Take a quick scroll through your Instagram, or just look around at your friends, colleagues, maybe even your family. Everyone seems to be doing something—joining a gym, playing a sport, trekking through offbeat trails, munching on avocado toast or ragi rotis, networking at new events.Someone's at the gym posting mirror selfies. Another friend is training for their first marathon. Your cousin just came back from a yoga retreat in Rishikesh. And let's be honest—most of them are glowing, fitter, and radiating this 'I've got my life together' vibe. And you're sitting there thinking, 'I want that too. I want to look good, feel fit, travel more, meet new people… basically, just feel alive and healthy.'

You're not alone. A lot of us feel this way. But here's the interesting part—when did being healthy become the new cool? When did we shift from chasing material things to feeling a little FOMO over someone's protein shake or weekend hike?

We found that question worth exploring. Why is India suddenly buzzing with a health-first mindset? Why are more and more of us chasing not just success, but wellness?

And we explored and what we have found is quite interesting!

Unfortunately, we've all heard these stories far too often—someone's young cousin diagnosed with diabetes, a seemingly fit 35-year-old dying suddenly of a heart attack, or a friend-of-a-friend battling cancer out of nowhere. It's everywhere. And if you've ever taken a train through Punjab, you might've even heard of the “Cancer Express”—a train that takes patients daily from Bhatinda to Bikaner for treatment. It's chilling.

And yes, it's true—India is now known as the Diabetes Capital of the World. Wait, what? How did we land here?

If we look closely, there's a common thread connecting most of these illnesses—they're all lifestyle diseases. Or to use the medical term: Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). These aren't caused by bacteria or viruses, but by the way we live—what we eat, how we move (or don't), how we sleep (or scroll), and the way we handle (or avoid) stress.

Take a moment and ask yourself: when was the last time you actually let the sun touch your skin for a good 15 minutes? Vitamin D deficiency is so common now, you might as well get tested. (Chances are, it's low.)

NCDs include hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, respiratory disorders, mental health issues, and more. In 2016, they accounted for a staggering 63% of all deaths in India. That's almost two-thirds. The burden of these diseases has jumped from 30% in 1990 to 55% in 2016. That's not just a statistic—it's a warning sign.

So what exactly is this “skewed lifestyle” we're talking about?

It's that cool-sounding, fast-paced, hustle-driven life where sleep is optional, movement is minimal, food is from apps, and stress is worn like a badge of honor. Add a little smoking, weekend drinking, and latenight binge-watching—and voilà, you've got the perfect recipe for metabolic disaster. It looks glamorous… until your body starts giving you subtle (and then not-so-subtle) warnings—especially once you hit 30.

Stress. Insomnia. Low energy. Unexplained aches. Brain fog. These are not random occurrences—they're symptoms of a lifestyle our bodies were never designed to endure.

Yes! We did. But we ignored it.

For the longest time, the only reason most of us ever considered dieting or hitting the gym was to lose weight or build six-packs—not for health, but for vanity. To look good for someone we might see once, maybe twice, or maybe never again. That was the extent of our motivation.

There's a wedding coming up? Let's start a crash diet.

Valentine's Day? Better get that jawline back.

Festival season? Time to fit into that outfit from college!

Our health consciousness was limited to events, not everyday life. Meanwhile, lifestyle diseases were quietly creeping in, building up over years of neglect.

Sure, there were a few people talking about holistic health—about eating clean, sleeping well, practicing mindfulness—but they were the outliers. The 'too intense' ones. The ones we admired from a distance but didn't really listen to. And honestly? Most of us didn't care. Not back then.

But things are shifting now—and not just in urban metros or wellness retreats. The movement is becoming more mainstream. More people are waking up. And maybe, just maybe, we're finally starting to care.

We won't go into the devastating effects of COVID-19—we've all lived it, and it's better left in the rearview mirror. But what it did expose, loud and clear, was how fragile both our healthcare system and our own immunity had become. A virus shook the world, but more importantly, it shook our personal sense of wellbeing. For the first time in decades, we were forced to reflect—not just on survival, but on how disconnected we had become from our own bodies.

