Fitness Archives - Page 2 of 36

February 5, 2019 By GOQii 1 Comment

12 Steps To Choose the Right Gym For You

12 Steps to Choose The Right Gym For You
With the onset of February, it is a good time to gauge how many of us are actually sticking to our New Year’s Resolution of being fit and are regularly visiting the gym. Most people who invest in a gym membership at the start of the year as a part of their resolution are often irregular towards the end of January due to lack of motivation or due to certain issues they may have with the gym and the environment there.

So how do you stay motivated? How do you ensure that you won’t quit the gym by August this year? To ensure that you stick to your gym and achieve your goals, we’ve got some pointers that will help you choose the right gym. But before that, you need to ask yourself one question – Do you really need a gym? Given your work schedule, your habits and your goals, does signing up for a gym membership make sense? If you can achieve your goals working out at home, while maintaining your work-life balance, do you really need a gym? If the answer is yes, then here are 12 Steps To Choose the Right Gym For You!

1. List Your Must-Haves
Before hunting for a gym that suits your taste, you must know what you’re looking for. You need to make a list of your goals, the kind of equipment you need, the services to best aid you in achieving your health goals, the atmosphere and type of gym you are looking for. Having this list handy makes it easier for you to choose a gym you are most likely to be regular at.

2. Location
This is of prime importance. Before or after a hectic day at work, would you really brave the erratic traffic in your city to reach a gym that is miles away from your home? Your best bet is to choose a decent gym that’s close by and easily accessible, especially if you’re the kind of person who likes to workout after your shift.

3. Cost
Let’s face it! Irrespective of which gym you like, Cost is the ultimate factor that will decide where you workout. When it comes to cost, you need to ask yourself if the gym membership is worth it. Are you getting additional services with your gym membership? Are you getting services you don’t want? Does your gym membership cover privileges like massages, sauna, a pool, a daycare for your child while you workout or a snack bar? Will you be charged separately for these services or are they included in your deal? Whatever the cost, ensure that you get your money’s worth.

4. Hours of Operation
There is nothing better than a gym that is flexible with its timings. If you find a gym that is open 24 hours, there’s nothing like it. You might also want to inquire if they are open during public holidays and about the days when the gym will be closed. It’s best to pick a gym that is open most days of the year.

5. Visit During Peak Hours
No one likes a crowded gym. So before you choose one, take a tour of the gym but not on a weekend or when the gym is relatively empty. Take a tour during the hours you’re more likely to go once you join. This will give you a good insight into the kind of crowd that’s at the gym and how crowded it is during your preferred time. If the line to use an equipment is 5 people long, make a beeline for the exit and head over to your next option.

6. Personal Trainer
This is another major deciding factor. A Personal Trainer can be a good guide in helping you achieve your fitness goals the right way. A few things you need to look into before you sign up is if your gym membership covers a personal trainer or if you’ll have to pay for one. The qualification of the personal trainers at your gym is also of prime importance. If you must go for a personal trainer, go for someone with an advanced certification/degree and someone who is in line with your goal.

7. Cleanliness and Hygiene
It’s no secret that gyms are essentially breeding grounds for sweat, bacteria and germs. While somethings can’t be helped, you need to ensure that the gym you sign up for is regularly maintained with hygiene checks, have clean equipment, washrooms and changing rooms. An unclean environment is very off-putting and may prevent you from visiting the gym as frequently as you would have otherwise.

8. Check Equipment
The first thing you should do when you’re taking a tour of a gym is to check the equipment. This check is essential to know if the gym has all the equipment you need and if they are in good shape. You won’t get anywhere with shoddy equipment. Also check for the make. A manufacturer that may produce excellent treadmills may not be ideal for rowing machines. Always go for a fine mix that exudes quality! The best gyms often have equipment from different manufacturers.

9. Culture
Observing gym culture is a pivotal step in deciding whether or not the gym is for you! Do you prefer working out in the presence of the opposite sex? Does the intimidating presence of muscle-heads and heavy lifters bother you? Are you okay with loud, upbeat trance or do you prefer rock? All these questions need to be answered because if you are not comfortable or don’t like the atmosphere in the gym, you are less motivated to visit it regularly. Remember that comfort is of the utmost importance as it will ensure you renew your membership at the end of the year (if you make it :D).

