Your Retirement Fund Won't Fix Your Lower Back Pain

You've been investing for your future. But have you invested in the body that's supposed to enjoy it?

Last year, I had a conversation with someone that stayed with me for a long time.

He was in his late thirties, worked in IT and had a clear financial plan. He knew exactly how much he was investing every month, how many years were left on his home loan and at what age he wanted to retire.

He smiled and said, "If everything goes well, I should be financially free by 45."

I congratulated him. Then, almost casually, I asked, "What are you going to do after you retire?"

He paused. "Travel. Trek. Spend time with my family. Maybe play cricket again." It sounded like a great plan. Then he stood up from the chair. Slowly. One hand on the table. The other on his lower back. He smiled again. "This back has other plans." We both laughed. But it wasn't really funny.

We're Great at Planning Money

Most of us know how to invest. We compare mutual funds. Read about SIPs. Watch videos on tax saving. Calculate retirement goals. We'll spend hours researching which credit card gives the best cashback.

But somehow, we assume our body will simply stay healthy if we ignore it for the next twenty years. Health doesn't work like a fixed deposit. You can't ignore it today and expect it to compound on its own.

The Cost We Don't Calculate

When people talk about investing, they usually discuss returns. But poor health has its own hidden expenses. Not just hospital bills. Think bigger.

• Missing your child's football match because your knee hurts.
• Saying no to a trek because you're worried about your stamina.
• Skipping vacations because walking all day sounds exhausting.
• Needing help to carry your own luggage.

These aren't just health problems. They're life problems.

Meet Neha

Neha is one of those people who never missed work. Deadlines? Done. Presentations? Always prepared. Annual reviews? Excellent. But she admitted something during our first conversation. "I haven't exercised regularly in almost six years."

Not because she was lazy. Because she was busy. Every year she promised herself she'd start "once work settled down." Work never settled down. Her back pain settled in instead.

The interesting part? She didn't come to me because she wanted six-pack abs. She came because she wanted to sit through a movie without shifting in her seat every ten minutes. Sometimes fitness isn't about looking different. Sometimes it's about enjoying ordinary moments again.

The Funny Part

We spend ₹1,500 on a phone cover to protect a ₹1 lakh phone. Then we hesitate to spend time looking after the only body we'll ever own. Interesting priorities, right?

Health Is the Investment That Pays Every Day

Unlike money, health starts giving returns almost immediately. You sleep a little better. You climb stairs without thinking twice. You have more energy in meetings. You play with your kids without needing a five-minute recovery break. You stop planning your day around your aches and pains.

Research consistently shows that regular physical activity lowers the risk of several chronic diseases, improves quality of life and supports healthy ageing.[1][2]

The goal isn't to live forever. The goal is to enjoy the years you do have.

Retirement Isn't an Age

We often think retirement starts when we stop working. Sometimes it starts much earlier. The day you stop playing cricket because your knees hurt. The day you stop travelling because long walks feel impossible. The day you choose to sit out while everyone else is having fun. That's a kind of retirement too. And unlike your office retirement, nobody throws you a farewell party.

Happy Moving!

Samiksha Founder, ONYOMARK