Dr. Naina Sudarshan, Author at GOQii

July 19, 2021 By Dr. Naina Sudarshan Leave a Comment

Ideal Weekly Workout Routine For Beginners

As Health is among the top priority in our life, being healthy, immune to all types of infections, diseases and getting fit are the avenues for the same now. Since the pandemic, the subsequent lockdown and work from home options have taken their toll on people resulting in physical inactivity. As per the American College of Sports Medicine recommendation, a healthy person needs at least 30 mins of exercise every day to maintain physical health, mental health, immunity, and prevent chronic diseases for all age groups. So, here’s an ideal weekly workout routine for beginners you can follow!

Get Motivated For Your Weekly Workout Routine

Every day of the week may not go as we plan. But if we are determined to be fit, we can set aside some time for exercise every day. If you are a beginner, creating a workout schedule for every week would be a better choice than just having a vague idea about staying active every day. Find out a strong reason for yourself as to why you need to workout every day. This should be a reminder to maintain consistency in order to achieve your goal.

Getting Started On Your Weekly Workout Routine

Beginning a workout can be confusing and intimidating as to where and how to start. Once you find out the ideal time, duration, and location for you to exercise, think about the obstacles that can come your way. Slot a backup time to avoid missing the workout. For example, if you set a goal to walk for 30 mins, completing about 5-6k steps, and that doesn’t happen due to some unplanned situations, walk more at work, take the steps instead of the elevator, walk while you talk over the phone just to complete the intended number of steps for the day. Here are some points to remember before you begin:

Start with short duration but be consistent (It can be 15-20 mins workout rather than an hour of workout at a stretch in a day) and make sure to plan your workout for at least 5 days in a week with short term specific, measurable goal.
Keep a track of how your energy levels are getting better and what other benefits you are getting out of exercise like improved quality of sleep, reduced stress, and increased appetite instead of just keeping a track of numbers on your weighing scale or inch loss.
Plan your workout according to your entire week’s schedule taking into consideration your work, personal life and family time, etc.
Choose different types of workouts that you are interested in and you are comfortable doing. Make a list of physical activities that you enjoy. It can be dance, running, walking, sports like football, badminton, tennis, volleyball, basketball, cricket, weight training, or yoga

Week 1

Day 1: Cardio exercises

Start with 5 minutes warm-up exercises at a slow to moderate pace to slowly increase the heart rate
Switch to 20 mins of cardio exercise. It can include aerobic exercises, brisk walk, interval running outside, cycling, stationary bike, swimming, Zumba or any type of dance, or any type of sport. Pay attention to your energy level and breath. You should ideally be able to talk without going out of breath while exercising to know your comfortability. People who want to do running can begin with 1 min of running and 3 mins of walking initially.
Stretch for 5 mins to cool down to gradually bring down the heart rate back to normal

Day 2: Strength training

Warm-up exercises for 5 Minutes
Easy Strength training exercises for 25 mins: As a beginner, it’s better, to begin with, bodyweight training initially. Some of the exercises that come under this can be jumping jacks, push-ups, squats, lunges, burpees, mountain climbers, shoulder bridge, crunches, planks and reverse lunges with just one set each and about 10 repetitions each. There can be 10 seconds of rest in between each set.
Cooldown workout for 5 mins

Day 3: Yoga/Dance

Warm-up with 5 Surya namaskars/ jumping jacks
Easy Standing and sitting Yoga postures or Dance of your choice for 25 mins. It’s always better to learn yoga postures through a trainer to learn about breathing patterns and the correct postures.
Cooldown workout for 5 mins

Day 4: Strength training

Warm-up exercises for 5 Minutes
Easy Strength training exercises for 25 mins. This can be repeated the same as day 2.
Cooldown workout for 5 mins

Day 5: Cardio exercises

Warm-up exercises for 5 Minutes
Easy Cardio exercise for 25 mins. This can be repeated the same as day 1.
Cooldown workout for 5 mins

Day 6: Strength training

Warm-up exercises for 5 Minutes
Easy Strength training exercises for 25 mins. This can be repeated the same as day 2
Cooldown workout for 5 mins

Day 7: Rest day

Active rest, which means low-intensity exercise like stretching and casual walking, are suggested on this day to stay active, increase the blood flow to the muscles for good healing, and reduce soreness.

