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Search Results for: weight loss

January 30, 2023 By Swati Savla 1 Comment

Cardio For Weight Loss: High Intensity vs Low Intensity

cardio for weight loss

We are well aware that Cardio is the best form of exercise to achieve any kind of weight or fat loss. But to understand the intensity required to achieve this, is still a little unclear. While researching, I kept coming back to the same question, what’s better – high-intensity or low-intensity training? There’s just way too much information trying to sway readers without considering their individual goals and needs. 

Don’t worry! We’ve put together a few things you should know about in this article. It will give you a better idea of what low-intensity and high-intensity cardio training mean and will also help you decide which one you should go for! 

Low Intensity Cardio 

This workout encompasses consistent movements anywhere between 30-60 mins. It includes walking, cycling, swimming, light jogging, etc. The intensity is approx 40-60% of your maximum heart rate (your maximum heart rate = 220 – your age). 

Benefits: 

  • Consistent movements help maintain a steady heart rate (one can talk while doing any of these exercises)
  • You use more oxygen in these kind of exercises (hence fat is used as energy source)
  • Helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by promoting good blood circulation
  • Reduces hyperglycemia (elevated blood sugar levels) in people with diabetes
  • Builds muscular endurance 

Disadvantages:

  • Due to the principle of adaptation, the body quickly adapts to become more aerobically efficient. So only doing low intensity training can eventually become counterproductive to your goals, especially if one of your goals is long-term fat loss or when you hit a plateau.
  • To keep up with the body’s quick aerobic adaptation process, a person would need to continually run for longer and longer distances and durations just to burn the same amount of calories they did when they first started.

High Intensity Workouts 

These workouts include quick, intense exercise bouts and short rest periods. Ranging from 4-30 minutes max. These types of workouts include a combination of sprints, burpees, squats, jumping jacks, pushups and an endless variety of other drills using only body weight or sometimes equipment like dumbbells or kettlebells. The intensity varies from 70-90% of maximum heart rate with 60-65% max heart rate in rest periods. 

Benefits: 

  • No equipment or gym needed as it can be done anywhere (great for frequent travelers)
  • Helps build muscle mass
  • Time efficient: energy is burned more quickly and even after exercise
  • Anaerobic exercise, since there is no time for oxygen consumption, the body burns more carbs
  • Because of the oxygen debt created, the body consumes extra oxygen post workout (EPOC- excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) and hence, continues burning fat post workout as well. So it has the dual benefit of carb and fat burning.

Disadvantages:

  • The body requires a day or two post HIIT for recovery, so this form of workout cannot be done daily.
  • It is physically intense! They are also harsh on your joints due to the high impact forces created in exercises like Burpees or Squat Jumps. So, if you’re just starting your fitness journey or have weak joints, HIIT cardio may not be the best place to start.

Which One Should You Choose?

It depends on you, your current level of fitness, your preferences and goals. Low-intensity is a great place to start if you have not worked out for a long time or are recovering from an injury. But if you already have experience and want to switch things up, lose some weight quickly or finally achieve your goal of going faster or further, give intervals a try. Don’t forget to be mindful of your body. Take breaks when you need to, don’t overtrain. Your body needs to rest, heal and progress! 

We hope this article on cardio for weight loss helps you achieve your goals! To learn more, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to live, interactive sessions on GOQii PRO by booking a class via the GOQii App, where you can get one-on-one guidance in real time by certified fitness experts.  

Get active and #BeTheForce 

October 6, 2022 By GOQii 5 Comments

The Preliminary Step To Weight Loss Is Training Your Mind

the preliminary step to weight loss is training your mind

We’ve noticed that most of our players have a common statement that they always make when it comes to weight loss – “I don’t think I will lose weight no matter how hard I try because I don’t have the willpower”. Well, if you’re aware that you lack the willpower, all you need to do is set your mind on it and work towards building more willpower. It’s much easier than you think!

Barriers To Weight Loss

Weight loss is a decision you make in your mind first. You can lose weight if you decide you want to. The biggest barrier you face is actually being self-disciplined and having the willpower to follow through the habits set by your coach. Compliance and determination are needed to follow through but instead, we tend to fall into this vicious cycle that begins with eating a poor diet full of carbs, fats, and processed foods. This, in turn, makes one lethargic and tired all the time. You don`t feel like exercising. What follows next? It’s a huge loss of willpower and you end up feeling extremely miserable and hopeless. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Only You Can Make The Change!

Certainly, there is a ray of hope for all. You can make the change. If you truly want to lose weight, you first have to build the power to make it happen! Willpower is a like a skill – it has to be mastered and nurtured through practice. For example, if your most favorite sweet is passed on to you and you say no for the first time, it is much easier to say no the second time too. But, the question arises – How do you say NO?

preliminary step to weight lossWhether it is a good habit or a bad one, the brain has the capability to ‘format’ the data and ‘add’ a new habit. When you repeat a behavior a number of times, it becomes a part of you. So if you give into the craving of eating a sweet for the first time, it develops a weak pathway for the brain, where a chain of neurons works to translate your thoughts into actions with the same action time and again. It then becomes a strong pathway and thus, a habit is formed. Instead of dwelling on or focusing on bad habits, make the change and shift your attention to the ones which are good for you.

If you need help shifting to positive habits which are good for you and your health, subscribe for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching where a GOQii Coach will guide and motivate you to achieve your health goals in the most sustainable manner possible without turning your life upside down. Subscribe here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

For more articles on weight loss, check out Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce

September 19, 2022 By Shaeba Shaikh 2 Comments

Top 5 Effective Indoor Workouts For Weight Loss During Monsoon

Easy and Effective Indoor Workouts For Weight Loss

Visiting the gym, going for a yoga or zumba class can be quite challenging when there’s a heavy downpour and you want to get a good workout. And it is easy to feel stumped when your options are limited. But don’t let this minor setback stop you! It’s not worth it to put on all the weight you worked so hard to lose. Here are some easy and effective indoor workouts for weight loss you can do anywhere!  

5 Easy and Effective Indoor Workouts For Weight Loss

1. Walking/Running: There’s nothing better than running outdoors – the fresh air and all but what do you do when there’s a heavy downpour? There are many ways, in fact, it is easier if you have a treadmill. If you don’t, try spot jogging and taking frequent breaks in between your work from home schedule to walk around the house and unwind.

2. Jump Rope: Do you want that sleek, slender body? Jump Rope is your answer! It is one of the most underrated yet effective workouts. If you’re new to this, start with a 2-5 min warm up, then do the traditional rope skipping with 30-50 reps. Then, you can run up and down your building stairs, do the rope again for 30-50 reps and end with a cool down. It is high intensity, low cost, doesn’t consume time and is still one of the most effective workouts for weight loss. If you want to invest in a good jump rope, try the GOQii Smart Skip.

3. High Intensity Interval Training: As the name suggests, it is periods of High Intensity exercises coupled with Low Intensity exercises/rest. The aim for HIIT workout is to target 80% of VO2 Max (Max Oxygen Consumption) for maximum results.

Your typical HIIT session can be: 

  • Warm Up
  • Lunges for 1-2mins at a stretch
  • Walk/Jog in place for 30secs
  • Pushup for 1-2mins
  • Walk/Jog in place for 30secs
  • Squats for 1-2mins
  • Walk/Jog in place for 30secs
  • Abdominal Crunches for 1-2mins
  • Walk/Jog for 30secs
  • Cool down

You can add more exercises and modify the exercises as per your fitness levels.

4. Weight Training: Yes, this might be impossible since most of us don’t have dumbbells and other gym equipment at home but that shouldn’t pose much of a problem. You can still use your daily household equipment as weights. For instance, water bottles filled with water as dumbbells or a bucket of water for your deadlifts. In fact, you can also use your own bodyweight. The key idea here is to undergo a process called Hypertrophy of the muscles, wherein the body increases the size of the muscles and reduces the fat around it. Weight training helps in burning fat 24×7 as opposed to burning fat only during the workout. A beginner can start with 20 reps + 3 sets of deadlifts, squats, lunges, bicep curls, etc.

5. Boot Camp: This is one of the most intense and effective workouts which alternate between aerobic activities of sprinting/running along with strength exercises and drills. It simultaneously works on your endurance and strength. 

You can start a typical routine as: 

  • Warm up
  • 1 min each of Push ups, Lunges, Pull ups, Crunches, Buttkickers, spot jog
  • Repeat the exercises 
  • Cool down.

To make things easier for you, you can join a GOQii Pro class within the GOQii App where you’ll be guided by fitness experts in a live, interactive session of your choice. More so, you can also get tips, guidance and motivation from a certified GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalised health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

We hope this indoor workouts for weight loss help you choose your workouts and lose weight. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more tips on fitness and health, check out Healthy Reads. 

Get Active and #BeTheForce

August 3, 2022 By GOQii 2 Comments

The Weight Loss Link You May Be Missing – Dietary Minerals

dietary minerals and weight lossThe most challenging case for a Dietitian is perhaps – Weight Loss! Why – because, each case is unique and the most important task is to find out the root cause of weight gain (which, contrary to popular belief, is not always overeating or lack of physical activity). It is prudent that the underlying cause be identified and targeted, not only to ensure sustainable weight loss but also because these reasons are linked to diseases in waiting as well. Genetic predisposition, low BMR, stress, lack of sleep, hormonal disturbance, chronic mild dehydration, lack of certain dietary minerals, etc. are few recognized causes of weight gain.