The pandemic triggered a massive shift in consciousness. We realized that relying on medicine to fix lifestyle-induced illnesses wasn't sustainable. Being healthy isn't about popping pills for acidity or fatigue—it's about not needing them in the first place. The old wisdom we'd long ignored suddenly made sense: Prevention is better than cure.

And while we were locked indoors, stripped of social distractions, something else happened. We had the time—and the silence—to look inward. We began to question our old priorities: status, possessions, mindless hustle. What really matters? A healthy body. A calm mind. A sense of purpose. Real connections.

Post-COVID, we came out changed. More of us began investing time and energy in physical activity, mindful eating, and reconnecting with nature. Health was no longer a temporary resolution—it became a core value.

Let's back this up with some numbers (because yes, we're not just being philosophical here). Between just two quarters—Q1 and Q2 of 2020—58 million new users in India started using health and fitness apps. That's not a trend, that's a revolution. A survey by Intermiles also found that 50% of Indians increased the time spent on workouts after COVID. Marvellous, right?

Maybe we really did need that wake-up call to remind us: Health isn't a side project. It's the foundation of everything.

It all started in 2016, when suddenly, data became almost free. Remember waking up to the news that Jio had launched? Unlimited internet? We lost our minds! (Kind of like the Uninor free-calling days—but this was bigger.)

Naturally, we dove headfirst into Instagram, YouTube, and everything in between. Whether that was good or bad is debatable—but one thing's for sure: it changed how we consumed and shared information. Suddenly, a small device in our palm was our gateway to the world.

Here's a bar diagram showing this astounding phenomena in India.

So when the pandemic hit, and we were all locked in with nothing but screens and panic, the internet became our coping mechanism—and our source of health advice. Remember that reel suggesting turmeric in warm milk to boost immunity? You tried it. We all did. And we shared it with friends and family because, honestly, what else could we do? It didn't even matter whether it was scientifically proven— what mattered was that we were finally talking about our health.

That was the magic of the internet and social media—it made wellness go viral. It made people care. And it planted a thought that stuck: maybe, just maybe, health is the real wealth.

And to prove how real this shift is—listen to this: India's fitness and health influencers grew from 1,15,000 to 2,95,000 between 2020 and 2024. That's a stunning 156% increase. Clearly, we're consuming way more health content than ever before. Because let's be honest—influencers don't exist without audiences. And if you're one of those creators, kudos! You're driving the movement.

In urban India today, fitness is no longer limited to athletes. It's the entrepreneur squeezing in a 5K run before work. The homemaker doing strength training with dumbbells while her child naps. The startup founder sipping ashwagandha lattes in between pitch calls. It's not about six-pack abs—it's about energy, presence, and feeling in control.

And honestly, there's a status factor too. Eating clean, hiking in the hills, attending sound baths—it's all part of a lifestyle that signals awareness, discipline, and self-worth. It says, “I care about myself.”

I remember feeling this shift a couple of years ago. I was at a house party, and while the music and laughter filled the room, what caught my attention was a group in the kitchen—comparing brands of peanut butter, debating between HIIT vs yoga. It wasn't pretentious. It was genuine. They weren't showing off—they were sharing. That night, I went home not with FOMO, but with a strange motivation I hadn't felt in a while.

I wanted in. I wanted to feel good too.

This isn't just a phase. It's a cultural shift. Health is becoming mainstream—and more democratic. You don't need a fancy gym membership or imported supplements to start. *You just need curiosity.* Maybe it's choosing lemon water over cola. Or walking during calls. Or saying no to something that drains you.

Because today, looking good isn't about makeup—it's about metabolism. Feeling good isn't just about vacations—it's about waking up pain-free. And being rich? It's about energy, clarity, and time.

And guess what? That's within reach.