Asma Jan Muhammad | July 27, 2026

Many of us spend our twenties and thirties building careers, raising families, and meeting responsibilities. Somewhere along the way, our own health quietly slips down the priority list. We tell ourselves we'll start exercising when work slows down, when the children grow older, or when life becomes less busy. The truth is, that perfect time rarely arrives.

For many people from South Asian backgrounds, there is another reason exercise feels difficult to embrace—it simply wasn't part of how we grew up.

In many Western countries, children are encouraged to play sports, ride bicycles, join swimming clubs, or participate in school athletics from an early age. Physical activity becomes as routine as going to school. In many Asian households, however, the focus has traditionally been on education, family responsibilities, and academic achievement. Exercise was often seen as something athletes did, rather than something everyone should do every day.

As adults, we therefore face a unique challenge. We are not just trying to become fitter—we are trying to build a habit that was never part of our upbringing.

The encouraging news is that it is never too late to start. After forty, regular exercise becomes even more important. It helps maintain muscle mass, strengthens bones, improves balance, supports heart health, and reduces the risk of conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis. It also improves sleep, reduces stress, and boosts overall wellbeing.

The key is to stop thinking of exercise as an optional activity that fits into our day only if time permits. Instead, it should become part of our daily routine—just like brushing our teeth or eating our meals. We rarely ask ourselves whether we have time to eat lunch; we know it is essential. Physical activity deserves the same place in our schedule.

The earlier this mindset develops, the easier it becomes. Children who grow up seeing parents take a daily walk, cycle, swim, or exercise naturally carry those habits into adulthood. They are less likely to view fitness as a chore because it has always been part of everyday life.

If you are starting after forty, don't be discouraged. You don't need expensive gym memberships or intense workouts. A brisk 30-minute walk, swimming, cycling, yoga, or simple strength exercises performed consistently can transform your health over time. Even choosing the stairs, walking after dinner, or taking regular movement breaks during the workday all contribute.

The goal is not perfection. It is consistency.

Perhaps the greatest gift we can give ourselves is not just a healthier body, but a healthier culture within our own families. When our children and grandchildren see us making exercise a normal part of daily life, we pass on a habit that many of us never inherited ourselves.

Growing older is inevitable. Growing stronger is a decision we can make—at any age.

Treat exercise like a meal, not a hobby. Schedule it every day, and your body will thank you for decades.