Physical fitness is not a luxury; it is an absolute necessity to sustain healthy living. But a number of recent studies have shown that time for exercising remains a luxury for most women. According to research conducted by the National Institutes of Health, only 33% of American women have met the World Health Organization's recommendations for aerobic exercise — 150 to 300 minutes per week — as opposed to 43% of their male counterparts. This is consistent with the global numbers. A 2017 study by the same body had found that this gender gap exists across ages and demographics in 147 countries. The reasons for such inequality are not hard to find. The practical barriers that prevent women from committing to a daily exercise regimen are too many: domestic responsibilities, shortage of time, the high subscription cost of gymnasiums and instructors, and lack of space, among others. The unequal distribution of household labour and women prioritising the health of their family members over their own are perhaps the most formidable among these hurdles. Consequently — and the 2024 Free Time Gender Gap report confirms this — women have 13% less free time than men. Ironically, the perception of women exercising might have come a long way: data from the 2022 Women in Sport revealed that 60% of women had been working out for 150 minutes weekly. But working out could not be prioritised by them given the associated burdens of childcare, household work, and professional commitments. The situation in India is not very different. The findings of a recent national study conducted by Dalberg Advisors and Sports and Society Accelerator underlined the gendered dimensions of exercise — 45% of Indian women believe that the pursuit of sports can ruin the marriage prospects of girls.

Lack of exercise has serious implications for health. Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and depression can be mitigated by working out regularly. Interestingly, a study even suggests that the same quantum of exercise benefits women more than men. This reiterates both the need for women to exercise and their right to recreation but festering societal impediments — prejudices — along with such challenges as the absence of inclusive infrastructure often strengthen a culture of exclusion. The pursuit of exercise should not have been yet another struggle that women have to fight for. But it evidently is.