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‘She has a dream’- Helping a girl child achieve her dreams

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Umeed 1000K : Ride for a Cause

How often do we spend time doing something for others selflessly…..

A wide range of research has linked different forms of generosity to better health, even among the sick and elderly. Giving to others gives an inner happiness to one while also improving health. That is precisely how Jasmeet Singh Gandhi, a cycling enthusiast and a core team member heading sales and enterprise solutions at GOQii has combined his love for adventure with that of doing good in the society and in the process keeps himself healthy.

Passionate about supporting social causes especially in the areas of education and healthcare, Jasmeet started UMEED1000k, a Cyclothon concept to combine his passion for cycling and social cause. Jasmeet explains, “Umeeed means hope and Umeed 1000k is an annual cycling event where a team rides 1000kms to raise awareness and funds for a chosen cause”

The designer, initiator, and custodian of Umeed 1000K has in the last two years raised over Rs 2 crore to support the various cause by organizing and participating in various social events.

In his third year of Umeed1000k, he is going to ride along with three other riders from Mumbai to Hyderabad in a span of 9 days and aims to collect funds to support Udbhav School, in Hyderabad, with 630+ students till class X. The school provides holistic education to underprivileged children coming from urban slums, with a focus on girl children. The school is managed by the IIM-A Alumni Association. The association intends to set up 7 such across the country.

These children come from families whose average income is Rs 6000 per month and their school feels are Rs 100 to Rs 150 per month. Kids from this school are achievers and have been performing very well in sports. For instance Bhargavi, a student won third prize in All India National Junior Athletics (Running) Competition at Delhi. She has been selected for Asian Games and will be representing India in the year 2018. Similarly, Durga Prasad and Gautham secured 11thand 18th rank in India International Regatta out of total 104 participated from different countries –Dubai, Singapore, UAE, Turkraine, England, Ireland, and Thailand along with few other Indians in this competition.

So far Jasmeet has been able to raise close to Rs 2 lakh for helping a girl child achieve her dreams but he has a long way to go yet. For every donation you make RBL Bank will match that donation for this cause. Here is the donation link: https://www.ketto.org/fundraiser/umeed?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=fbpageshare&utm_campaign=umeed

Prior to raising funds for Udbhav School, Jasmeet did his first ride as part of Umeed1000k in November 2014 from Mumbai to Bengaluru in support of Iksha Foundation, Bangalore to provide for free surgeries to kids affected by eye cancer.(Retinoblastoma) and raised 2.5 million INR.

In December 2015 he cycled from Mumbai to Delhi in support of IIMPACT to provide free primary education to girl children in remote villages. He raised 13.7 million INR for this cause.

It’s not just about doing philanthropy but, much more than that. Giving to others has been shown to increase health benefits in people with chronic illness, including cancer and multiple sclerosis. The one reason giving may improve physical health and longevity is that it helps decrease stress, which is associated with a variety of health problems. Giving to others gives an inner happiness to one.

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Dos and Dont’s of Trail walker

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When I was told to be a part of the 100 km Oxfam-Goqii trail walker team, I agreed. My initial reaction was there is nothing new about long distance walking. I do it all the time and do it in the Himalayan and the Shayadri hills. But, yet there is a new challenge in doing the 100 km trail walker. Have done it once and I would say it is still a challenge for myself- a challenge to test my own endurance.

Honestly, I will reiterate this point again that there is nothing tough about walking long distance. Walking 15-20 miles (24-32 km) daily is what human bodies are built for. But, sadly none of us do walk that much even in a week in our normal course of routine. So for many when they end up taking up such a challenge of 100 km they get a bit perturbed.

I would say first and foremost think and figure out why are you doing this? Are you doing this for yourself and to build your own endurance? Are you doing it because you are being forced -because you think you will be judged based on doing this challenge? Are you doing this to prove a point to others? Once you have the answer for why you are doing it you will be at ease in deciding your next step. I would say do it for yourself.

While this is an Endurance Challenge it is also largely about team work and a strategy game. It’s about patience and temperament.

All rookies to the 100 km challenge remember one thing –be mentally prepared and don’t thinking too much about it. Even when I did it for the first time, I was not sure what to expect but, after two practice session of 25 km each at Garudmachi also known as the Eagles Plateau, I was clear of what to expect.

With exactly 20 days left for the D -Day, here are a couple of dos and don’ts for the trail walker that might help. This is based on a few learning from my own experience and practice sessions.

Dos: Get your footing right during your practice session especially if you are doing treks. Do not injure yourself during the practice. Do enough strength training for neck, shoulders and legs.

Dos: Ideally, it would be good to practice in a mixed terrain (both tar and hillocks) so you are comfortable on the day of the walk.

Dos: Be positive and happy all along the trail. Sing to yourself, laugh and motivate yourself.These ease the pressure on you and your team mates.

Dos: On the day of the trailwalk try and rest a bit at checkpoints and then move forward. Target to cover 60% on the first day. Believe me the remaining 40% will be easy on you.

Dos: learn to walk in the heat no matter how grim, awful and humid you feel.

Dos: Remember to thank your support crew after the event is over. Because they are going to be the ones who are going to be there for you waiting to make you feel comfortable with whatever you might need after long hours of walk. They will motivate you and make sure you do not have to think about anything else and just concentrate on your walk. So thank them.

DON’T talk much on the trail. Conserve energy. But, do not be afraid to communicate uneasiness.

DON’T over load the backpack you are carrying with you on the trail. 1 to 2 liters of Water is essential and your personal medication if you need anything on the trail. You really don’t need so many eats and energy bars on you at all times. Let your support crew carry the extras.

DON’T argue with your teammates. Always try and come to a consensus on any issues that may arise. Remember this is a team effort.

DON’T get overexcited early on in the walk. Walk at your pace lest you end up getting tired very soon.

Don’t: Walk with earphones on it could prove dangerous.

Don’t: Lastly do not litter. We are all educated people. However, tired you may be and might just want to throw away that bottle down..do not do it. Keep it with you in your bag and dispose it off later.

Follow these dos and don’ts and you will be good to go for the 100 km trail walk.

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Fitness as a lifestyle rather than crunching of data

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Pavan Prabhakar is a busy corporate executive working with a leading IT firm in Bengaluru. Like every other busy professional his grouse was a sense of having no time for exercise and healthy eating. The worst was that he was aware that he was doing everything wrong but was nevertheless unable to rectify his situation. A suggestion from a colleague changed everything for him. Today, he is super active, he has lost weight and is even working towards running a marathon next year. Let’s understand from Pavan what and how things have changed for him in the last year.

I had a highly sedentary lifestyle. No exercise, No monitoring of what I eat or any kind of activity. It was a double whammy in the sense that I was neither attempting to check on what I was eating nor was I consciously attempting to do any exercise. All in all, there was zero discipline …in life…

I was aware of my issues and the only way I thought I could fix my situation was through a   wearable (fitness tracker). I knew a fitness band can get me active and healthy. The only fitness band I knew of was Fitbit. But, a colleague of mine at work suggested GOQii and also explained the coach factor to me.

I researched online and read more on the coaching service. That is what attracted me to GOQii. I needed somebody knowledgeable to nag me and get me on track. I needed to get some discipline in Life and do the right things so as to be fit and healthy.

I came on board GOQii in Oct 2015 with the aim to get fit and active, control and manage my weight and train for a fitness event such as the marathon. After a few weeks of having GOQii, I noticed the changes within myself.

Today, life is more disciplined and I am addicted (in a positive way) to GOQii. Thanks to my coach I am doing all the right things. I have stopped snacking, I am eating healthily and also exercising daily. I am doing all those things which I thought was impossible to do.

The outcome of being active and eating right has resulted in my BP being controlled and 8 kgs of weight loss.. I also enrolled into a gym, on the insistence of my coach, for strength training. I do cardiovascular exercises and strength training in addition to walking. Tabata and Interval Training is also added to my routine now.

The GOQii band, according to me, is one of the best in its class. The whole concept of looking at fitness as a “Well-being solution” rather than just crunching data is what differentiates GOQii from the others. It is this differentiation that lured me toward it.

