A state level Athletic and Pole Vault champion, Parwange Alam encourages and motivates people to be healthy. While pursuing his graduation at the Punjabi University of Patiala, he also doubled up as a coach training students in running. His mission is to help people improve their lifestyle and lead them towards a healthier future with his acquired knowledge in fitness and experience. Apart from a sporting career he is also an artist and likes to express his feelings through painting. Parwage believes that every individual has a sportsman spirit within them and if coached well it can unveil that sportsman in the individual.

About Parwage Alam

An Athlete and Pole Vault champion, Parwage Alam encourages and motivates people to be healthy. He is an ACSM certified Marathon Trainer and Ultra Marathoner (4 Times 100 KM Trail walk + Marathon's), parallelly a yoga Trainer as well. Also, he has done the certification in GAIT analysis (ACSM), Functional Rehab Training Program (Back Pain) (IHFA), Functional Rehab Training Program ( Untold Facts of Functional Training) (IHFA).

While pursuing his graduation at the Punjabi University of Patiala, he also doubled up as a coach training students in running. His mission is to help people improve their lifestyle and lead them towards a healthier future with his acquired knowledge in fitness and experience. Apart from a sporting career he is also an artist and likes to express his feelings through painting. Parwage believes that every individual has a sportsman spirit within them and if coached well it can unveil that sportsman in the individual.

August 9, 2018 By Parwage Alam 33 Comments

Yoga for the beginners: Some myths and benefits

Couple of months ago I had written a blog on meditation.(http://goqii.com/blog/author/parwage/). I now follow this written piece with a blog on Yoga which is also one of the ways to get stress free in your life and relax. I have been practicing Yoga for the last 8 years and have full faith in this form of exercise. Yoga can bring about positive changes in your life if practiced well. I personally feel the ‘Power of Yoga’.

Yoga is a precious gift given to us by our elders and can be practiced to better our lives. Originated in India, almost 26,000 years ago, Yoga is believed to have evolved during the period of the ‘Sat Yuga’, also called the Golden age. The term yoga can be derived from either yujir yoga (to yoke) or yujsamadhau (to concentrate).

While Yoga originated in India today, many people across the world practice yoga. Yoga in a way is helping many to achieve their physical fitness goal. Through this blog post, I would like to talk about the myths that are attached with Yoga and the benefits of Yoga for one and all.

A strong and flexible body, glowing beautiful skin, peaceful mind, good health – whatever you may be looking for, yoga has it on offer. Yoga helps you to achieve your overall fitness level. If you do follow Yoga regularly you are not just physically fit but, also mentally and emotionally balanced.

Ten minutes of yoga during the day can be a great way to get rid of stress that accumulates daily – in body and in the mind. This will also help you to achieve your inner peace. Some of yoga asanas are effective techniques to release stress.

Some myths regarding yoga :

There is only one type of yoga:Vinyasa is the most popular type of yoga right now and involves using your breath with movement. Hatha yoga is slower with more static postures. Power yoga is more strengthening and cardiovascular. These are just a sampling of the many available styles today.
Yoga requires time-commitment:If you give 10 min in a day daily to yoga, you can change your life.
Yoga is only for women: This is not true. It has been proven by many schools of yoga that one and all can practice Yoga
You have to be extremely agile: Yes, it’s true that there are some difficult yoga positions but, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to be super agile to practice yoga. Most postures can be modified to fit all skill levels or you can choose a position that isn’t so hard on the body.

Benefits of Yoga:

Yoga has both physical and mental benefits to the body and mind.

Health Benefits:

Physical benefits: Yoga improves flexibility and muscle joint mobility (Moving and stretching in new ways will help you become more flexible,).

Tones, strengthens and builds muscles; corrects posture; strengthens the spine (Many yoga poses require you to support the weight of your own body in new ways, including balancing on one leg (such as in Tree Pose) or supporting yourself with your arms (such as in Downward Facing Dog). Holding poses over the course of several breaths also builds strength.

Eases back pain; improves muscular-skeletal conditions such as bad knees, tight shoulders and neck, swayback and scoliosis; increases stamina; boosts immune response; stimulates the glands of the endocrine system; creates balance and grace; improves digestion and elimination; increases circulation; improves heart conditions; improves breathing disorders; decreases cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Mental benefits:

Mental Calmness, Stress Reduction, Body Awareness

Asanas are good for developing coordination and helps to improve your concentration levels and memory. Regular practice can enable young people to keep their natural flexibility for many years. There is no age bar for Yoga.Yoga allows each and everyone who is practicing it to retain mobility and relieve problems such as arthritis and poor circulation. During pregnancy, yoga promotes good health in both mother and the unborn child. Yoga asanas lessen the effects of problems such as overweight, backache, and depression.

Here are some Yoga Asanas for the Beginners:

Mountain Pose (Tadasana) :Stand tall with feet together, shoulders relaxed, weight evenly distributed between your soles, arms on the sides.Take a deep breath and raise your hands overhead, palms facing each other with arms straight. Reach up toward the sky with your fingertips.

Downward Facing Dog (Adhomukhasvanasana): Get on all fours with your hands and knees and shoulder-and-hips-width apart. Walk with your hands a few inches forward and spread the fingers wide, pressing the palms into mat. Curl toes under and slowly press hips toward ceiling, bringing your body into an inverted V, pressing shoulders away from ears. Feet should be hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold for 3-4 full breaths.

Warrior Pose (Virabhadrasana): Stand with legs 3 to 4 feet apart, turning right foot out 90 degrees and left foot in slightly. Bring your hands to your hips and relax your shoulders, then extend arms out to the sides, palms down. Bend right knee 90 degrees, keeping the knee over the ankle; gaze out over right hand. Stay for 1 minute. Switch sides and repeat.

Tree Pose (Vriksasana): Take mountain pose. Then shift your weight onto your left leg. With your hips facing forward, place the sole of your right foot inside your left thigh and find your balance. When you’re there, take a prayer position with your hands. To kick it up a notch, reach your arms up as you would in a mountain pose. Be sure to repeat with the other side.

Bridge Pose (Setubhanda): Lie on the floor with your knees bent and directly over the heels. Place the arms on your sides, palms down. Exhale, then press feet onto the floor as you lift your hips. Clasp hands under lower back and press arms down, lifting hips until thighs are parallel to the floor, bringing chest toward chin. Hold for 1 minute.
Make it easier: Place a stack of pillows underneath your tailbone.

Triangle Pose (Trikonasana): Take warrior pose on your right side without lunging into your knee. Then touch the inside of your right foot with the outside of your right hand. Reach up to the ceiling with your left hand. Turn your gaze toward and pass your left hand to stretch your back. Don’t forget to repeat it on the other side.

Upward Facing Dog (Urdhvamukhasvanasana): Lie face down on the floor with your thumbs under shoulders, legs extended with the top of your feet on the floor. Tuck your hips downward as you squeeze your glutes. Keeping your shoulders down, push up and lift your chest off the ground. Relax and repeat.

Pigeon Pose (Ekapadarajakapotasana): Start in a push-up position, your palms under your shoulders. Place your left knee on the floor near your shoulders with your left heel by your right hip. Press your hands to the floor and sit back with your chest lifted. You can also lower your chest closer to the floor for a stretch. Try it on the other side.

Child’s Pose (Balasana): Sit up comfortably on your heels. Roll your torso forward, bringing your forehead to rest on the bed in front of you. Lower your chest as close to your knees as you comfortably can, extending your arms in front of you. Hold the pose and breathe.

What are you waiting for, get up, plan your day and bring Yoga into your lifestyle and stay stress-free lifelong.

July 20, 2018 By Parwage Alam 10 Comments

No time for work out? Turn your daily household chores into your daily workout

Taking care of the house is a thankless job and is a never-ending job. I remember that my mom used to be always busy with her household chores and never gets the time to do any workout “There is no finish line.”. One day when I came back from my workout and saw my mom doing her regular housework, an idea struck me- an idea where I thought why we don’t transform the daily housework into a daily workout. Why not make the most of it? The next thing I did was to guide my Mom to correct the posture while doing her household work.

Most housewives struggle with the fact that due to lack of time they usually skip working out. Like any other physical activity, housework can tone muscles if you do it correctly and in the right posture. It’s already proved that short bouts of relatively mild exercise can help improve your fitness level—especially for those who do little or no physical activity or are just getting started.

Lunges (Vacuum Cleaning): When you are doing vacuum cleaning, you can walk in a Lunges posture. Remember to keep your knees directly above your ankles, your back straight and your abs engaged. You will know this is working by feeling the pressure in your thighs and glutes. Lunges are a good exercise for strengthening, sculpting and building several muscles/muscle groups, including the quadriceps (or thighs), the gluteus maximus (or buttocks) as well as the hamstrings

Squat: Pick up items on the floor or tables by squatting. Keep your back straight, squat deeply by bending your knees. Hold for 15 seconds before rising up again. Squats is full body exercise that trains primarily the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks, quadriceps (vastus lateral, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius and rectus femoris), hamstrings, as well as strengthening the bones, ligaments and insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body.

Make a circle. Instead of cleaning here and there when scrubbing the Glass doors or cleaning windows, make long, sweeping movements. For example, when you are cleaning the doors or windows, take long swipes from top to bottom, squatting (not bending!) to reach the lower spots. This will give you a fantastic shoulder workout and engage your entire lower body. If you want you can also hold a small bucket of water in your other hand to increase the strengthening of your arms.

Sweeping: While sweeping tuck your stomach and oblique muscles in, Back straight and bring the bristles of the broom as far as possible and pull in.

Dance on the beat! Turn on the music system while doing the household chores and dance to the music the way you want. Try to use some fast music so you’ll be encouraged to pick up your speed and break a sweat. To know more about Dance you can check this blog written by my fellow coach Shimpli Patil

– https://goqii.com/blog/lets-dance-for-a-better-health-and-a-better-you/

Step it up: Use a stepladder, stairs or step stool when you need to reach high areas. Try to repeat the same steps 8-10 times, believe me, this is a really great exercise for your hamstrings. Try to straighten your back. You can simulate your own step aerobics class this way!

Loading the Washing machine: When you are loading or unloading your washing machine just twist and move. This movement will help to strengthen your core.

Sculpt and Fold: Lifting laundry can be the toughest part of your routine. Tone your arms by holding them raised at 90° angle as you carry the laundry basket. Use the squats and lunges posture with your legs as your fold.

Take a swing. Instead of cleaning your rugs, carpets, sheet using a vacuum cleaner, take them outside, hang them up, pick up your broom and show your muscular talent- swing away to beat out the dust and dirt. In this activity, you will involve more muscles than vacuuming alone and help you get some fresh air.

Always prefer stairs: Instead of making one trip up and down, try to convert it into multiple trips with the clean or dirty clothes. Remember, we have a target to do more work as a workout, not less work with the help you machineries.

May 22, 2018 By Parwage Alam 4 Comments

Eating healthy during Ramadan fasting

Who says you cannot be healthy if you’re fasting for an entire month?

You can eat healthily and feel good during an entire month of fasting provided you follow the right methods. The Holy month of Ramadan has begun this week and I have been fasting regularly for over two decades during Ramadan.

Considering the heat wave that is still on in the city with no rains as yet, one has to be extra careful and prepared about what to eat during the non-fasting period, so that you can maintain your health, fitness, endurance and flexibility during the entire month.

Fasting during the month of Ramadan or any other religious months/period can be good for your health if it’s done correctly. All changes happen in the body system during fasting (starvation). Stored nutrients, especially muscle proteins are broken down to provide fuel to our body. Fasting diet lacks in macronutrients like carbohydrates and fats which leads to weakness. In order to avoid this having healthy options of food during fasting is very important.

A person who is fasting needs good and nutrient-rich food which will help to maintain the energy levels in our body on a day to day basis.

Here are few tips for healthy eating options while Ramadan or any other holy fasting period.

Go with Natural food, Not Junk or Processed Foods:

Well, in today’s time processed foods might come across as a very convenient option, but they’re usually filled with unhealthy things like high-fructose corn syrup that leads to overconsumption. Secondly, contains a lot of artificial Ingredients. Most processed foods are Low in Nutrients.

It requires less energy and time to digest processed foods. Processed foods contain MSG (Monosodium glutamate – to enhance flavour), it also contains lots of sodium and typically all the wrong heart-clogging oils. Therefore it is always good to go with natural food available if possible go with homemade food.

Don’t break your fast with a feast:

Be Careful. If you are not careful, the food eaten during the pre-dawn and dusk meals can cause some adverse effects. Those observing the fast in Ramadan month should have at least two meals a day, the pre-dawn meal (Suhoor) and a meal at dusk (Iftar).

The way to approach your diet during fasting is similar to the way you should be eating outside of the Ramadan month. It should contain foods from all the major food groups:

– Fruit and vegetables

– Bread, cereals and potatoes

– Meat, fish, or alternatives

– Milk and dairy foods

– Foods containing fat and sugar

Hydrate Your Body:

When we fast for long hours, our body gets dehydrated over the course of the day. During the non-fasting period, we should take care of the hydration levels in our body. After a long day of fasting, it’s difficult to drink a lot of water or have lots of water-based food items. But, we can have fruit juices and soups made with veggies to give our body the additional water it needs. A great way to break the fast is with ‘Dates’. Also consider having coconut water, or making smoothies, coolers and fruity drinks which are super-hydrating.

Wholesome foods during Ramadan:

Suhoor- the pre-dawn meal should be a wholesome and moderate meal that is filling and provides enough energy for many hours. Ideally, it should be slow digesting food like salads, brown bread, cereal (especially oats) so that your body will get energy for a long time constant. Also, you can have some fluids with vitamins, such as fruit and vegetable juice.

It’s customary for Muslims to break the fast (Iftar) with some dates. Dates provide a burst of energy. Fruit juices also have a similar, revitalizing effect. My favourite, of course, is “FALOODA”. Start by drinking plenty of water, which helps rehydrate and reduces the chances of overindulgence.

SOME QUICK TIPS: What to have and What to avoid:

Foods to avoid

– deep-fried foods, for example, pakoras, samosas and fried dumplings

– High-sugar and high-fat foods, including sweets such as gulab jamun, rasgulla and balushahi

– High-fat cooked foods, for example, parathas, oily curries and greasy pastries

– Fatty meats, Liver and organ meats, Hotdog and sausages, large amounts of prawn, shrimp and shellfish

– Whole milk, Ice cream and whipped cream, full cream yoghurt and labneh, Full cream cheese especially yellow cheese, Creamy and cheese sauces

– Coconut (the only fruit rich in saturated fats that are unhealthy for the heart), Fried vegetables, Boiled vegetables with butter, Juices with added sugar

– Pastries that contain large amounts of fat (doughnuts, croissants, Danish pastries), Fried rice, Fried potato chips or French fries

Healthy alternatives

– Baked samosas and boiled or steamed dumplings

– Chapattis made without oil

– Baked or grilled meat and chicken, Fish, Grilled or boiled skinless chicken, Lean veal or lamb, moderate amounts of prawns, Legumes such as beans, lentils, and peas, eggs

– Milk-based sweets and puddings such as rasmalai and barfee, skimmed or low-fat milk, skimmed or low-fat yoghurt and labneh, Low-fat cheese

– All fresh vegetables, boiled, baked, steamed or cooked with a little oil, Seasoned vegetables or vegetables with lemon juice or a little oil, Fresh fruits and natural fruit juice (in moderation)

– Brown bread, Plain spaghetti or rice (without ghee or high fat sauce), Grains with no added fat, Baked or boiled potatoes

Healthy cooking methods

– Shallow frying

– Grilling, Roasting, Steaming or Baking is healthier and helps retain the taste and original flavour of the food, especially with chicken and fish.

May everyone who observes the blessed month of Ramadan or other holy fasting period have a peaceful, healthy and happy time with family, friends and community.

Please consult with your physician regarding fasting or consuming any particular foods before doing so.

May 16, 2018 By Parwage Alam 1 Comment

7 Positive things you can do to have an incredible day

In our day to day hectic life, the first thing that most of us do is wake up thinking about how the rest of the day is going to be like. The first thing that comes to our mind is all about our office work, traffic that you are likely to encounter while heading to work, how is your day at work going to be etc…

All these thoughts spike the cortisol level – the hormone that leads to bad stress. And if our day starts on such a bad note then it’s anybody’s guess how the rest of the day is likely to be. The first few hours of the day can have a significant effect on your level of productivity over the following eight—so it’s important you have a morning routine that sets you up for success.

