s fitness really about building the perfect physique or building a body that serves you well for years to come?

In this episode of The Inner Athlete, we continue our conversation with Swapnil Kokum, fitness and longevity coach, Pilates instructor, and actor.

Swapnil shares lessons from more than 15 years in fitness, including his personal experience with steroids when he was younger, the importance of understanding risks before making decisions about your body, and why medical supervision matters when considering treatments or performance-enhancing substances.

We also explore a different way to think about fitness: moving beyond appearance and focusing on strength, mobility, functionality, conditioning, and quality of life as we age.

Is lifting weights enough to build a strong, healthy body for the long term?

In this episode of The Inner Athlete, we speak with Swapnil Kokum, fitness and longevity coach, Pilates instructor, and actor, about Pilates, mobility, stability, injury prevention, and the importance of building a balanced fitness routine.

Swapnil shares his journey from conventional weight training to discovering Pilates in 2019, explains why control over your own body matters, and discusses how Pilates can complement strength training and sports.

Yashasvi Jaiswal is being talked about as one of the brightest young talents in world cricket.

But there is another side of his game that is increasingly becoming part of the conversation his aggression.

Cricket has always had its share of skirmishes, sledging and heated moments. But when they happen repeatedly, they can begin to overshadow a player's achievements.

In this episode, we discuss Yashasvi Jaiswal's on-field controversies, his exchanges with opponents, his past disciplinary moments in domestic cricket, and the question of whether his aggressive approach is becoming excessive.

India is heading into the 2026 Asian Games with a 492-athlete contingent — and there is plenty to watch.

In this episode of The Inner Athlete Podcast, we take a closer look at India's Asian Games campaign and the bigger questions surrounding Indian sport.

The conversation begins with the size of India's contingent and how it compares with the 655 athletes who represented India across 39 disciplines at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

We also discuss the selection criteria being used for individual and team sports, and the debate around some notable omissions from the Indian contingent.

What does it really take to build a career in sports?

In this episode, Shruti shares her journey from petroleum engineering and fitness education to powerlifting, entrepreneurship and sports management.

We talk about:

• How Shruti discovered powerlifting

• The difference between strength training and powerlifting as a sport

• Why strength training becomes increasingly important as we age

• Protein, creatine, cardio and fitness fundamentals

• Why consistency matters more than chasing the “perfect” workout

• The growing sports industry in India

• Careers in sports beyond being an athlete

• Technology, content, athlete management and broadcasting

• The reality of salaries in the sports industry

• Why Shruti calls it the “passion tax”

• The importance of building a strong core skill set

• Which sports could have major commercial potential in India

• Why accessibility is still a major challenge in fitness and sport

• Why sports stories don't always need a traditional winning ending

• And why taking risks can build a story you won't forget

One of the biggest takeaways from the conversation:

“Certainty is a luxury.”

Should Rohit Sharma play in India's 2027 ODI World Cup team?

Or is it time for Indian cricket to make room for the next generation?

In this episode of The Inner Athlete, Sameer Pai dives into one of the biggest selection debates surrounding Indian cricket.

The discussion looks at the reported debate around Rohit Sharma's availability for the 2027 World Cup, the role of experience and stature, and the difficult decisions selectors and cricket administrators have to make when a legendary player is involved.

Because this isn't simply about Rohit Sharma.

It's about a much bigger question:

When does loyalty to a great player become an obstacle to building the next great team?

What does it really take to become an athlete?

Is it talent? Hard work? The right sport? Discipline? Or simply the willingness to keep going when things get difficult?

In this episode of The Inner Athlete, Sameer Pai sits down with Shruti Jahagirdar a national-level volleyball player, state-level powerlifter, petroleum engineer, fitness professional and host of The Curious Human Project.

The Duleep Trophy is back in a zonal format — but is the tournament still the best way to identify and develop India's top long-format cricketers?

In this episode, we question the fundamental structure of the Duleep Trophy and explore a radical idea:

What if IPL franchises entered long-format domestic cricket?

The IPL has transformed T20 cricket through franchise ownership, investment, branding, analytics, coaching and professional team management. Could that same ecosystem be used to reinvent India's premier domestic long-format tournament?