Week 2

The routine of week 1 can be repeated on week 2 as well. People who are training for running can increase the duration of running to 3 mins of running and 1 min of walk.

Day 1: Cardio exercise for 25 mins with warm-up and cool down
Day 2: Strength training exercise for 25 mins (15 reps of 1 set each) with warm-up and cool down
Day 3: Yoga, Pilates, dance, or stretching for 25 mins with warm-up and cool down
Day 4: Strength training exercises for 25 mins (15 reps of 1 set each) with warm-up and cool down
Day 5: Cardio exercise for 25 mins with warm-up and cool down
Day 6: Strength training exercise for 25 mins (15 reps of 1 set each) with warm-up and cool down
Day 7: Rest day

Week 3 and Week 4

Repeat the same routine for week 3 while increasing the duration, speed, and intensity of the workout this week. Small changes can be made with your workout to keep it interesting. For strength training, 2 sets can be done with 12 repetitions. If you feel this routine is easy one can also try other workouts like HIIT, kettlebell, resistance band workout, and weight training depending on their energy level and comfortability. This can include exercises that involve different muscle groups of the body like shoulder, arms, chest, abdomen, back, hips, glutes, thigh, and legs.

These workouts have to be done again with the combination of cardio workouts on alternate days with one day as a Rest day. People who are running can switch to 4 mins running and 1 min walking, if they are comfortable. The idea here is to gradually increase the intensity of the workout so that the body is getting adjusted to the workouts easily without any injuries and exhaustion.

Day 1: Cardio exercise for 25 mins with warm-up and cool down
Day 2: Strength training exercise for 25 mins (15 reps of 2 set each) with warm-up and cool down
Day 3: Yoga, Pilates, dance, or stretching for 25 mins with warm-up and cool down
Day 4: Strength training exercise/HIIT for 25 mins (15 reps of 2 set each) with warm-up and cool down
Day 5: Cardio exercise for 25 mins with warm-up and cool down
Day 6: Strength training exercise for 25 mins (15 reps of 2 set each) with warm-up and cool down
Day 7: Rest day

Proper warm-up and cool-down exercises are critical here to prevent injuries and for better healing. Muscle soreness can be common during the first week of exercise. But don’t give up. You will slowly get over it as you continue the workouts.

One needs to pay attention to their diet with good protein, complex carbs, and fibers. Not to forget good hydration and quality sleep. If you have any health conditions like heart problems, diabetes, back pain, neck pain, knee pain, vertigo, arthritis, post-COVID or balance-related issues, get the clearance from your doctor. Certain types of exercises can be contraindicated in some of the conditions. It’s always ideal to have a personal coach or fitness trainer to learn how to go about a proper exercise routine, balanced diet, and healthy lifestyle tailored for your health condition and body type.

For any additional help on getting started from the comfort of your home, you can sign up for Live GOQii Pro Classes with our fitness experts within the GOQii App. Additionally, you can also reach out to your GOQii Coach who can help, guide and motivate you! Subscribe here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Hope this weekly workout routine for beginners helps you. Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

June 15, 2021 By Dr. Naina Sudarshan Leave a Comment

How Long After Getting Infected Can You Get The COVID Vaccine?

It has been a daunting journey for over fourteen months where many have lost their family and friends due to the pandemic. Going through the COVID-19 journey has been a rancorous experience to many, especially during the second wave. Now, there’s hope for survival with the coming of the COVID vaccine.

How Does Vaccination Help?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccination is a simple, safe and effective way of protecting people against harmful diseases, before they come into contact with them. It uses our body’s natural defenses to build resistance to specific infections and makes our immune system stronger. So basically, vaccines do the same action as when we are exposed and are infected with the disease causing organism. But here, the symptoms may be very mild as they will be injecting the weakened version of disease causing organism or a part of the same organism, so our immune system gets trained on how to respond if the actual disease causing organism invades us.

Whenever our body is infected with any of these microorganisms, our body fights against it. Our immune system remembers the specific virus or bacteria by producing its antibodies so that we can fight against it without getting symptoms for the next time when we are exposed to same type of virus or bacteria. But some of these antibodies may not last long enough to protect us from getting infected again in the future. Though a lot of research has been conducted on COVID-19, as far as we know, the antibodies of COVID-19 in our body may not last long. So, getting a vaccine is recommended, regardless of whether you were infected with COVID-19 or not.

