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Welcome Summer With Sunscreen

sunscreen uses and summerWe all know the Ozone layer is depleting, making the Sun’s harmful rays stronger than ever. It is only natural for us to take the necessary steps and protect ourselves from these rays. In this article, we will help you understand the importance of Sunscreen and why they are necessary to face Indian summers. Before we get to why you should be using sunscreen, it is also important to pick out the right product for you.

Choosing the Right Product

There are numerous brands out there which sell sunscreen. The key to choosing the right one is to know your skin type. Based on your skin type, you can opt one for oily skin, sweat-proof, etc.

You might have seen the term “SPF” on sunscreen bottles. This stands for “Sun Protection Factor”. The SPF rating determines how much protection you will receive from the sun’s UVB\UVA radiations. A SPF of 30 gives you 97% protection, and SPF of 50 gives you 98% protection and an SPF of 100 gives about 99% protection. SPF between 30-50 is good enough for Indian skin.

Reasons Why You Need Sunscreen

The summers in India are often very ruthless. The most important thing to understand is that nobody is excluded from the use of Sunscreen. People who tan easily, people who don’t, fair skinned, dark skinned, children and everybody else, should use it if you are going to be exposed to the Sun.

The UV rays from the sun are one of the major enemies of our skin! While Vitamin D is necessary, these UV rays damage our cells which results in wrinkles, dark circles, premature ageing, inflammation and acne. UV Rays can even cause skin cancer.

These are enough reasons for you to start using sunscreen. Even though sunscreen doesn’t avoid these conditions completely, it is a very important step towards protection from the sun. Remember that a higher SPF won’t have any effect on sensitive skin. To get 100% protection from the sun’s powerful rays, you will need clothes that cover your entire body, sunscreen, and a hat or something to cover your head.

How To Use It the Right Way

  • Take a small amount, approx a small coin size of sunscreen on your palm
  • Apply it gently on your face
  • It should look white when you apply it on your face
  • Apply it 15 minutes before you step out so it can be properly absorbed by your skin
  • You can apply it twice a day

If you are someone with any kind of allergies or other skin problems, consult a doctor. With expert advice, you can choose the right product for yourself and make the most out of it.

Now you’re all equipped to welcome summer with a smile! For more summer tips, click here or speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

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How Important Is Cardio For Weight Loss?

cardio and weight lossYou are well aware of the fact that you lose weight when you burn more calories irrespective of how much you eat. The best way to lose weight is to follow a combination of cardio, strength training and a healthy diet.

Cardio is one of the key components because:

  • You burn more calories at one time.
  • Getting your heart rate into your target heart rate zone means your blood is pumping, you’re breathing hard, and you’re sweating and burning calories.
  • You can easily add intensity to increase your calorie burn. With cardio, it’s easy to increase your calorie burn with small changes, for instance running or walking faster, jumping higher, climbing hills or trying new activities that your body isn’t used to.
  • It adds to your overall calorie deficit. Burning calories with exercise means you don’t have to cut as many calories from your diet.
  • You can do cardio most days of the week. With strength training, your muscles require rest to recover and grow stronger. Cardio can be done most days of the week without worrying about injury or over-training.

The Best Cardio Exercises

While you know that cardio is important for weight loss, which exercises are best and how much do you really need for weight loss?

The truth is, there really isn’t any best cardio exercise. The best activity is the one you’ll do on a regular basis. So, finding something you like is critical to reaching your weight loss goals. That said, some exercises offer more intensity than others.

  • Impact activities: Exercises that involve some impact, like walking, will usually boost your heart rate quicker than no-impact activities like swimming or cycling.
  • High impact activities: High impact, or exercises that involve running or jumping, will often burn more calories than lower impact things like walking.
  • Whole body activities: When you involve both the upper and lower body, such as an aerobic activity which is also is known as cross training, it’s often easier to get the heart rate up and burn more calories.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t bother with low impact exercise. Both types of activities offer opportunities to burn calories and doing both gives you a well-rounded cardiovascular endurance development.