However, if adjusting your diet, water intake, exercising more and controlling your stress and sleep hasn’t helped you reach a healthy body weight, check your mineral status. Mineral deficiency often happens slowly over time and can be caused by an increased need for one or more dietary minerals, lack of dietary minerals in the diet, or difficulty absorbing minerals from food. You may be suffering from deficiencies because the nutritional value of the produce has been steadily degrading for the last couple of decades. Increased intake of processed foods is another reason which deprives you of not only fiber, but many vitamins and minerals.

4 Major Dietary Minerals Associated With Weight

Since the deficiency symptoms of these minerals are largely general, they go unnoticed and hence get overlooked while diagnosing unexplained weight. Let’s discuss four major dietary minerals (or their deficiencies) that are directly or indirectly associated with your weight.

1. Chromium
It is an essential mineral that regulates insulin action and its effects on metabolism. Insulin is essentially the fat-loss gatekeeper, so anything that improves Insulin efficiency is great for fat loss. Chromium determines the way our body uses Insulin. The Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF) interacts with Insulin and regulates how much Glucose (sugar) enters a cell. GTF encourages energy production (burns calories) and may also curb feelings of hunger.

Identifying the link between Chromium and weight loss is crucial because someone who is overweight is often at high risk of becoming Insulin Resistant (Diabetic). Chromium is lost in the process of refining foods. For example, when sugarcane is refined into white sugar, 93% of Chromium is lost. Because our soils are depleted of Chromium and because we consume more processed foods nowadays, Chromium deficiency is becoming increasingly prevalent.

2. Iodine
The Thyroid Gland depends on Iodine to manufacture the Thyroid Hormone. The Thyroid’s main function is to manage the body’s metabolism. A shortage of Iodine can cause changes to the Thyroid Gland and an underactive Thyroid Gland slows your metabolism; you thus burn dramatically fewer calories and feel sluggish. Also, an underactive Thyroid Gland promotes excess weight and cellulite by causing water retention.

Inadequate intake of Iodine was once a recognized problem that was solved by universal Iodization of Salt. Salt was fortified with Potassium Iodate to ensure controlled consumption by all sections of society.  Once this was done, the obvious symptoms of severe Iodine Deficiency disappeared from view, and little further thought was given to the matter, though sub-clinical symptoms remained. Today’s health conscious consumers have lowered their salt intake and now fail to get even that small amount of Iodine in their diets. Presence of Goitrogens in certain foods is another cause of Iodine deficiency arising from inadequate Iodine utilization.

3. Magnesium
It is needed to extract nutrients from food and for optimal Insulin function. The more nutrients you extract from food, the less you have to eat to feel full. When we aren’t getting what we need from our diet, the body will crave more food in an effort to obtain those vital nutrients. Magnesium is also a vital nutrient for reducing stress, which is one of the most important keys in fighting obesity.

It supports healthy Adrenal Glands that control the release of Adrenaline and Cortisol – two hormones related to stress response. While these hormones are vital to living, too much of them can cause weight gain and other health problems. Magnesium helps regulate these hormones so they are not overproduced.

One of the major causes of Magnesium deficiency is over-medicating with pharmaceutical drugs. They prevent the body from absorbing magnesium.

4. Iron
It is a critical nutrient because it is essential for the synthesis of Hemoglobin – a metalloprotein that carries oxygen from lungs to all the tissues in body. Diminished oxygen carrying capacity can leave you feeling very fatigued, lethargic and irritable. In this state, your body signals you to slow down physical activity and you may find yourself seeking opportunities to sit or lie down, thus leading to weight gain.

Also, low Iron promotes fat storage and cause abnormal blood sugar elevation. Reasons responsible for iron deficiency can be dietary as well as non-dietary. Your excess body weight too can contribute to Iron deficiency. Inflammation associated with excess body weight elevates a hormone Hepcidin, which has the net effect of reducing Iron absorption from digestive tract.

Now, before you finish reading this article and jump to quick fix by googling for these mineral supplements, a word of caution – Overdose of these minerals, especially from synthetic sources, are extremely harmful. Do not take these minerals as supplements without professional guidance. Consult a doctor, nutritionist or a dietitian before making any changes to your diet or taking any supplements.

You may improve your mineral intake by following the golden rule – Go low on processed foods and buy your foods fresh, local and seasonal to remove any possible degradation in nutrient quality. Don’t eat less, eat right and live a healthy and active life!

We hope this article on dietary minerals helps you. For further guidance on nutritional deficiencies and to lose weight in a sustainable manner, reach out to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

For more articles on weight loss, check out Healthy Reads.

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