Can You Get The COVID Vaccine If You Were Infected?

As the COVID vaccines have rolled out, people who were not infected are getting them but people who have already been infected might have questions related to the COVID vaccine such as – Can I get the vaccine? If yes, how long do I need to wait to get the vaccine after being infected with COVID-19? How long will I not get infected again if I don’t take the vaccine? Let’s look at the official recommendations.

As per the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) in India, based on the current situation of the pandemic, guidelines have been given on how long you need to defer the COVID-19 vaccine after getting infected with it.

Someone who had tested positive for COVID-19 should wait for 3 months to get their COVID Vaccine after recovery.
If you have received the 1st dose of the COVID Vaccine and then got infected before completing the 2nd dose of vaccination, you also need to wait for 3 months to get your 2nd dose after recovering from the infection.
People who got infected with the virus and were treated with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma need to defer getting vaccinated for 3 months after getting discharged from the hospital.

These guidelines are accepted by the Ministry Of Health and Family Affairs, India. Please note that the earlier recommendation to get the vaccine post COVID-19 infection was just four weeks before. So, the above recommendations are the latest updates recommended by NEGVAC, accepted by the Ministry of Health in India, which applies to all States and Union Territories. However, if you, or anyone in your family or friends who had COVID-19 positive with severe complications and comorbidities, or have undergone any major surgeries during this period or after the 1st dose of the vaccine, it is advised to talk to the doctor who treated you before taking the COVID Vaccine, keeping your safety in mind.

After getting the vaccine, remember not to stop the protocols of wearing a clean mask, sanitizing and washing the hands often, social distancing, avoiding crowded places, having healthy food, regular exercise, good quality sleep and managing stress. Don’t forget, just getting a vaccine cannot guarantee that we will not get infected in the future. All these precautions can save us from being the victims of the next wave.

Hope this article helps you! To read more on COVID-19 and managing its symptoms, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

To get these tips and queries directly answered by a GOQii Coach, subscribe to personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu

Stay home, stay safe and #BeTheForce

May 27, 2021 By Dr. Naina Sudarshan 3 Comments

Healthy Ayurvedic Concoctions To Boost Immunity

Ayurveda, the “Science of Life” is an invaluable treasure to India from our ancestors which is trending even in the second wave of the current pandemic. According to classical texts, the aim of Ayurveda is “To maintain the health of a healthy person through prevention and to treat the health issues of a sick person”. Our body needs to maintain good metabolism and immunity to fight against foreign invaders like germs and other external disease-causing factors. So, it is critical for us to maintain and boost our immunity on a regular basis to maintain our health. Ayurvedic concoctions are the best and easy choice to make at home yourself and have it frequently.

Ayurvedic Concoctions can be basically made with dry herbs, or dry herb powders or some of the fresh herbs too. As the herbs are boiled in water, the water absorbs all the therapeutic properties from the herbs making it better for digestion and absorption into our body.

5 Varieties of Ayurvedic Concoctions For Immunity

1. Turmeric-Pepper Concoction

Ingredients:

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Black pepper Powder – ¼ tsp
Jeera – ¼ tsp
Water – 1 glass
Lemon – 1 tsp
Himalayan Pink salt/Sea salt/Rock salt – ¼ tsp

Method: Mix turmeric, pepper and jeera in water and boil it for 3-5 mins to bring it down to 1 cup of concoction. Add lemon and salt before you sip the warm concoction.

Benefits:

The Cucumin in Turmeric is anti-inflammatory and has an immune modulatory effect which enhances metabolism and boosts immunity.
Piperine in Black Pepper enhances the absorption of curcumin making it a good combination with Turmeric. It is a rich antioxidant that prevents cell damage, increases the absorption of essential nutrients like calcium and selenium, helps in easy digestion, and controls blood sugar levels.
Jeera is a great source of iron besides potassium, helps in building immune system
Lemon, high in Vitamin C can fight against bacterial and viral infections by enhancing immune system

2. Fenugreek-Coriander Concoction

Ingredients:

Fenugreek/Methi seeds – ½ tsp
Coriander/Dhaniya seeds – ½ tsp
Water – 1.5 glass
Milk (Optional) – ¼ cup
Jaggery – ¼ – ½ tsp

Method: Soak Methi and Coriander seeds in 1.5 glass of water for 30-60 mins. Boil it for 5-8 mins to reduce it to ¾ cup. You can add milk at this stage and boil it for 1 more minute. Turn the heat off and add jaggery just before drinking.