To get an idea of just how much cardio can do for you, check out the following list of common exercises. Below is the number of calories burned for a 150-pound person in 30 minutes:

  1. Step aerobics: 340 calories
  2. Stationary bike: 238 calories
  3. Swimming: 270 calories
  4. Walking 4 mph: 170 calories
  5. Running 5 mph: 270 calories
  6. kickboxing: 400 calories

Everything from walking to kickboxing can burn a significant number of calories!

How Much Do You Need?

It’s tough to know exactly how much cardio we need for weight loss. The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association recommend about 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity activity on most days of the week. But, the truth is how much cardio you need varies from person to person and depends on factors such as:

  • How many calories you eat
  • How hard you exercise
  • Metabolism, age and gender
  • Fitness levels
  • Body fat percentage and weight
  • Exercise schedule

That said, here are some tips for setting up an effective cardio program:

  1. If you’re a beginner, start with 3 days of the cardio exercise of your choice, working at a level you can handle.
  2. Add time each week to work your way up to 30 to 45 minutes of continuous exercise.
  3. As you get stronger, try interval training once a week to help boost endurance and burn more calories.
  4. Work your way up to 5 to 6 days of cardio and try to vary what you do and how hard you work.

It will help you lose weight but it is most effective when combined with strength training and a healthy, low-calorie diet and adequate rest.

How Much Do You Need To Build Muscle?

You may think you shouldn’t do cardio exercise if you’re trying to gain muscle. But, cardio isn’t just for weight loss. It also helps condition the heart and lungs and promotes health and well-being. If your goal is to gain muscle, you won’t need tons of cardio. But, doing at least three 20-minute sessions a week won’t hurt your goals and will help you reap the benefits of cardio without burning too many calories. These are some simple necessities for cardio in weight loss. After reading this, I am sure all your misconceptions about weight training and weight loss are cleared!

If you want to begin working out or want to take your workouts to the next level, book a GOQii PRO class through the GOQii App and join our certified experts for a live, interactive session.

For more on weight loss, click here. Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Breaking the Ramadan Fast with Healthy Bites

Ramadan Fast

The holy month of Ramadan is auspicious for the Islamic Community across the world. During this period, one practices restraint by fasting from sunrise till sunset, eating one meal before dawn i.e. the ‘suhoor’ or ‘sehri’ and breaking the fast with a meal after sunset i.e. Iftar.

While this sort of fasting comes with a plethora of health benefits, it is important to do it the right way! Balancing nutrition and exercising portion control is key to staying healthy while observing a fast during Ramadan. Here are some foods that will help you do just that!

Foods You Should Eat

  • Drinks: Ideally, the best way to break a fast is by consuming plenty of fluids to replenish your body. You can opt for smoothies, fruit juices or even water which provides hydration without extra calories or sugars. You can also opt for a soup, which is considered traditional in many Arab countries.
  • Fruits and Vegetables: Fruits provide your body with the much needed natural sugars loaded with vitamins and minerals that will boost your energy levels. In addition, adding a serving of vegetables with high fiber content will help you digest your food better and feel full for a longer period of time.
  • Dates & Dry Fruits: have been traditionally eaten to break a fast. You can follow this up with dry fruits.  You can try Jagger Bombs by WeDesi for a healthy and fun twist to dry fruits! Each Jagger Bomb contains dry fruits such as pistas, almonds, foxnuts, cashews bound with organic jaggery, gondh and pure cow ghee to give you all the essential nutrients you need while breaking a fast. You can get them at a discount from the GOQii Health Store within the GOQii App.
  • Rice & Alternatives: Brown rice, black rice, wholegrain noodles, wholegrain pasta or wholemeal bread are complex carbohydrates that provide a slow, stable and sustainable release of energy. Plus, they replenish your body with essential fibers and minerals after fasting.
  • Meat: Choose protein-rich sources such as lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, etc. Proteins are the building blocks for healthy bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood. They also aid to build and repair tissues. It’s a must have when you have fasted for around 18 hours.

Foods You Should Avoid

The foods listed above will help you stay healthy during Ramadan but it is imperative to maintain caution with what you eat. Here are a few foods you can exclude from your meals.

