Fitness Freak

Is our fitness obsession and technological advancement in the industry instead making us anxious about our health?

- Sukriti Shahi

I bought my first fitness band in 2017 and what followed was never-ending anxiety about completing my fitness tasks that I had set for myself. I would walk inside the house in panic on days when my step count fell short of the goal or when I couldn’t step out for my routine walk due to bad weather. The fitness band became the nucleus of my existence—from calories I burnt in a day to the hours I slept and the kind of sleep I got, I used to track every single detail till it counterproductive. The anxiety of getting quality sleep kept me awake at night and the inability to hit the daily calorie goal made me skip meals. This unhealthy routine went on till I decided to let go off the band to realise what fitness really means to me without tracking apps and devices. A few therapy sessions and a supportive fitness coach made a difference; I do own the latest fitness watch today but my relationship with health and wellness has now healthily evolved. However, hasn’t this fitness culture become a bane of our lives?