SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell spoke with Lynn Hoppes from ESPN Playbook about exercise, music today and life on the road. Here are a few excerpts from the chat:

ESPN Playbook: You've been in the music business for years. How fit were you growing up?

Cornell: "I remember as a kid that I was always physically fit. In the United States, workouts tend to focus on body image and how you look. For me, it's really all about the brain. I think back to my childhood, and I remember running around as a kid. We were all running around then. It wasn't about getting into shape. It's just what we did."

ESPN Playbook: So what happened when you hit it big as a rock star?

Cornell: "It goes back to the brain. It never felt right to me unless I was working out. If you're a psychiatrist, I assume it was about self-image. I don't like being out of shape and I needed to focus on my work ethic. I remember before hitting it big when I was working in all these odd jobs that I would do pull-ups in the back of kitchens that I was working at. You never know about availability or time or space. I would just wedge it in. I then had those periods of my life when I was inactive. I wasn't feeling good then. I finally forced myself to get out and do something."

ESPN Playbook: But you wouldn't have done anything differently, except maybe quitting smoking and drinking earlier.

Cornell: "I was going to be a musician, no matter what it took. I supported myself with blue-collared jobs so I could write music and be in a band and play shows. I even got into an underground art scene. I was going to do whatever. I just had to pay rent and buy guitar strings. I look at my situation and realize how extremely fortunate I am that I can support myself and my family today. I'm getting to do what I love."

Read more at ESPN Playbook.