Make sure that you always put the first couple of hours of your day to good use. Follow these simple strategies when you wake up, and you’ll be a happier person all day long. It may seem like a long list. But in short, it’s really quite simple:

Wake up
Get into the zone
Get moving
Eat the right food
Get ready
Get inspired
Get perspective

Do something to move forward

Get A Healthy 7+ Hours of Sleep:

Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right time can help protect your mental and physical health, quality of life, and safety. Sleep is just as important as eating and drinking water. Despite this, millions of people do not sleep enough and experience insane problems as a result.

The way you feel while you’re awake depends partly on how you have slept or what kind of sleep you have had. During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health.

Prayer and Meditation to Facilitate Clarity and Abundance:

Once you wake up after a healthy 7+ hours of sleep, prayer and meditation are crucial for orienting yourself towards positive thinking.

Nothing can be better than meditating for 10 min in a day for a healthy mind. Meditation can transform the mind. Meditation doesn’t mean that you have to sit in a particular posture and focus on any single point on the wall or certain point. The definition of meditation is different for different people. If you ask me, meditation is the art of focusing our attention (100%) in one area.

People who meditate, their brain scans called MRI have shown an increase in the activity in areas that control metabolism and heart rate. Some studies on Buddhist monks have shown that meditation produces long-lasting changes in the brain activity in areas involved in attention, working memory, learning, and conscious perception.

SNIFF YOUR WAY AWAKE

Most of us start our day with a morning wash which helps us to open our eyes properly. Similarly, but what scent you wash with can have a big effect on your mood for the rest of the day, says Art Markman, Ph.D., the author of Smart Change.

Research suggests Lavender can help you relax, mint can stimulate your brain, and citrus can reduce stress. Scrub and sniff away.

Over and above this having a cold shower is more beneficial. Cold water immersion radically facilitates physical and mental wellness. Regular use of Coldwater for shower provides long-lasting changes to our body’s immune, lymphatic, circulatory and digestive systems that improve the quality of our life.

Physical Activity:

In one of my earlier blogs, I have mentioned how exercise is important to our healthy lifestyle. If you’ll be healthy you can give 100% to your work. So, the best way to start your day is with some good physical activity. We all know the importance of physical activity, but still, only a less percentage of the population in the world follow the same.

Exercise has been found to decrease your chances of depression, anxiety, and stress. It is also related to higher success in your career.

If you don’t care about your body, every other aspect of your life will suffer. Take care of you body. It is the only place you live.

TAKE 2 MINUTES TO THANK SOMEONE

In India, we have the culture to get up in the morning and touch our elders’ feet and get their blessings to start our day on a good note. However, such traditions are disappearing among today’s generation more so in the cities. But, there is no harm in bringing back the old traditions of thanking someone for their presence in your life.

People are magnets. When you’re grateful for what you have, you will attract more of the positive and good. Gratitude is contagious. Gratitude may be the most important key to success. It has been called the mother of all virtues. Begin your day by putting yourself in a position of gratitude, you will attract the best that the world has to offer, and not get distracted.

Listen to music/something uplifting:

Everyone loves music and, believe me, music is one of the best ways to boost your mood. I personally love listening to old Bollywood or Sufi music and whenever possible I even use an alarm that actually plays music.

Music is also considered to come out from the Stressful condition, and if you start your day with such a great medicine – think how are gonna enjoy your day. If you listen to inspirational/uplifting material right when you wake up, then you will eventually condition that message into your mind and connect it with waking up in the morning.

LIGHTEN UP YOUR NEWS

I personally try to avoid news channel in the morning time, as most of the news channel air negative news largely and if you start your day with the negative news, you start thinking the same. So personally, I always prefer to read some motivational stories or positive news which really inspire and help me to face the challenges in my whole day. Try to create a bank of motivational videos for yourself and start your day with watching one of these videos.

This is my personal experience and you can also try these and make your day successful. Best start of the day is awesome for the rest of day #betheforce