When I was twenty-two, I could skip breakfast, race up five floors, and do 36 surya namaskars on an empty stomach, all before 7 a.m. If I try the same stunt, I wake up with a stiff back and a stiff ego. That, my friend, is not weakness. It’s wisdom with wrinkles. Exercise, like fashion and facial hair, must change with age.
In Ayurveda, vyayama (exercise) is not a punishment for weight gain. It’s a prescription for balance, tailored to vaya (age), prakriti (constitution), and ritu (season). But walk into any gym in Bangalore today and you’ll find a sixty-year-old man trying to deadlift like he’s preparing for the Olympics. And next to him, a teenager doing CrossFit like he’s trying to punish his joints for a crime they didn’t commit.
I remember a young man, Raghav, who came to my clinic with chronic fatigue and back pain. He was in his late twenties, a software engineer, and newly married. He proudly announced he had taken up a new routine called ‘Beast Mode 6 a.m. ’ I asked what it involved. “Sir, one hour HIIT, then cold plunge, then protein shake.” His eyes were bloodshot. His pulse was racing. His digestion was a mess. His libido had gone on vacation. “But Instagram said it’s good,” he mumbled. I nodded and gave him a new prescription: ‘Ashwagandha at bedtime, soup for dinner, and slow walks after lunch with your wife.’
Ayurveda says exercise should be ardha shaktya—half your capacity. If you can run five kilometres comfortably, run two and a half, stop while you still smile. Exercise should build ojas, not burn it. But we live in a culture of burnouts—burn calories, burn fat, burn stress. So, people jog at midnight and wake up with panic attacks. It’s like using your iPhone in the rain and wondering why it shuts down.
I just wanted to tell you about Rajeev, a patient in his early 40s. In his 30s, he was a marathon enthusiast—ran like the wind, clocked medals, and believed it was his true calling. But one chilly December morning, during a long-distance run, he collapsed mid-route. Panic followed. Tests were done. The diagnosis? Classic Vata vruddhi—dehydrated tissues, dry skin, erratic digestion, insomnia. He said, “It felt like my body filed an FIR against me for overuse!” That episode changed everything. Rajeev switched to brisk walks, gentle yoga, and light strength training. Now he still moves daily, but with care and compassion, not a stopwatch.
Elders are another story. One 72-year-old man came to me complaining of insomnia and joint pain. He had recently joined a ‘Zumba Gold’ class. “Doctor, the steps are fast. They jump and twist. But the aunty next to me does so well, I can’t give up.” Peer pressure in a dance studio! I advised him to switch to a pada-abhyanga(foot massage), foot soaks in warm water, walk in the park, and maybe some Anup Jalota bhajans for the soul. Within weeks, his sleep improved, his digestion became regular, and he smiled again.
Ayurveda divides life into three phases: Kapha (0–16), Pitta (16–60), and Vata (60+). Children need playful, creative movement—running, hopping, climbing trees—not treadmill and weightlifting. Teens and young adults are full of agni—they can take intense sports but must balance them with grounding routines. Elders need gentle, rhythmic movements—tai chi, slow yoga, gardening, walking barefoot on grass.
Look at the modern circus of fitness trends…Have you heard of Goat Yoga? Or Beer Yoga? It’s trending in cities. People stretch while a goat jumps on their back or sip beer between poses. Once, a patient asked me if he should try Aqua Zumba. I asked him gently, “Do you know how to swim?” He said, “No, but I trust the vibe.” Vibe doesn’t float, I told him. Science, however, supports moderation. Studies show that intense exercise in elders increases cortisol, reduces immunity, and causes inflammation. Meanwhile, gentle movement improves BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), increases lymph flow, and sharpens memory.
Another woman, in her early 40s, had joined something called “Bhangra Bootcamp.” Two weeks in, she tore a ligament. “Doctor, I only wanted to lose belly fat before my cousin’s wedding,” she sighed. We spoke of yoga, not the contortionist Instagram kind, but samyak yoga—the balanced one. Within a few months of practising Surya Namaskara, Vajrasana after meals, and a mindful pranayama routine, her body and mind started slimming down.
Let’s talk science. Walking improves mitochondrial health, stabilises blood sugar, and boosts happy hormones like serotonin. But only when done right. Overexertion in the Kapha age can cause exhaustion in growing tissues. In the Pitta age, it can lead to hyperacidity and burnout. In the Vata age, it can unearth buried joint issues and amplify anxiety. That’s why Ayurveda never separates body and mind. Vyayama is not just for muscles. It’s for manas (mind), agni (digestive fire), and ojas(vitality).
One lesser-known gem from the Charaka Samhita states that improper exercise causes shrama (fatigue), trishna (excessive thirst), kasa (cough), and shwasa (breathlessness). How many patients come in today with precisely this list? And yet, they blame the pollution, the boss, or the spouse. Not the gym.
Here are some practical, helpful tips for you. In your 20s and 30s, move like a lion—strong but poised. In your 40s, train like a cat—stretchy, silent, strategic. After 60, walk like a monk—mindful, balanced, breath-aware. Respect your body’s timeline. Do yoga in the morning, walk in the evening, dance if your knees allow, and rest when your back demands it.
Exercise should leave you feeling alive, not annihilated. Your pulse should settle quickly, your appetite should improve, and your sleep should deepen. If your joints crack like popcorn, your hair starts falling, or your mood swings like a pendulum, something’s off.
Most importantly, listen. Listen to your breath, heartbeat, and bowel movements (yes, seriously). They speak volumes about your exercise routine. And if something doesn’t feel right, it’s not.
We live in a world obsessed with external goals—six-pack abs, ten thousand steps, viral reels. But Ayurveda reminds us that the best shape is swastha—being seated in oneself, in balance, not in someone else’s fitness fantasy.
If someone asks what exercise to do, ask them first: how old are you, how do you sleep, how’s your digestion, and do you enjoy what you do? Because vyayama is not a war on your body—it’s a way to befriend it, at every stage of life.
And if you forget everything I said, remember what my 85-year-old patient once told me with a wink:
“Doctor, I only do two exercises at my age—blinking and smiling. But I do them every day.”
That, my friend, is age-appropriate exercise at its finest.
2 comments
To enjoy the the glow of good health one must excercise in a right way . Thanks dr for letting us know the right way of exercising. I was not aware until I went through your blog and learnt that we shouldn’t push ourselves to the extent where we battle for sleep after the work out like a wornout donkey on the bed. We have the misconception the more we work out the more we would benefit ourselves but it goes the other way round.
thank you