10. Does the Gym Meet Your Target?
It’s all about the goals! Does the gym have the right equipment, the right trainers, the right facilities and specialization to meet the goals you’ve set for yourself? If you want to lose weight, it makes more sense to choose a gym that specializes in weight loss. If you want to bulk up, go for a gym that specializes in bodybuilding. Don’t join a gym that doesn’t cater to your needs.

11. Look For Reviews
Sometimes, an advertisement or a single tour cannot give you all the information you need. Take to social media, read reviews and form your opinion. The gym’s social media profile will give you an idea about the gym culture, while multiple reviews can give you a good idea about how the gym ranks in terms of quality and whether or not it meets your standards.

12. Take a Trial
When all else fails, a little personal touch, like a week-long trial can help you know for sure if this gym is the one! A trial will help you gauge the equipment, the culture and all the other essentials that will become a part of your final decision. It will also help you understand if you’re getting your money’s worth.

In conclusion, choosing a gym is like picking a partner, you need to think it through to ensure that you don’t quit half way and are motivated to such an extent that you continue your membership and workout for a fit and healthy life!

Did we miss out on any key points that you think are essential? Let us know in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

January 17, 2019 By Trishala Chopra 1 Comment

Effect of different medications on exercise!

statins (1) (2)

Either you or somebody you know might be on some kind of long term medications! I am not talking about somebody who takes an aspirin or a paracetamol or some antipyretic. When I say long term medications-I am talking about cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar lowering drugs. When a patient usually gets on any of these drugs there are high chances that they are on them forever!

Each one of these medications has a tremendous impact on the body which comes as a blow if you an exercise person!

Every medication has a different set of action, here are some points for you to keep in mind!

(1) Cholesterol medications

statins

Most commonly used cholesterol medication is statin.
The generic names of these drugs mostly available are Rosuvastatin, Atorvastatin, Fluvastatin, Lovastatin, Pravastatin, Simvastatin, Pitavastatin.

(To check which statin is your medication- check behind the tablet. Salt name is always mentioned. If in case it is not mentioned, check it on company’s site)

Statins deplete CoEnzyme Q10 in the body which is very important for muscles to make energy. This will affect your strength training routine. Post strength training recovery will be slow.
It might also lead to rhabdomyolysis which means muscle death is definitely not good!

So, what can be done?

The first thing which you should always try is getting off statins as soon as possible with some changes in your diet and exercise routine. You can ask your coach to help you with this! (Let your doctor change your medicines and coach can guide the path to that!)
While you are on a statin, you should always try a gradual progress. Do not rush into any kind of exercise routine. Give your body enough time to get adapted.
Take longer recovery time. Instead of having a 1-day gap between your strength training schedules you can take 2 days gap which will give your muscles more time to recover! You can do light workouts on the day when you don’t plan to do strength training.

(2) Beta blockers

beta blocker

This is a group of medications used for lowering down the high blood pressure.
Most commonly used beta blockers are atenolol, bisoprolol, propranolol, metroporolol.

(To check which beta blocker is your medication- check behind the tablet. Salt name is always mentioned. If in case it is not mentioned, check it on company’s site)

People who are on beta blockers see that their heart rate is always less no matter what form of exercise they do. Maintaining a proper heart rate during different activities is very important for having a good cardiac health.
People taking beta blockers witness that their heart rate after a sprint and after a moderate jogging is exactly the same. In fact, this shouldn’t be the case. It has to be more while sprinting than jogging.

So, what can be done?

Instead of checking your heart rate for your exercise progress, start checking your exertion timing.
If you start panting very soon, note that time. Work on your stamina and then go ahead. Beta blockers will always keep your heart rate low.

(3) ACE inhibitors

pharmacology-of-ace-inhibitors

These are another set of medications which are used in the treatment of lowering your high blood pressure!
Most commonly used ACE inhibitors are fosinopril, lisinopril, quinapril.