Benefits:

Methi/Fenugreek may help to reduce the risk of bacterial fungal and viral infections. It generates heat in the body and is excellent for Kapha dominant people with weaker immunity.
Coriander has powerful antioxidants that prevent cellular damage caused by free radicals.
Jaggery is a natural sweetener rich in iron, zinc, and selenium.

3. Pomegranate Peel Concoction

Ingredients:

Peel of half pomegranate
Raw Honey – 1 tsp
Water – 1 glass

Method: Boil a glass of water. Put the pomegranate peel in the boiling water. Let it boil for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover it for 15 minutes. Add 1 tsp of honey to the concoction, before you sip it warm.

Benefits:

Pomegranate peels help in restoring overall health. It acts as a liver detox. It soothes sore throat and stomach infections. It helps in dental hygiene and promotes healthy cell growth.
Pomegranate peels can be dried and stored as a powder or peel to use it for a long time.
Raw honey has healing, antibacterial and antiseptic properties. Phytonutrients in honey can boost the immunity.

4. Licorice-Ginger Concoction

Ingredients:

1 inch Licorice root or ¼ tsp of licorice powder
2-3 slices of ginger or ¼ tsp of ginger powder / ginger paste
Water – 1 glass
Raw Honey – 1 tsp

Method: Heat 1 glass of water. Add ginger powder and licorice powder. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add 1 tsp of honey before you enjoy this concoction.

Benefits:

Licorice Cleanses respiratory system as it is a strong decongestant, a natural remedy for cold, cough, sore throat, and flu
Ginger is a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory in nature and helpful in reducing cough. It also enhances the immune response and is good for digestion

5. Onion-Cinnamon Concoction

Ingredients:

Onion – 1 small (diced)
Cardamom Powder – ½ tsp
Cinnamon Powder – ¼ tsp
Water – 2 cups
Jaggery – 1 tsp

Method: Bring 2 glasses of water to boil, add all the ingredients and bring it down to 1 cup of liquid. Simmer for 15 mins and sip it while it is warm.

Benefits:

Onions are rich in flavonoids that help in fighting infections and inflammation. It is extremely useful in strengthening the capillary walls of the lungs and prevents the damage of bronchial tubes in any respiratory infections
Cardamom and Cinnamon are anti-inflammatory and effective remedies for cold, and flu as they impart warmth to our body. Both spices are among the ingredients in most commonly used Ayurvedic cough medicines like Sitopaladi churna and Thaleesapatradi churna.

These Ayurvedic Concoctions can be consumed once at any time of the day for about 2-3 days in a week preferably with a gap to maintain the metabolism and boost the immunity. Children under the age of 12 can have ½ a cup of any of these. People with diabetes should be cautious about the amount of honey and jaggery that they add – lesser the better. These are just preventive remedies and effective with mild symptoms of flu or cough and cold. Medical advice is always suggested with moderate to severe symptoms.

Before trying any of these, do consult your doctor in case you have any allergies. Try these Ayurvedic Concoctions at home and let us know your thoughts in the comments below. For more Ayurvedic Remedies or immunity boosting tips, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to GOQii Play.

To get these tips directly from your GOQii Coach, subscribe to personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu

Stay home, stay safe, boost your immunity and #BeTheForce

March 30, 2021 By Dr. Naina Sudarshan Leave a Comment

Which Vitamins Are Good For Skin Repair?

Skin is the largest organ of our body and the one which is directly exposed to the outer environment everyday. There are a lot of external factors like sunlight, wind, dust, cold weather, alcohol, smoking, etc. and internal factors like dehydration, aging, poor nutrition, stress and lack of sleep that can damage the skin. When we feel that our skin is damaged or to prevent skin damage, a lot of us tend to fall for the plethora of skin care products that are available in the market. But in reality, we need to work on fixing our damaged skin internally rather than using external products that can possibly contain many types of chemicals. So what do we do for skin repair? The answer is easy – It’s the vitamins in our diet!

Which Vitamins Can Be Used For Skin Repair?

There are many vitamins found in food itself that can be used for skin repair as opposed to using supplements. Let’s take a look at which vitamins can work wonders for skin repair.

Vitamin A: Rich in antioxidants, it protects our skin from sunburn by preventing the breakdown of collagen, a protein that gives elasticity to skin. Hence, Vitamin A helps in regeneration of both upper and lower layers of skin cells. Vitamin A helps to moisturize the skin when damaged, itchy, dry and bumpy. In cases of inflammation or wounds, where germs can directly enter the body through the skin, the antioxidants in Vitamin A can also help protect the body from harmful free radicals. Orange colored foods like carrots, papaya, sweet potato, mango, dried apricot, pumpkin, red bell pepper, tomato and cantaloupe are some of the examples of foods that are high in Vitamin A . Liver meat for non vegetarians are also rich in Vitamin A.
Vitamin B: Some of the research studies found that Vitamin B helps in formation of new skin cells. Riboflavin, the Vitamin B2, helps in maintaining healthy collagen levels and balancing the oil in our skin which heals the skin dryness. Foods like Almonds, spinach, beef liver, dairy products and mushrooms are Vitamin B2 rich food. Niacin, Vitamin B3 is good for treating sun damaged skin, eczema, dry skin, and rosacea by conditioning the skin. Dairy products, fish, chicken, cereals and mushrooms are rich in Vitamin B3. Pantathonic acid or Vitamin B5 helps in maintaining the moisture of the skin by keeping it hydrated. This is good for skin repair and preventing aging and acne. This Vitamin can be found in mushrooms, broccoli, sweet potato and avocado. Vitamin B7 or Biotin helps in repairing the skin from acne, fungal infections, and rashes. Vitamin B7 is high in foods like almonds, tomatoes, onions, eggs, sardine fish and sweet potatoes. Skin cell damage caused by free radicals can be fixed with Vitamin B9 or Folic acid found in foods such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, beets and okra. People who are suffering from chronic skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis, Vitamin B12 works best in reducing the inflammation, dryness and redness of skin and makes the healing faster. Rich food sources of Vitamin B12 include dairy, fish, meat and eggs.
Vitamin C: or Ascorbic acid, a water soluble vitamin, is not synthesized in our body. Vitamin C has a huge role in natural production of collagen in our body. Vitamin C is widely useful in treating photoaging, altered pigmentation, hyperpigmentation and immune suppression due to the exposure to UV rays from the sun. Vitamin C has powerful antioxidants as it promotes tissue healing in such cases. Vitamin C heals the skin by neutralizing the free radicals that cause oxidative stress. Dry skin, another common skin issue, may be due to environmental changes, dehydration or aging too. The outer layer of skin has barrier lipids to prevent dryness. When there is deficiency of these lipids, it causes dryness. Vitamin C is believed to help in production of these barrier lipids and also prevents water or moisture loss from skin. Vitamin C can be found in all citrus fruits like Oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, lemon, Kiwi, strawberries, green pepper, guavas, cherries, plum, broccoli, and Cantaloupe.
Vitamin D: There are few research studies concluded that Vitamin D helps in wound healing and also modulates the inflammation. Apart from this, Vitamin D has antimicrobial properties which may help in treating acne developed due to bacterial overgrowth. Vitamin D is available naturally through exposure to sunlight, a variety of fishes like sardines, salmon,herring, mackerel, egg yolk, and fortified foods like cereals.
Vitamin E: Vitamin E is one of the most familiar and important Vitamin related to dermatology since ages. This is a fat soluble antioxidant vitamin which has photoprotective and anti tumorigenic properties. Vitamin E acts as a scavenger against free radicals and protects the skin against solar radiation. This Vitamin is one of the best treatments for skin conditions like atopic dermatitis, epidermolysis bullosa, psoriasis, melasma, acne vulgaris, scleroderma, Chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus and cutaneous ulcers. Nuts and seeds like almonds, hazelnuts,pine nuts, sunflower seeds, and avocado are some of the rich sources of Vitamin E that we can get from food.

Remember that it is always better to avoid self medication of Vitamin supplements as overdosing can cause severe side effects since some amount of vitamins are already consumed through food. Having a variety of nutrient rich foods like fruits, vegetables and others is a better idea to get all the necessary vitamins. Though there may be topical Vitamins available in the market for skin repair, it’s always better to get all the Vitamins through food internally for better skin repair.

Before you begin consuming any of the foods listed above, please consult your doctor, nutritionist or dietitian to find out if you have any allergies or deficiencies. We hope this article helps you. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more on skin repair, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce