taking a shower also helps me get out of a funk. I’ve also made sure I regularly give time and effort to things and people that nourish me instead of only focusing on getting rid of stress or anxiety.

Eat, sleep, drink water, move your body and connect with people — and if you learn to be mindful, you will automatically know how, how much, when and with whom.

Ira Khan: I first met Popeye (her husband, Nupur Shikhare) in his capacity as a fitness trainer. Our relationship became romantic only much later after I returned to India from college. So yes, he has definitely been an inspiration for me in all my fitness goals, except running!

I always complained about that part of any workout he would make me do, even when we first met. I was at my fittest while training with him. Soon, I left for university, got a slipped disk and developed a deep fear of physical exercise because of my body image and related self-worth issues.

However, he still continues to be an inspiration and always will be. I’m working on myself to be able to start working out with him again – as his wife and friend, not as his client. Apart from being my fittest, I have the most fun working out with him!

Ira Khan: This is my first run of any sort. I signed up for the 21st edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2026, because we registered Agatsu as an NGO there with the goal to raise awareness about mental health issues. Popeye baited me into walking-the-talk. Literally. I am quite nervous but I have a feeling that on race day, with the crowd cheering and my fellow non-runner family members running by my side, I’ll be okay.

Ishika Roy is a distinguished lifestyle journalist and Sub Editor at The Indian Express. Bringing nearly two years of rigorous newsroom experience, she specialises in the nuanced intersection of personal life, cultural trends, and societal shifts, delivering incisive coverage on how these forces shape modern Indian existence. Experience and Career Ishika Roy began her journalism career by building a strong academic foundation. She holds an undergraduate degree in Sociology from the prestigious Miranda House, Delhi, and further cemented her expertise with a Master's in Journalism from SIMC, Pune. This educational background underpins her professional role as a Sub Editor and lifestyle reporter at The Indian Express, where she has rapidly established a portfolio covering contemporary social dynamics, from modern dating anxieties to emerging consumer obsessions. Expertise and Focus Areas Roy’s reporting is known for its authoritative depth, often utilizing a sociological lens to analyze pop culture. Her specific beats and unique approach include: Lifestyle & Culture: Incisive reporting on beauty, skincare, fashion, art, and the evolving landscape of cultural practices. Generational Trends (Gen Z): Focused analysis on how social dynamics, technology, and emerging movements—such as 'food raves,' 'fake weddings,' and 'rage bait'—are shaping the lives of younger generations. Societal Nuance: Explores complex social topics like relationships, self-worth, and cultural dynamics, always focusing on their tangible impact on everyday life. Roy’s trustworthiness is derived from her commitment to high-quality, verified reporting and her unique academic perspective. Her sociological training allows her to move beyond surface-level trends and provide rigorous analysis of social phenomena, establishing her as an expert source on modern Indian consumer and cultural shifts. Her extensive work published in The Indian Express is a testament to her commitment to delivering objective and impactful commentary on the pulse of contemporary life. Find all stories by Ishika Roy here. ... Read More