Yes, from a time-management perspective, maintaining fitness is often perceived as a luxury due to the high-paced nature of modern life. However, experts argue that it is actually a necessity that can be achieved with efficient, shorter routines rather than long, time-consuming ones. The fast routine has prioritized life, with five days of work followed by two days of enjoyment as a weekend filled with junk food and total relaxation. Basically, people want to be in their comfort zones and try to avoid hard work, especially when it comes to exercise; very few are wholeheartedly interested in working out for which they get up early.
I personally think that maintaining fitness is increasingly viewed as a new form of luxury due to the time, resources, and mental energy required to sustain it in a demanding, sedentary world. While essential for health, the ability to prioritize exercise and proper nutrition is often treated as a privilege, acting as a modern status symbol of discipline and wealth. I-a person who spends every single day reading and writing about health and fitness and who should know better-think of work as an obligation and view workouts as a luxury that, if time is not permitting, can be skipped.
Many times, our friends share with us that the yoga mat is at home or in the office or that the gym membership has to be renewed ; however , they candidly admit that they have hardly used the mat or been to the gym, so I strongly believe that working out has become a luxury nowadays.

In my opinion, the reasons it is seen as luxurious include:

Busy Schedules: One typically chooses to disregard or stop exercising due to job/work, daily responsibilities, and family commitments.
Traveling: When one considers how long it actually takes to commute, take a shower, and change, they decide not to work out or go exercising, which takes around an hour or two. Thus, avoiding it is preferable.
Mental Exhaustion: People frequently lack the energy to work out after a long day. Instead of overstressing themselves by going to the gym or health club, which is misconstrued as a lack of time, the majority of them would rather unwind.
Black-and- White Thinking: A significant obstacle for people with busy schedules is the widespread belief that a workout requires one to two hours at the gym. For the majority of people, this is the largest misconception.
As a professional from a sports background, my view is that maintaining a consistent routine requires significant mental discipline and motivation, which can be draining for those managing high-stress lives. One must take time for their health and do moderate activity for at least 150 minutes a week, taking stairs, walking while taking a call, or using lunch breaks for a walk. Even a few exercises like push-ups, squats, and planks require hardly any time and can be done at home, which will be an investment rather than a luxury. To my knowledge, skipping exercise because you are too busy can miscarry. Exercise not only makes you happier, which can be assumed to make you a better parent, friend, and employee, but it also increases your mental capacity and stress tolerance, making you more capable of finishing the never-ending list of tasks you have to do at work or at home.

A takeaway from my side is that sustaining good health is not a luxury. Making self-care a daily priority guarantees that you can fulfill your personal and professional obligations, avoid burnout, and lower long-term medical expenses

About the author: The writer Ishwar. S. Deshmukh works at Indian School Salalah, Sultanate of Oman.