It’s been almost a year and have seen amazing results. The “Coach Concept” is like having a virtual well-wisher for you who keeps monitoring your steps, intake, and workouts. In addition, throughout the process, my coach is able to offer, some great advice. You also get some very informative (myths busted) nutrition-related mails from the master coach.

I am very happy to report that I am now addicted to the habit of watching my step count quite a few times a day…I am cognizant of what I eat, thanks to the log feature of the app. I go for regular walks. What was initially 20 minutes has now increased to 45 minutes.

I am hooked on to achieving my goals. I like to see myself getting the necessary step counts on a daily basis. From 7k steps, I increased to 9k steps and now I clock 15k steps daily. Soon, I am going to increase it to 20k steps. I am also happy that I now fit into my earlier clothes. And I have more energy! I have even reduced my coffee intake from 3 cups to 1 and stopped snacking.

Overall, I feel good about myself. I am more confident and my attitude towards life has changed. My goal going forward is to run a marathon.

What does Pavan’s coach Dhruvi Rathod have to say?

Rolling back to the day when I first spoke with Pavan, I figured he was clear in his head and knew what he was doing, what was right and what needed to be improved. There were quite a few things we discussed during the call -laying our focus on reducing weight and leading a healthy life.

It was not very difficult for me to convince and convey the concept of healthy, mindful eating with some regular workouts. With all the intentions to improve and create a healthier person, we started our journey with small changes like from walking for 20 mins to 45 mins daily, having balanced meals instead of unhealthy snacking, and having an increased water intake. It took but a few days for Pavan to incorporate all these changes.

Each time we connected to review our goals, we had more goals accomplished and always were ready to move forward to that “healthy self” he wanted to become

We inched ahead with inclusion of some high intensity exercises like Tabata, interval training.   We supported it with some good nutrition by making pre and post workout snacks as a daily ritual.

Meanwhile, we also took up some challenges like completing 1 lakh steps in 10 days, doing a water detox, Doing 10 mins meditation etc..Pavan has been a quick learner and very open to try new things which are beneficial for his health…

He has become the model of what it means to create a truly healthy lifestyle rather than merely a collection of data points or biometric units.

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Working towards your Health goals

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For the last couple of months I have been talking to GOQii players and tracing their journey to health and fitness. While doing so I realized how important it is for one to share their goals and their personal progression with others.If not for anything it’s simply a great ego booster and a motivator for the person to do much better going forward.

Working towards a health or fitness goal? Sharing your goals—and your progress!—with others can make a huge difference in how successful you are along the way. Research proves it. According to studies published in International journals, strong social circles can be very effective in combatting obesity and helping individuals succeed. It has also been proven that those who have shared their weight goals with their friends on social media have lost weight as compared to those who have kept their goals to themselves.

So what is it that makes one to achieve their goals easily if broadcasted?

Sharing Your Goals…Creates Accountability
Telling your family, friends, and colleagues about your goals creates the opportunity for someone to ask you about your progress down the road. And, knowing someone might be checking in can help you stay on track. If you have a coach or a personal trainer it becomes even more difficult to skip a day of training or chat on your diet.  That constant watch over you to get healthy and fit will only help you in the long run.

…Provides Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement is defined as the process of recognizing and rewarding a desired behavior in an effort to encourage its continuance. Getting a pat on your back is always encouraging and give you a sense of self-worth and in this case it is nudging you to be healthier and a fit person. Positive reinforcements like “great job” and ‘keep up the good work’ helps you to alleviate any self-doubts that you may have about yourself and your ability to perform well. In other words it will only help you to stick to your health and fitness goals.

…Strengthens Your Support Network
Sharing your goals and receiving support from your social circle, encourages others to share and get support too—it’s a positive feedback loop, says Steven Ledbetter, an expert on behavior change and co-founder of Habitry. “Talking about your goals in a common space where you feel safe, creates an intentional community—you share values, like living your healthiest life possible, and help each other live up to those values,” says Ledbetter. The more you share, the stronger your community becomes, and the easier it is for everyone to reach their goals.

GOQii Can Help!

The GOQii app’s ‘Social’ section helps you connect with other players and share your experience and stories. Also the GOQii active Sunday’s are great enablers for players to share each other’s stories and health goals with each other and motivate each other to achieve those goals. So what are you waiting for, let’s get started.

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