Many of us struggle Fitness and weight managementoften pushing them down to the priority list until health makes us pay attention. But have you ever stopped to ask yourself why health feels secondary in the first place? Is it cultural conditioning, lack of time, or simply not sure where to start? For many people, there is a view that fitness is not an option, not an essential, and over the years it treats it as a luxury rather than a need.
Well, there may be clues in the post by marketing expert Shashank Sharma. “Don’t raise middle class homes to make you healthy. They will raise you to make you safe. Be obedient. Be employable. Be strong, ambitious, but don’t worry. We were taught to save money and protect your posture rather than save your knees.” This post is preferred by users of networking platforms over 6.5K.
“We wear fatigue like medals.”
Shashank highlights the struggles of middle-class families living in India where health, wellness, mental health and physical fitness take the back seat.
“Our childhood was full of lectures on Mark, manners and marriage, but when we felt anxious, no one taught us how to breathe. No one told us what real sleep was like.
“We eat what we cook. We sit where there is space. We only rest when you get sick. That’s how we grew up. Rest is lazy. Exercise is time pass.
“We didn’t grow in a family that believed in prevention. We grew up in a family that feared diagnosis rather than illness.”
He writes: We wear fatigue like medals. We talk about it like family sourness. I think waking up is just a part of adult life.
Irony is brutal. The same middle class who saves all receipts, all rupees, all old Shadi cards forget to save the body that holds it all together.
Building a career. We raise our families. We check every box society has given us. But the body we can go through it all? I ignored it. Until I scream.
In many middle-class Indian families, health and fitness often take the back seat. Not because of ignorance, but primarily due to priorities shaped by economic responsibility, social expectations and cultural conditioning. For generations, they have focused on education, job safety and family duties. As long as a person appears to be “active” or “not sick”, they are assumed to be healthy. Investing time and money in a gym, fitness gear, and even healthy foods is often considered luxurious or unnecessary. Furthermore, there is a deep-rooted belief that physical work, such as housework and walking to the market, is sufficient exercise. Mental health is rarely recognized, and nutritional debates are often limited to home treatments and traditional diets without a deeper understanding of what the body really needs. A busy work schedule, long commutes and lack of access to a proper fitness infrastructure add to the challenge. Health is only a concern when lifestyle diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, or heart problems knock on the door.
Netizens were impressed by the integrity and insights of this eye-opening post.
“This resonates so deeply. It’s eye-opening at the way cultural conditioning shapes our relationship with health. A decline in survival rates for prosperity. Breaking these cycles starts with recognition. Your post is a powerful step in that direction. Thank you for sharing this perspective,” one user wrote. “This is so appropriate!!! Every single line really makes sense!!!!” another user wrote.
It’s not about negligence, it’s about survival in a system where fitness is not taught as a life skill. However, with increasing awareness and changing mindsets, many middle-class Indians are now slowly beginning to readjust their health as a central part of their well-being.
Read this post:
