Indian woman finds 70-80+ travelers in Europe ‘unbelievably fit’ questions India’s lifestyle: ‘Something is terribly wrong’ | Today’s news
An Indian woman’s recent experience while traveling in Europe sparked an online conversation about ageing, physical activity and independence in later life. During her travels, she said she repeatedly encountered older European travelers who appeared to be in their 70s and 80s, yet walked a lot, managed their own luggage and traveled unaided.
The observation made her wonder whether differences in daily lifestyles might partly explain why mobility can become a challenge for some older Indians.
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“Incredibly fit”: What a woman noticed in Europe
A woman walking from @Kavitastocks shared a photo on X, showing a group of elderly travelers walking with their belongings. Some carried backpacks while others dragged suitcases as they strolled by.
“These are the ‘old people’ I keep seeing when traveling in Europe, and many of them are well into their 70s or even 80s, traveling alone, carrying their own suitcases, walking everywhere and looking incredibly fit,” she wrote.
Her experience led her to reflect on the differences she perceives between older Europeans and Indians, particularly in terms of daily movement and eating habits.
“It honestly makes me wonder: is there something terribly wrong with the Indian lifestyle when it comes to our diet and physical activity?” she wrote.
She also pointed out the difficulty she has observed in many Indians over 50 when it comes to walking for extended periods of time. She cited the number of wheelchair users she sees in airports while traveling as another factor that made her think about mobility and fitness later in life.
However, her paper was framed as an observation and question rather than evidence that lifestyle alone explains differences in mobility between populations.
Fitness, aging and the importance of independence
The larger point of her post was about what physical fitness should mean as people age.
“The real goal of being fit isn’t just to live longer. It’s to stay independent enough to enjoy those extra years,” she wrote.
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This statement resonated with the broader idea of healthy ageing, where maintaining mobility and the ability to independently perform daily activities may be as important as simply extending life expectancy.
Social media users are debating the reasons
The post received mixed reactions online. While some users agreed that diet and physical activity can influence mobility and fitness in older age, others argued that comparisons between Europe and India overlooked differences in infrastructure, climate, transport and social mores.
One user wrote, “Madam fitness and sedentary lifestyle is not a symbol of the country.. it’s a generational practice we have inculcated in the minds of young people. Unfortunately, most of the population of Indians are what you think. They are still in the dark web ‘hum se nahi hoga.’
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Another user emphasized the role of the built environment and traffic habits, writing: “This is also a cultural difference. Walking in Europe is much more preferred than traveling by car and people are used to it from a young age. In India, weather conditions, road conditions are not very conducive to walking. Don’t think it’s a fair comparison.”
A third user focused on diet and affordability, writing: “They eat protein and fiber rich food with every meal. Most Indians have carb heavy meals because that’s the only thing they can afford. There is also inequality in how much each spouse in the household can eat.”
