Sonali Kulkarni must have only been around 10 years old when she first began riding a bicycle. Being on two wheels \u2013 a cycle or a bike \u2013 was almost part of the culture where she grew up: Pune, once called the \u2018city of cycles\u2019. Four decades on, not only do riding a bicycle and bike continue to make her feel powerful, but also benefit her physical fitness and mental well-being.<\/p>\n
Sonali Kulkarni believes in cycling for fitness<\/h2>\n
In an interview to HT Health Shots, Sonali Kulkarni<\/a> shares, \u201cCycling is so much fun! When I exercise, I like movement. I am not a person who can exercise in one place. So, the motion of cycling itself is exciting for me. Plus, you get to be out in nature. You don\u2019t need an AC. You don\u2019t need any particular decorum for that exercise. You enjoy the ride, you get to be out in the sun, and soak up vitamin D naturally!\u201d<\/p>\n Early in her life, she realised how riding a cycle instead of using forms of public transport empowered her to manage time on her own terms.<\/p>\n \u201cAt one point in my life, I was wasting a lot of time and energy waiting for a bus. I wanted to save time because I was a very active teenager. I had classical dance classes, a place where I was teaching, I had college, I was into sports, I was into theatre\u2026 So, in trying to achieve all this by bus, public transport service was very difficult for me. So, what was liberating for me was my cycle or my bike because my time was in my hands. I could reach everywhere on time. I could think on the way, without worrying about ticket changes. I could direct my way and my time,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n She also has fond memories of rides with her friends, elders, aunts, mother and her husband Nachiket Pantvaidya. \u201cBefore we were married, we were dating and it was such a nice time that we were together. We would not necessarily be talking all the time, but we would feel the wind. It was so liberating.\u201d<\/p>\n Also read: Want to burn calories for weight loss? Try cycling every day<\/a><\/p>\n Sonali Kulkarni\u2019s eyes reflect a spark as she talks about her love for biking. It is clear that she has countless childhood memories and milestones associated with being on a two-wheeler.<\/p>\n \u201cThe staple Pune lifestyle includes knowing how to ride a two-wheeler. It\u2019s as common as eating poli bhaji and varan bhat (a Maharashtrian meal). I started going to school on a cycle when I was in fifth grade. I cycled to school till my 10th grade. I went to college on a cycle till my first year, and then borrowed my brother\u2019s bike,\u201d she recounts.<\/p>\n It was a Bajaj Kawasaki 4S. Sonali says she felt \u201cvery powerful\u201d riding it. \u201cMany heads turned\u2026 I realised how much power and glamour it had.\u201d She recollects receiving letters from boys, praising her for her stance on the bike and her parking skills.<\/p>\n Sonali says since she belonged to a middle-class family and she wasn\u2019t pampered with pocket money, she had to wait to buy a bike till she started earning. Her first personal two-wheeler was a Kinetic Honda.<\/p>\n You may also like<\/p>\n![\"Sonali](\"https:\/\/images.healthshots.com\/healthshots\/en\/uploads\/2025\/05\/19201537\/Sonali-Kulkarni-young.jpg\")
Sonali Kulkarni started cycling during childhood<\/h2>\n
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