(To check which ACE inhibitor is your medication- check behind the tablet. The salt name is always mentioned. If in case it is not mentioned, check it on company’s site)

There are 2 types of people- One who has high blood pressure and is not taking any medication and another one who has high blood pressure and is on either beta blocker or ace inhibitor. If the person without the medication exercises, his blood pressure will come down automatically post exercise. This is called as post exercise hypotension.
This even happens with someone who is a blood pressure medication, but then it can go really very low! That’s the reason people feel dizzy, shaky, nauseous, blurred vision post exercise. Sometimes the person can faint as well.

So, what can be done?

For obvious reasons, you cannot skip the medications and neither can you skip your workout but you can definitely manage it.
For people on BP medications, you should cool down a bit longer than an average person. Instead of a 5-minute cooldown, do a 10-minute cooldown.
Your heart beat tracker can help you in this!
For example, if your heart rate is 140 beats per minute- Post workout it can drop to 110 which is ok. After another minute it might go further low to 90. Hold on. Breathe it. Stretch yourself. Your targeted heart beat should be only 10% more than your RHR (Resting heart rate) which is around 60-70 beats per minute.

(4) Blood sugar lowering medications

lower blood sugar

There are different blood sugar lowering medications which affect the body in different ways.
Either they increase the insulin function, or removes excess sugar out through urine or decreases the amount of carbohydrate absorption in the body
For a non-diabetic person, while exercising there are different hormonal fluctuation which happens. Adrenaline is released followed by a surge in the cortisol levels and these hormones rise the blood sugar levels. To bring this down, pancreas secretes another hormone called as insulin which brings the elevated sugars down. So, the fluctuation is not seen whereas this is not the case in people with diabetes.
Some medications can cause hypoglycemia (Blood sugars below 70) in diabetics.

So, what can be done?

Well, in this case, nothing much can be done apart from monitoring.
Check your blood sugar levels before exercising, middle of the exercise and after the workout gets over.
Keep half glass of fruit juice or 1 glass of milk always with you and if the sugar drops please consume either of this.
Do strength training, reduce your carbohydrates, add enough proteins to your routine and ask your doctor to reduce your medications!

Questions for me? Please drop in the comments below!

December 15, 2018 By Mohammed Tufail Qureshi 7 Comments

Sleep Your Way to More Muscle

Did you know you can build muscles even while sleeping?

The three aspects of the muscle building pyramid are nutrition, training and rest. Most of us pay close attention to the first two factors but frequently ignore the third and suffer the consequences.

Sleep isn’t a luxury for the human body; it’s a genuine necessity. Extended periods of sleep deprivation can lead to amnesia, delusions and hallucinations. Shorter stretches cause forgetfulness, bad moods and irritability.

If you’re trying to gain strength, sleep becomes even more important because it’s synonymous with recovery. If your body doesn’t get to fully recuperate from a hard workout, there’s no way it will be ready for the next one.

Heavy training destroys tissues. In order for the tissue to be repaired, your body needs the proper nutrients and deep sleep. One of the key events that occur during sleep is that the body releases growth hormone which is critical for repairing the tissues, maintaining tonus in the muscles and keeping the fat in the cells. Since the body releases growth hormone only during deep sleep, the question is how do you get deep sleep?

Getting enough rest is critical to your overall health. Lack of sleep, even for a single night, can have a huge effect on your immune system. Research has shown that there’s a 20-to-30-percent drop in immune system cells that fight cancer and viruses after just one night of sleeplessness. If sleeplessness continues over several days, the percentage of decrease of immune system cells climbs drastically, but the good news is that you can bring the number of cells back to normal with a solid night’s sleep.

So how much sleep is enough? That depends on individual to individual and it depends on a great many variables. Ideally one should aim to get at least 7-8 hours of sound sleep.

Sleep is the most critical variable affecting our workouts. How well we have slept the previous night will determine how good a workout you do the next morning.

Work-related stress is one of the many reasons that most suffer from sleep deprivation. One of the best things you can do is slip in to a nap prior to your workout. You don’t want to drop off into the deeper stages of sleep before training because it will make you groggy. Twenty to 30 minutes is plenty before a workout.

Deep sleep at night is very important and here are some of the things we can do to get sleep fast. Some people read to help them relax. Others take long showers or soak in the tub. Some like to listen to music. Chamomile tea is used by many. A warm turmeric milk will induce melatonin, which is a sleep hormone.

