Fitness must involve a holistic approach, says Marico founder Harsh Mariwala

Harsh Mariwala, Founder and Chairman, Marico, said fitness has to involve a holistic approach that integrates physical fitness with mental, spiritual, and emotional wellness.

Mariwala was commenting on Zerodha founder Nithin Kamath's recent stroke due to stress induced by his father's passing, poor sleep, exhaustion, dehydration, and over-working out.

"Sleep is very important; you have to sleep for 6-7 hours," stressed Mariwala, speaking at TechSparks 2024 in Mumbai.

He also said he finds stress relief at the gym when he works out.

Mariwala emphasised on the importance of talking to people when one is going through a tough phase.

"When you talk to others, you may not even get that advice, but they're listening and agreeing with you ... It's very important," he said.

Mental health is another important focus for Mariwala.

He pointed out that, in his personal capacity, he supports several organisations in the mental health space through grants.

The Mariwala Health Initiative focusses on making mental health support accessible to marginalised communities. It also actively publishes research reports on topics related to mental health, with suicide prevention and mental health in offices being the most recent ones, said the entrepreneur.