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Being Active on a Sunday

 active sunday on the beach

Active Sunday on a beach 

Sunday’s are generally considered the day to laze around. But, did you know that it is actually the first day of the week and not the last day. Yes! You heard me right Sundays are the first day of the week. Hence, being active on the first day of the week keeps you going for the rest of the week.

GOQii introduced the concept of ‘Active Sunday’ 3 years ago. In Active Sunday, GOQii players are invited for a one-hour active work out session in the outdoor with the expert trainers and coaches of GOQii. This movement is not only for the players but it is seeing active participation from GOQii employees and the CEO Vishal Gondal himself being present and exercising with all. The movement caught on and we had many users who resonated with this thought process. This prompted us to get some of our regular attendees to take charge and start their own Active Sunday chapters in their vicinity.

Swarup Chougule, a regular at Active Sunday for the last 2 years says, “Active Sunday is the most fruitful way of engaging yourself on a Sunday. The nice chill in the air and gentle sunlight sets the mood for a good training routine. We meet many like-minded people and the group keeps motivating each other to stay healthy. The concept fits perfectly into the idea of a ‘Healthy Community Life’”.

Sundays have never been better Swarup training with Goqii at Active Sunday

Sundays have never been better Swarup training with Goqii at Active Sunday

Similarly, Anitha Rao, an active GOQii player in her 50s can give youngsters a run for their money. She is more active and energetic than most half her age. While in Mumbai Anitha, used to look forward to Active Sunday session where she could meet likely minded people. “This is much needed. Most people are too stressed out and at times lonely and shy too. They just need a bit of push and motivation to get out of their comfort zone. Also, each one is unique and one can learn from one and other. Anitha has been leading active Sunday’s in Bengaluru and is our first woman GOQii Champion.

anitha 1

Anitha’s Active Sunday ranges from walking, running, swimming, yoga and trekking 

Research indicates that exercising is good for health. As per ACSM (American College of Sports and Medicine) guidelines, a person must involve himself in physical activities at least 3 days a week. The benefits are divided into three categories Physical, mental and social benefits. Exercise helps to strengthen the heart and the cardiovascular system. It improves blood circulation, as a result, it lowers the risk of heart attack and strokes.

For the regular like Swarup and Anitha, it is their self-motivation to remain healthy and fit that drives them to be active even on a Sunday. Anitha has been championing the cause of Active Sunday in Bengaluru and has already conducted two active Sundays with GOQii players there.

The early start on Sunday morning creates ample time to connect better with the family and the community at large. The benefits of Active Sunday are many. “It is not just a workout session, but a complete package with deep interaction with people aspiring for a quality life,” says Swarup.

Being active on the first day of the week brightens and cheers you up. Everyone attending the Active Sunday is pumped up and raring to go for the rest of the day/week. “The other advantage is that it is a great way to meet like-minded people with similar or some varied interests, there is an exchange of ideas and you can learn from one another and expand your horizon,” says Anitha.

Bhavik shah

         Bhavik from Pune loves cycling as an activity on a Sunday  

Bhavik Shah, an active player of GOQii from Pune who is a runner and a cyclist thinks that active Sunday is a great kick-start to an otherwise lazy Sunday. He adds,”There are many reasons why I like being active on a Sunday as well, one of the primary reason being ‘Self Love via Self Care’. Apart from the obvious benefits, most people are already aware, exercise has been touted as a cure for just about anything that ails you. Frequent colds? Exercise. Poor digestion? Exercise. Feel depressed? Exercise”. Bhavik has taken the lead to conduct active Sunday workout session in his vicinity.

Lastly, the other big draw of Active Sunday is the picturesque locations where it is conducted. Sometimes it is a large park, sometimes on a beach and sometimes on the promenade along the sea. With a lot of positive energy all around, the benefits of working out in such locations multiply exponentially and more people are likely to join the regime. “There is a lot of physical and emotional contentment when we conduct an Active Sunday and encourage others to be active,” concluded Swarup.

Give their enthusiasm to help others and motivate others to get active on a Sunday, Swarup and Anitha have been inducted as GOQii champions to take this positive movement of forward in their respective cities of Mumbai and Bengaluru.

So if you have not been a part of Active Sunday, now is your chance to join the movement in the city of Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Delhi, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.

 

 

 

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Make your own whey protein at home

Protein supplements have become the need of the hour today. But, the prices of supplements are away to high. Not everyone can afford to invest in them. So, does that mean that they need to compromise on their proteins?

NO!

Here is how you can make whey protein at home and get your daily dose of protein!

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  • Choose any milk product like yoghurt/curd, paneer (cottage cheese) or buttermilk.
  • The curd is the easiest option available at home but you can choose any products mentioned above.
  • Take a bowl and put a strainer on the top of it. (Strainer can be big or small)
  • Take a small muslin cloth and place it over the strainer.
  • Put 250 grammes of curd on the strainer and cover it with a plastic wrap. Keep it in the refrigerator overnight for 6-8 hours.
  • Remove the bowl which was kept overnight. The solid part which is there on the top of the strainer is called as curd cheese and the liquid which will be collected in the bowlis called as home whey protein.

The shelf life of homemade whey protein: –

  • If you refrigerate homemade whey protein, it can last up to 6 months.
  • It can be stored in airtight bottles or glass jars.
  • It is ideal to make a whey protein batch for a month and then prepare another fresh stock.

Nothing goes waste! You can use the curd cheese as well… 

  • Curd cheese can be mostly commonly used as a cheese dip or cheese spread. You can add milk according to your requirements. If you want to make a dense dip then milk should be less and vice versa.
  • This curd cheese which is obtained has healthy fats which are required by the body.
  • Apart from these dips, you can use curd cheese in baking cakes as well. 

Benefits of homemade whey protein: –

– It has no additives. It is the source of pure whey protein!

– It is cost effective, unlike the supplements which are available in the market.

– It has abland taste so you can blend it into your own protein shake!
“ Now you can fulfil your protein needs with purest whey protein “

How much protein is there in homemade whey protein has and how to measure it?

1/2 cup = 15 grams.

1 cup = 30 grams.

Here are some interesting recipes to make your bland whey protein into tasty protein shakes!

(1) Peanut choco blast!

shejk

Name of the ingredient              Quantity
         Peanut butter            2 tbsp.
             Banana                1
Home Made whey protein             1 cup
               Curd             ½ cup
        Skimmed Milk             1 cup
         Cocoa powder             ½ tbsp.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrients Nutrition per serving
Calories 465
Protein 43 g
Carbohydrates 39 g
Fats 17 g

* Nutrition facts are derived on the theoretical basis.

METHOD: –

– Blend all the ingredients together and serve it.

– It can be an excellent post workout supplement.

(2) Power Green!

 
 

Name of the ingredient              Quantity
        Spinach/Kale              1 cup
             Banana                1
               Curd             ½ cup
        Skimmed Milk             1 cup

 

Nutrition Facts
Nutrients Nutrition per serving
Calories 235
Protein 18 g
Carbohydrates 38 g
Fats 4 g

* Nutrition facts are derived on the theoretical basis.

METHOD: –

– Blend all the ingredients together and serve it.

– It can be an excellent post workout supplement or can be used as a meal replacement also.

(3) Mango Rejoice!

 

 

Name of the ingredient              Quantity
        Apple Juice             1 cup
             Mango                1
Home Made whey protein             1 cup
               Curd             ½ cup
          Orange Juice             1 cup
        Pineapple pieces             ½ cup

 

Nutrition Facts
Nutrients Nutrition per serving
Calories 600
Protein 64 g
Carbohydrates 79 g
Fats 4 g

* Nutrition facts are derived on the theoretical basis.

METHOD: –

– Blend all the ingredients together and serve it.

– It can be an excellent post workout supplement or can be used as a meal replacement also.

(4) Choco Shake!

 

Name of the ingredient              Quantity
       Skimmed Milk             1 cup
             Water             1 cup
Home Made whey protein             1 cup
          Instant coffee             1 tbsp.
         Cocoa Powder             1 tbsp.

 

Nutrition Facts
Nutrients Nutrition per serving
Calories 350
Protein 32 g
Carbohydrates 87 g
Fats 8 g

 * Nutrition facts are derived on the theoretical basis.

METHOD: –

– Blend all the ingredients together and serve it.

– It can be an excellent post workout supplement or can be used as a meal replacement also.

(5) Pro-Oats shake!

 

 

Name of the ingredient              Quantity
       Skimmed Milk             1 cup
 Dry Oats/ Steel cut oats             1 cup
Home Made whey protein             1 cup
          Cinnamon             ½ tsp
             Honey             2 tbsp.
         Almonds (Chopped)              5-8 pcs.

 

Nutrition Facts
Nutrients Nutrition per serving
Calories 580
Protein 44 g
Carbohydrates 92 g
Fats 12 g

 * Nutrition facts are derived on the theoretical basis.

METHOD: –

– Blend all the ingredients together and serve it.

– It can be an excellent post workout supplement or can be used as a meal replacement also.

 Now enjoy your daily protein source without worrying about the cost and nasty ingredients!

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Gender Specific Workouts- A myth

Gender-Specific-Workouts

How often have we asked this question of which work out is the best for me? How many of us have this myth that gyms workouts are specific to genders? Many of us do. Many a myth abounds regarding workouts and what is good for me and what is not?

It was a while before my friend and her husband decided to join the gym. I helped the couple with their Gym shopping such as shoes, water bottle, gym apparels, gym bag etc. And therefore all the more curious to know how was their first day at the Gym?

But, unfortunately, my friend’s first-day experience at the gym was very disappointing as was felt from her facial expressions. She was totally dissatisfied with her workout. Her first question to me was: “Hey I want to get in shape and lose this damn belly. I don’t want to look muscular”.

When did I ask her what had happened and what was the reason for her disappointment? She told me the reason and I burst into a laugh. But, on second thoughts I was not surprised hearing her reason. Most women gym goers are of the impression that they have special needs and that if they trained in a similar way as a man did, then they would start looking muscular like a guy

I calmed her down and explained how this was not true and that there is nothing called gender specific workouts. This whole concept of gender-specific workouts is an inbuilt inhibition of our own self. Physiologically speaking, women don’t need different workout plans. The reason being women do not have testosterone hormone which is responsible for building up massive muscles. Hence lifting heavier weights will not lead to building huge muscles unless you are supplementing it with additional testosterone.

Secondly, women tend to develop muscles at about half the rate at which men do. Therefore women who either altogether avoid lifting weights or only lift very light dumbbells for a high number of repetitions should stop having thoughts about developing huge muscles overnight.

The determination to work out or exercise on a regular basis is not about man vs. woman. It varies from individual to individual and what each person needs to be based on their body type and fitness levels.

One should make sure that you do not let anyone tell you what to do and what not to do. If you ever have a doubt you should speak to your personal trainer or coach. Your determining factor should be whether or not it is for you based on many over factors way beyond that.

The only time when a possible change in workouts may come about is during pre and post pregnancy or due to other medical conditions and advised by the doctor

Thus, safely we can conclude, both men and women need to apply the same general principles of weight training for improved fat burning and body toning, cardio for keeping the heart healthy, proper diet and enough rest to ensure overtraining doesn’t set in.

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Running is not bad for Knees

Running is not bad for Knees

I am an avid runner and run every morning. A lot of people are now taking up running as an activity but are also scared of running due to the various myths floating around. For the longest time, I have been hearing that running is bad for the knees. More often than not this statement always comes from people who are not runners or even attempted to run. They are the sedentary doctors.

According to me ‘Running is not bad for the knees’, however, what’s important is to have the right posture and form while running. There are a number of running techniques which can really help you to increase your endurance and boost stamina.

Today, there are two distinct running styles – Gliders and Gazelles style exhibited by Ironman’s best runners. Ironman is a series of long-distance triathlon race that includes swimming, biking and running. One can choose these running techniques according to your body.

High knee drive is the main characteristic of the gazelle style due to which it gives longer air time with more distance covered between strides and a faster possible velocity. Glider-style is a more upright posture with a low knee and throws the foot out in front of the body. Landing comes almost instantly after toe off. But glider maintains the same speed for long.

While it’s not running but, the poor running form that can cause knee, ankles, hip and back injury. For instance, most of us have tightened, shortened hamstring and iliopsoas muscles as a result of sitting around in chairs all the time. When these muscles, which are prime movers when you run, cannot perform their task with efficiency, the knee joint is put under unnecessary pressure and stress. These imbalances are what lead to poor running form, which in turn leads to injuries.

Here are a few tips for running

1.         If your back hurts due to running, then probably you are bending too much while running. Try to focus straight or something in front of you instead of looking at the ground while running.

2.         Check the landing of your feet while running. If your feet hurt then you might be running or jogging on the tips of your toes or hitting your heels on the ground. Running on the balls of your feet is the best.

3. Never try to run on the tip of your toes or heels, it can result in injury.

If you are not experiencing severe pain in your knees, you can still jog using the Chi Running technique. Chi Running technique uses your core strength for running. Chi is the energy that syncs body, mind, and spirit together,  Energy passes from your core (In anatomy, the core refers, in its most general of definitions, to the body minus the legs and arms. ) into the limbs to create movement.

This process engages your core and relaxes your limbs to allow your legs to simply support your body weight instead of pushing or pulling it forward. When your structure is aligned and your muscles and joints are relaxed, chi can flow freely through the body, making running feel effortless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2La1wFOYvE

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