Zerodha’s Nithin Kamath on Monday said that only about 50 lakh, or 0.3 per cent of the Indian population, engage in regular gym workout while emphasising on the importance of strength training for Indians.
“Strength training is integral to increasing health span and we need more to focus on this,” said Kamath on Twitter.
“There is enough research to prove that exercise delays death & prevents cognitive & physical decline better than any other intervention,” he added while sharing a country-wise graphical data on gym membership adoption rate.
Kamath addressed a common misconception held by most of the Indians that strength training is unnecessary as one ages.
“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,” Kamath wrote.
He also emphasised on the importance of strength training for women, as they are more susceptible to bone density loss than men.
Kamath also suggested certain alternates for people who are intimidated by gyms or can’t afford the memberships, such as yoga or simple free-hand exercise routine that can be done anywhere.
“The idea is to keep increasing the intensity to increase & retain strength,” Kamath said. “It’s heartening to see open-air gyms coming up in public parks in Bengaluru.”
Some Twitter users refused to agree with Kamath’s remarks while some came in support of them
One user wrote, “Gym isn’t the only way to strength-train though.. there’s a correlation here but not causation.”
Another Twitter user argued that the monthly salary of an average Indian is $354, while a good gym membership in India costs between $50 and $100, making it impossible for them to sign up to the membership.
Another Twitter user quipped on the mentality of elders in this matter. He wrote that there will be uncles emerging and saying “if you wake up early, you don’t need any gym shym”.
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