A light snack can be useful in promoting a more relaxed state, but it’s smart to select foods that contain the amino acid tryptophan, which converts to serotonin in the brain, helping you to feel drowsy. Milk, yogurt, cheese, turkey and fish contain tryptophan.

Now here are some things you should not do if you want to have a good night’s sleep. Don’t overindulge in alcohol. The same goes for food. Eating a large meal before bedtime isn’t conducive to going to sleep because the food will trigger various systems, including the heart, to work harder. Also, the digestive tract may become upset and disrupt sleep even more.

Avoid stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine. Try not to have coffee, tea and soft drinks. Avoid any form of strenuous exercise or participating in a competitive sport will work against you. Vigorous physical activity stimulates the body, and it takes some time to calm you down.

Don’t take your work to bed. If you make your bedroom an extension of your office, you’re sure to carry business problems with you at night. Your bedroom should be a cool, dark, sleep chamber.

You may have to do some experimenting to find out what works for you. But if you’re having trouble getting a good night’s rest on a regular basis, make some changes in your lifestyle, quickly. The “magical one-third of your life” is a critical variable in your quest to gain strength.

December 12, 2018 By Luke Coutinho 7 Comments

Exercise is good for you. But exercise Smart

exercise-smart In our zeal to get fit, sculpt an attractive body or lose weight, we may tend to overdo it when it comes to the exercise we choose.

When you find yourself struggling to get the body results you want, one enrols themselves for more complex and intensive training’s, longer hours in the gym, fad diets and crazy supplements.
What we need to remember like everything else is that our body parts and organs have a life. There will be natural wear and tear as we age and that principle remains the same for all of us. It’s true that the right amount of exercise can delay this and keep degeneration at bay and that’s what ensures us a better quality life as we age. A life free of knee/back/joint pain.

The media including Hollywood and Bollywood have blown the whole concept of exercise way out of proportion. Everyone wants to read about diets or exercise regimes of these super stars. Spending 2 hours in a gym or working out thrice a day is apparently what you need to get a model like a body or that of your favourite actor.

Extensive spinning, extremely heavy weights, running more than a marathon in a year, MMA mixed with weight training, kickboxing integrated with weights, etc… all require special nutrition plans if you are really into all of this.

These are great forms of exercise and we would all like to think of ourselves as long distance runners etc.. But, is your body prepared for it? Are your knees ready to take the massive stress that he can put the body thru? Is your back strong enough to brace impact and support you for the rest of your years without giving way?

Getting involved in intensive exercise is not your solution or compensation for binge eating over the weekend.

Your knee has a fluid (synovial) that runs around it and as this dries up due to stress (exercise) improper sleep (recovery) and poor nutrition. you will be left with excruciating pain that will severely alter your lifestyle.

Exercise smart is the way forward.

Short but productive workouts. 1 hour is a number. Break away from it.

The best workouts get over in 25 – 30 minutes saving you a valuable 30 minutes of your day to use it for things that are meaningful to you. Tough to break from it if you have always been a “1-hour” gym person but, try.

After 45 minutes of exercise, your body generates ‘cortisol’ a stress hormone, that tells your body to ‘STORE FAT’. This becomes counterproductive to your whole goal or working out.

Body builders and athletes have longer training schedules because they have supporting sports nutrition plans and they sleep over 8 hours for recovery.

Exercising smart is:-

Keeping a day of recovery between intensive workouts or allowing for enough muscle recovery time,
Doing max sets with minimum rest between sets (depend on your fitness goal),
You should be maxed out post 30 minutes and you should feel energetic,
Warm up and cool down will allow you toe more productive.

Break away from traditional exercise methods. Mix it up, challenge and push your body.

Consistent walking, is one of the best exercises ever, something that works beautifully with a balanced nutrition plan and great sleep. You can lose fat and tone up.

Consistency is key.

Meeting and exceeding the 10,000 steps daily is one of the best benchmarks when it comes to your walks. Re-evaluate your exercise schedule and how you feel after each workout.

Don’t just think ‘ NOW’, consider the future years as well.