Trend watch: The triggers that pushed India’s fitness movement
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Around 15 years ago, I recall my mother sarcastically telling our neighbours that I was paying to do something that her generation had done for free — exercising. Of course, her idea of exercise was very different from what exercise actually is, but, as anyone who has gotten into an argument with their mother already knows, all argument was futile.
Today in her seventies, the same person, inspired by social media and educated by WhatsApp university, tells everyone, including me, about the advantages of exercising citing, sometimes, my own articles from this very publication. There was a time not too long ago when the Indian cricket team wasn’t among the most athletic in the world. Cricketers with “dad bods" were poster boys.
For the longest time, gyms in India were solely for film stars, models, athletes, and those with disposable incomes. That is a thing of the past. Today, fitness is a trending topic in India with new fitness-related start-ups and businesses popping up to cater to the growing demand.
What has transpired in India in the last decade-and-a-half or so that we have become a lot more proactive about our health and fitness? Akshay Verma, co-founder of FitPass, says India's fitness journey began in the 1990s, driven by economic transformation and global trends. The rise of sedentary lifestyle, he says, was one of the primary triggers for Indians to focus on fitness and health. Another thing that has contributed to the trend is the growing awareness of the importance of leading a healthier lifestyle.
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