  • Processed/Oily Foods: These contain less nutrients and more fat. This can lead to acidity, nausea, heartburn and indigestion. Consume food with lesser oil and avoid packaged or junk food at all costs.
  • Salty Foods: Avoid anything that is too salty especially during Suhoor. Salty foods increase thirst and can leave you dehydrated.
  • High-Sugar Foods: We all know by now that excess sugar in the body is stored as fat. Consuming high-sugar foods and drinks can lead to weight gain, sluggishness and fatigue.

Caution & Safety

Fasting is good but fasting the right way is equally important. Here are some things you need to watch out for while fasting during Ramadan.

  • Don’t Miss Sehri or Suhoor: Think of this as your breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day as it keeps your energy levels high throughout. This meal stores important nutrients in your body and keeps you going through the day. Skipping this meal can cause digestive discomfort, making your body sluggish. Moreso, it may compel you to overeat while breaking your fast which may lead to acidity, heartburn, bloating and weight gain.
  • If you experience dizziness, are unable to stand or feel disoriented, hydrate yourself immediately. Not doing so may lead to fainting, constipation, or splitting headaches. Dehydration can adversely affect your health.
  • Eat in Moderation: It is easy to get carried after while breaking a fast and overindulging with large portions. Avoid this and keep a constant check on your portion size. Remember to eat and not feast.
  • Limit Exercise: If you have been fasting, doing intense exercises may not be the wisest of choices. Perform extremely light workouts and don’t go overboard as your body needs to conserve energy.

What do you break your fast with? What’s your favorite meal during Ramadan? Did we miss out on anything? Do let us know in the comments below!

If you found these tips useful and want to learn more, speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalized Health Coaching here.

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The Neurotransmitter Impacts Of Sharing Healthy Behavior On GOQii Arena

GOQii ArenaOn GOQii Arena, we share our food, activity, moments, posts, and other health-related daily routine activities. Many players use the Arena as a platform to showcase their healthy habits and inspire others to adopt similar behaviors. But have you ever wondered why sharing these healthy habits in the GOQii Arena can be so rewarding? In this article, we’ll explore the neurotransmitter impacts of sharing healthy behavior and how it can impact our health and well-being.

How Sharing Healthy Habits Impacts Well-being

When we engage in arena activities such as sharing, liking, and commenting on health-related content, our brains release neurotransmitters that can impact our mood and behavior. For example, sharing health-related content can trigger the release of oxytocin, a neurotransmitter that is associated with bonding and trust. This can create a sense of community and support among individuals who share similar health goals.

Similarly, when we receive positive feedback, such as likes or comments, our brains release dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. This can create a positive feedback loop that encourages us to continue sharing our healthy habits and receiving positive feedback from others.

Commenting on a post can stimulate the release of serotonin, which is associated with feelings of happiness and well-being. Clapping or reacting to a post can trigger the release of endorphins, which can create a sense of euphoria and pain relief. Sharing a post can stimulate the release of oxytocin, which is associated with bonding and trust.

Accountability & Motivation Through The GOQii Arena 

Sharing healthy habits in the arena can have several positive impacts on our health and well-being. When we share our healthy routine with others, we can feel a sense of accountability and motivation to maintain that routine. Additionally, receiving positive feedback from others can boost our confidence and self-esteem, which can have a positive impact on our overall well-being.

Furthermore, sharing health-related content in the arena can inspire others to adopt similar behaviors, which can have a ripple effect on our healthy communities. By sharing our healthy habits, we can encourage others to prioritize their health and well-being, which can lead to a more health-conscious society. Overall, these neurotransmitters can create a sense of community, support, and positivity on social media, promoting our mental and emotional well-being.

By understanding the neurotransmitter impacts of the GOQii Arena engagement, we can make more informed decisions about how we engage with others on these platforms and use them to promote positive health behaviors. By sharing our healthy habits and receiving positive feedback from our communities, we can create a virtuous cycle that supports our health and well-being.

So what are you waiting for? If you haven’t already, download the GOQii App and start engaging in the Arena! Found this article useful? Read more from GOQii here.

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