When Amruta Patki joined the gym, she enjoyed her kickboxing and weight-training. But soon top spinning caught her fancy. “Top spinning is cycling on a steady bike to the beat of music. But the funny part is that most people seem to think it is a form of dance!” laughs the former Miss Earth.

The bike, she explains, is not your regular exercise bike but is structured along international bikes used for racing. The RPT, or rotations per minute, can go up to 120 (called a sprint) and the resistance level can be raised much higher than a regular bike. “Cycling against high resistance requires tremendous energy and burns up a lot of calories. And besides enjoying a vigorous cardio, the music playing in the background and the special lighting gives the feel of being in a club,” says Amruta.

This form of exercise, which was introduced in India about 4-5 years ago, is excellent for people who are music buffs, want to work on their legs and enjoy cycling, she says. “But it is very important to learn the art of positioning oneself correctly on the bike and knowing which muscle to use, otherwise one can land up with knee pain. It is always a challenge to do the sprint because then you use your full energy and is the best way to lose weight and tone up your legs,” reveals the 5’ 10” beauty.

The aspiring actress, who has finished shooting for Apoorva Lakhia’s Hide And Seek , in which she plays a successful model and a socialite, says that she never thought about getting into the movies. “I started my career with Miss India, got into modelling and then Apoorva saw my photograph on Facebook and offered me the film.”