Vandana Juneja, Author at GOQii

September 14, 2020 By Vandana Juneja 1 Comment

Natural Bodybuilding vs Steroid Bodybuilding

This topic is one of the most discussed in the bodybuilding community and is very controversial too. Both natural bodybuilding and steroid bodybuilding have been practiced since long and each group feels that their method of body building is “right”. Before coming to a conclusion, let’s first understand the difference between the two and then decide which one is better.

Natural Bodybuilding

Naturally bodybuilders do not use any sort of synthetic steroids or other drugs in order to build more muscle mass or get leaner. They entirely rely on lifting heavy weights, consuming a healthy diet and getting plenty of rest.
Natural bodybuilders may not be able to put on as much muscle mass as steroid users but they build muscles that are long lasting and sustainable.
Besides building muscles that last, they have a better overall health and faster metabolism.
It reduces blood pressure, increases bone density and keeps cholesterol levels under control. It improves your metabolism, reduces your fat percentage and is a great stress buster.

Steroid Bodybuilding

These builders use Anabolic-androgenic steroids. These drugs are a synthetic form of testosterone (the male hormone), are injected into the body for quick benefits but are illegal in most competitions.
Steroids may give you the pump to train at a higher level than you could possibly do naturally. Your recovery rate would be faster, you would be able to train for longer and build more muscle mass but all of this comes with several side effects and are potentially dangerous, in the long run!
Some of the serious side- effects of taking steroids for bodybuilding include:
- Hormonal Imbalances – Suppressed Testosterone Production
- Infertility, low libido, testicular atrophy, Gynecomastia (breast tissue growth in a man)
- Accelerated Hair loss
- Skin issues- Acne/oily skin
- Increased heart rate
- Increased LDL Cholesterol, Hypertension, Increased risk of Stroke/Heart attack
- Liver Toxicity
- Kidney Damage, Fluid retention
- Mental Health Issues, Insomnia, Mood Swings
- Increased risk of premature DEATH.

Which is Better?

After reading the potential side effects of steroids, I’m sure you understand why going the natural way is the better choice! If you are looking to improve your appearance and increase overall health without any negative side effects, then you should stick to natural bodybuilding.

The best way to stay healthy and maintain a muscular body for long is finding ways to increase the natural testosterone production rather than counting on steroids that have dangerous health risks and eventually lose your muscles.

To learn more about the natural ways to increase testosterone levels and bodybuilding, check out Healthy Reads, consult your GOQii Coach and tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

If you are willing to train hard, have a proper plan, you will surely achieve your goal without any artificial/synthetic drug support. So, just set your goal and go after it!

#BeTheForce

July 27, 2020 By Vandana Juneja Leave a Comment

5 Powerful Bodyweight Exercises For Lower Back

With sedentary jobs and increased sitting time, we are much more prone to weak and underutilized muscles, leading to faulty postures and eventually lower back pain. So, it’s all the more important to work on strengthening our core/lower back muscles. A strong back not only makes you look aesthetically great, it also helps you maintain/improve your posture and protects from any back pain/injury. And what’s best, when you can use your own bodyweight as a tool to gain strength, rather than rely on fancy equipment!

5 Effective Bodyweight Exercises For Lower Back

1. Plank
The plank is an excellent exercise to strengthen your core, it works on your abdominal muscles and the entire back from the pelvis, along the spine and up to the shoulder girdle. It also engages the entire lower limbs.

How to do a Plank?

Begin in the plank position, with your face down and your forearms and toes on the floor. Your elbows should be directly under your shoulders and your forearms should be facing forward. Your head should be relaxed and you should be looking at the floor.
Engage your abdominal muscles, drawing your navel toward your spine. Keep your torso straight and rigid and your body in a straight line from head to toes with no sagging or upward bend. This is the neutral spine position.
Hold this position for 10-15 seconds, release onto the floor and as you progress, you can increase the hold time to 30 sec/1 min/ 2 min.

2. Side Plank
The side plank works on your core, along with the internal and external oblique muscles that collectively help to control the rotational movements of our spine. A regular plank keeps our core stabilized, while working on the transverse abdominis muscle, whereas the side plank has a stronger emphasis on the quadratus lumborum or the part of the back side of the abdominal wall that plays a major role in preventing back pain.

How to do Side Plank?

Start with your elbow positioned directly below your shoulder, with the forearm resting on the ground.
Keep the feet stacked or staggered (depending on your core strength), lift up your bottom, through the lower obliques until the body is in a straight line. Keep the shoulders and hips stacked.
Perform one to three sets for 10-30 seconds, or as long as you can maintain proper form.
For Beginners: You can drop the knee to the floor for additional support or find an elevated surface to place the hand or forearm, reducing the challenge on the core.

3. Quadruped Limb Raises/ Bird Dog
The bird dog is a simple core exercise that improves stability, strength (of core, hips and back muscles), mobility and alignment of the entire spine. Hence is very effective in relieving low back pain.

How to do a Bird Dog?

Begin on all fours in the tabletop position, with your hands placed under the shoulders and knees under the hips. Maintain a neutral spine and draw your shoulders blades together.
Raise your right arm and left leg, keeping your shoulders and hips parallel to the floor. Lengthen the back of your neck and tuck your chin into your chest to gaze down at the floor.
Hold this position for a few seconds, then lower back down to the starting position. Repeat with the left arm and right leg. You can do 8-10 repetitions each side and progress with more sets.

4. Back Extension Exercise/Superman Pose
An exercise named after “the Man of Steel”, should definitely give your back muscles the power of steel, to keep you away from back pain and increase your mobility and strength for daily activities. The Superman pose is a great bodyweight exercise that engages your entire core- including the abdominals, obliques, back extensors, hamstrings, glutes and the arms too.

How to do a Superman?

Begin by lying with your belly on the floor, head in neutral position and arms extended over your head, so that a straight line is created from the tips of your finger to the toes.
Slowly lift your arms and legs off the ground at the same time, tightening your glutes(butt) as you lift up. Hold the position at the top, for 3-5 seconds.
Gradually lower your arms and legs to the floor. Repeat the movement 5-10 times, depending on your fitness level.
Increase difficulty level: If you think the above move is easy, you can increase the challenge by making this an isometric exercise. Hold the top position for 30-60 seconds, or as long as you can maintain proper form.

5. Bridge/Supine Gluteal Bridge
The bridge is a great exercise for improving hip mobility and strengthening your lower back muscles, using your own bodyweight. This exercise targets the back of your legs, or posterior chain, that includes your hamstrings and glutes.

How to do it?

Lie on your back with your knees bent. Tighten your abdominal muscles.
Raise your hips off the floor until your hips are aligned with your knees and shoulders. Hold for three deep breaths.
Return to the starting position and repeat. You can do up to 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
Increase difficulty level: by performing this exercise with a single leg, while maintaining level hips.

So, if you are looking to strengthen your back muscles using your own bodyweight and no equipment, you now know what exercises to do and how to progress ahead. You can do the exercises, 2-3 times a week and also can add to any workout routine that you have been following.

We hope this article on bodyweight exercises for lower back helps you. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more home workouts and exercises, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE workout sessions by experts on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce

May 18, 2020 By Vandana Juneja 1 Comment

Overcome Hurdles to Home Workouts

With most of us working from home and no options to go out to gyms/parks for our daily workouts, it can become challenging to stay motivated, to do regular workouts at home. No matter what your current situation, home is the best place to do a workout right now! If you are finding it difficult to set a routine, are not motivated enough, or don’t know how to keep yourself active, here some solutions to overcome the hurdles to home workouts!

Solutions to Overcome Hurdles to Home Workouts

1. Lack of Time
How many times have you thought of working out and suddenly you realise you’re running out of time and you tend to skip it altogether? Most of us are under the impression we need to exercise for at least 60-90 minutes for it to be effective. But the truth is that we can get good results with workouts like HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), even if you have 15 to 30 minutes with you. You exercise with your maximum effort for 15-20 minutes, and get better results than a moderate intensity workout that you would have done for twice as long! You’ll build a leaner, stronger physique, and your routines will always feel fresh.

It’s always better to know your schedule for the day and squeeze workouts based on that schedule. If you have online meetings/ conference calls, lined up for the day, do a workout early in the morning or late evening. If you couldn’t do that, you could probably eat lunch while you work and utilize the lunch time to do a sprint workout or HIIT session in your living room.

2. Lack of Equipment/Heavy Weights
Most of us who are used to working out at the gym do not find it fulfilling or don’t get the “kick” when not able to lift the heavy gym machinery or weights. To our surprise, you can get comparable results if you can use your own body weight correctly as we do in Yoga, pilates or simple exercises like push ups, pull ups, lunges, etc. Alternatively, if you have a set of resistance bands or even a set of water bottles, it can be effectively used for weight training as well. Use your treadmill, Static cycle or resort to spot jogging/ running, skipping etc , for your cardio workout.

3. Lack of Motivation
It is very natural to lose motivation and this can become one of your biggest hurdles to home workouts. There are days you just don’t feel like it, you’re either too tired, too bored or just want to relax. If this is happening too regularly, you need to work on developing your – Instigation Habit! These are simple habits or cues that give signals to the body that it is time for a workout. For eg- ringing of the alarm, getting into workout attire, placing your mat on the floor, etc. Stick to a fixed schedule for a few days (Monday to Friday), either first thing in the morning or in the evening and by the end of the third week, your body will automatically crave to get into action and this will keep you motivated.

It is important to keep changing your style of workout. Doing the same workout over and over becomes boring and stale for your mind and muscles. Not only do you lose motivation, you may not get the desired results as well. So look for variety, watch and follow online classes, there are so many options available, these days. Don’t forget to reward yourself from time to time but avoid indulging too much.

4. Too Many Distractions at Home
There are so many more distractions at home than there are in a gym or an outdoor environment. You’re constantly being tempted to watch television and if you start a series, you will not realise where the time has flown. You may even have to check your emails, finish household chores and all this leaves you with no energy and time to do a workout. Here is when you ought to be disciplined and exercise some self control. Do not start your day with checking your phone and switching on the TV. It’s always better to complete your workout first thing in the morning. But if you are really obsessed, you can put on your favourite show and do a cardio workout or complete a bodyweight circuit during that time. And if you have a treadmill or a stationary bike, no excuse to sit down and watch TV, keep moving on the machine!

5. Lack of Knowledge
When you train randomly, you get random results. Set a goal and work towards achieving it and if you are not too sure, seek professional advice from a fitness expert, or watch online videos/ join classes and build a roadmap to your fitness journey. The lockdown has brought the entire world together and there is nothing that you cannot gain knowledge about, be it your workout routine – Setting a goal, planning, execution, type of workouts that interest you and will suit your fitness goal.

The hurdles we create for ourselves are often the most difficult to overcome. I hope this article helps you overcome your hurdles to home workouts and you will make full use of the time you have in hand to improve your fitness levels!

If you’re confused where and how to start, tune in to our fitness experts and join their LIVE sessions on GOQii Play. You can also read more about fitness on Healthy Reads.

Stay home, stay safe, get active and #BeTheForce

May 5, 2020 By Vandana Juneja 4 Comments

Importance of Vitamin D For Boosting Immunity

Vitamin D is a pro-hormone that is synthesized in the body when exposed to sunlight, and hence, is called the sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D is an extremely important vitamin that has powerful effects on several systems throughout our body.

Health Benefits of Vitamin D

Promoting healthy bones and teeth.
Supporting Immune, Brain and Nervous system health.
Helps in regulating insulin levels, thus supports Diabetes Management.
Helps maintain healthy lung function and cardiovascular health.
Has a role in influencing the expression of genes involved in cancer development.

How Does It Improve Immunity Levels?

Human body fights infections using two types of immune systems – the innate system (responsible for quickly fighting infections) and the adaptive system (which produces a slower response but is highly specialised, e.g. responsible for the production of antibodies). Vitamin D seems to modulate both these systems which explains why this hormone has such a wide effect on the immune system.

Vitamin D deficiency is observed more in people suffering from seasonal nature of cold and flu outbreaks. During winters and seasonal changes, there is less sunlight, and less sunlight means less vitamin D available for absorption, which leads to lower immunity and more illness.

Why Do Immunity Cells Need Vitamin D?

Vitamin D has a “non-classic” role in modulation of the innate and adaptive immune responses of our body towards any illness or infection. What does this mean? Basically, Vit D receptors are found all over our body, including the immune cells. T cells are one of the immune cells known as the killer cells in our immune system which come into action when the body is under attack by an infective agent/invader/foreign pathogen.

If Vitamin D is not around, these “naïve” T cells will not become active and transform into the required killer cells or helper cells (which are charged with memory of the invaders). Many studies have concluded that T cells first search for Vitamin D in order to get activated and if they cannot find enough of it, will not complete the activation process, remain dormant and not act against the infection, leaving our body vulnerable to an attack.

Hence Vitamin D is very important for activating the T-cells of our immune system!

How Do You Get Enough Of Vitamin D?

1. Sunlight
Getting sufficient sunlight is the best way to help the body produce enough Vitamin D. Exposing your skin to the sun for 20 to 30 minutes a day would ensure enough UVB rays come in contact with the cholesterol in the skin, thus, providing the energy for Vitamin D synthesis to take place.

However, many factors affect how much Vit D a person gets from the sun, such as:

Time of day: The skin produces more vitamin D when one is in the sun during the middle of the day (between 10 am to 1 pm), the time it is at its highest point in the sky.
Sunscreen: Applying sunscreen tends to block the sun from hitting your body, thus, limiting the synthesis of the vitamin in your body. It is best to allow the sun’s UVB rays to come in contact with the body, directly in order to allow the production of Vitamin D to take place.
Area of skin exposed: The more skin a person exposes, the more Vit D the body will make. So wearing minimum clothing, and exposing most parts of our body, will ensure greater production of the vitamin.
Skin colour: People with a light colour skin absorb more UV rays, to produce Vit D more quickly than darker coloured skins, due to the presence of the pigment melanin.
Place: Where a person lives in relation to the equator also has a significant impact on how much UV rays are available for absorption and production of Vit D
Always Remember: Frequent, moderate exposure to the sun is healthy but prolonged exposure can be dangerous. Besides sunburn, you can be at a higher risk of developing skin cancer.

2. Food Sources
The best way to improve your Vit D levels is exposing yourself to sunlight, however, the consumption of certain foods can surely help increase vitamin levels in the body. These are:

Fish (Salmon, trout, mackerel, and tuna)
Egg yolks
Cheese
Mushrooms
Fortified milk
Fortified cereals and juices

3. Supplements
If you have less exposure to direct sunlight and are observing symptoms of Vit D deficiency which includes frequent illness, fatigue, tiredness, bone & back pain, depression, low bone mineral density, muscle pain, etc. you can start with supplementation but only after consulting a doctor or a certified nutritionist.

In India, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommends a daily supplement of 400 IU/day of Vit D, under situations of minimal exposure to sunlight or when symptoms of deficiency are observed.

Hope this article helps you understand the importance of the Sunshine Vitamin, especially to boost immunity. Use this quarantine time to expose yourself to the beautiful soothing sun rays and stay healthy!

For more tips on boosting your immunity, tune in to experts on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce