Lifestyle pressures remain the main obstacles.

1 in 10 Urban Indians Spend Under 30 Minutes on Health Weekly, Nearly 58% Struggle to Stay Fit

A survey conducted on World Health Day among more than 5,000 adults from India’s major cities has revealed a significant gap between health knowledge and practice. While a majority of participants are aware of what contributes to good health, many struggle to maintain these habits consistently.

About 57.8 percent of respondents said they knew what was good for them but could not follow it regularly, and 46 percent reported actively trying to stay fit yet failing to maintain consistency. Busy schedules were another major factor, with 42.5 percent admitting they often neglect health due to work or household responsibilities.

Daily compromises such as skipping exercise, delaying walks, or cutting back on sleep were cited as common reasons for placing health lower on the priority list. Gender-specific patterns also emerged: women, particularly those over 45, often reported that family and domestic duties disrupted their routines, while men faced challenges in maintaining discipline despite motivation.

Lifestyle pressures remain the main obstacles. Twenty-eight percent prioritized family obligations, 19.6 percent cited work-related stress, and 17.5 percent pointed to a lack of motivation as barriers to focusing on health. The survey highlighted that nearly one in ten urban adults spends less than 30 minutes per week on health-related activities.

Participants also noted growing concern for preventive health, with over half identifying lifestyle-related diseases as a key future challenge and more than a quarter citing mental health as an increasing concern.