Going for walks isn't enough, Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath urges 40+ folks to take up strength training, yoga

Billionaire Nithin Kamath, who recently made it to the Forbes World's Billionaires List of 2023 with his business partner and brother Nikhil with a fortune of $2.7 billion, has always been an advocate of a healthy lifestyle.

From organising fitness challenges at work to cheering for his staff on their health initiatives, the Zerodha founder and CEO has never shied away from promoting good habits and lifestyle changes.

Taking to Twitter, the 43-year-old stressed on the importance of strength training for people over the age of 40. Sharing a detailed graph by the World of Statistics, the owner of the stock broking platform said that the adaption of gym memberships in India is as low as 50 lakhs (or 0.3%).


While many people underestimate the importance of strength training, experts suggest that it can increase life span, prevent cognitive and physical decline, and delay the risk of early death.

"Only about 50 lakhs or 0.3% of Indians go to a gym. Strength training is integral to increasing healthspan and we need more to focus on this. There is enough research to prove that exercise delays death & prevents cognitive and physical decline better than any other intervention," he wrote in his post.


In a world where people take their evening and morning walks seriously, Kamath stressed that it is not enough. Batting for strength training, he said that it is a must for people over the age of 40 irrespective of gender.

"Most Indians think that you don't need strength training as you age. The truth is strength training becomes even more critical as we get older, especially after our 40s. The stronger we are, the more active we can be when we are older," his post read alongside a study by Knowable Magazine.

As women age, the bone density starts to drop. According to the National Library of Medicine, the prevalence of osteoporosis is high in India and many women aged above 40 suffer from early osteoporotic fractures.

Kamath said that strength training is even more essential for women. "Inactivity and bad nutrition can deplete bone mass at 1 per cent per year after age 40 across men and women. Women are more susceptible to bone density loss than men, so strength training is important," he added.


However, the elder Kamath brother said that one doesn't need a gym membership for strength training. Taking up simple exercises over time can help retain strength. The entrepreneur recommended yoga or easy free-hand exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, squats and crunches to increase the strength of the body.

"You don't need a gym for Strength training, but it does help with motivation if you can get there. Yoga, or a simple free-hand exercise routine of push-ups, pull-ups, squats & crunches is enough. The idea is to keep increasing the intensity to increase and retain strength," he said.


Kamath, who is based out of Bangalore, said that seeing open-air gyms in public parks was a "heartening" scenario. He said open-air gyms are an affordable and a friendlier option for people who don't like going to gyms.

"It is heartening to see open-air gyms coming up in public parks in Bengaluru. There is no better way to seed the idea of exercising among people, especially those that are intimidated by gyms or can't afford it. An open-air gym at every park in India will represent strength and power," he concluded his post along with an image of an open gym in the Silicon Valley of India.

With more than 592K views and over 5K likes, Kamath's post has clearly hit the right chord. Many on his timeline agreed with his analysis, while others seemed to have taken up his suggestion to take up strength training seriously.

What do you think of Kamath's views? Let us know in the comments section.