Why doesn’t the Bible talk more about exercise, since it’s so important for health?
1 Timothy may allow for physical exercise, but its emphasis is more on spiritual discipline:
1 Tim 4:8 (ESV): “for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (Like other passages in Pauline literature, this one borrows imagery used by other thinkers in Paul’s day, who also compared moral or intellectual discipline with physical exercise.)
But Paul didn’t likely need much extra exercise, at least during the many years he was walking all over the Roman empire.
People who work fields, walk long distances, carry water and so forth normally get enough exercise in their daily lives. (One could list passage after passage regarding such lifestyles.) Most figures in the Bible did not belong to a wealthy elite, and they got plenty of exercise without needing to supplement it artificially. For people like me who spend most of the day reading or typing, supplemental exercise is more important.
As a BBC report notes, “The research findings note that, generally, people in low-income countries seem to integrate a sufficient amount of physical activity in their lifestyles, unlike those in wealthier countries.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-45496654
This has implications for what we should expect when we examine the biblical record.
It also warns many of us not to use as an excuse the limited biblical attention to the matter. In the U.S., the same study warns that 40 percent of adults are too inactive. Staying healthy is a matter of good stewardship, because better health on average translates into greater and longer effectiveness in serving the values of the kingdom.