Kamal Ghorui
Many of us prefer reading about exercise, rather than doing it. We also cherrypick bits that suit us
If reading about exercise counted as exercise, we’d all be as fit as Cristiano Ronaldo. But the truth is, many of us enjoy reading about fitness more than actually moving our bodies. We also like to pick only the parts of advice that sound easy or fun.
For example, a group called the American College of Sports Medicine shared new exercise guidelines. It’s a long and detailed report, but many people only focus on one small part: that doing strength exercises twice a week is helpful. Then they ignore the bigger message—that you need to be regular and keep doing it every week.
This is a bit like how people love watching sports but don’t actually play them. In India, very few adults play sports regularly. Some people even read thousands of articles about fitness, learn big words like “VO2 max,” and know everything about workouts—but still spend most of their time lying on the couch scrolling.
The problem is, reading about fitness can make you feel like you’ve achieved something, even when you haven’t done any real exercise. It’s like eating junk food instead of healthy food—it feels good for a moment, but doesn’t actually help your body.
The real point is simple: doing a little exercise regularly—like walking, stretching, playing, or working out—is much better than doing a lot for a few days and then stopping. What matters most is being consistent and making it a daily habit.
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