Fitness Archives - Page 5 of 39

February 3, 2020 By Asmita Maredia 3 Comments

At Your Desk for 6 Hours? Try These Office Workout Options

Most individuals in desk jobs are stuck in front of their computers for 6 hours or more on a daily basis. If you don’t believe us, ask yourself some simple questions:

Out of 24 hours in a day how many hours do you sit ?
Do you feel any back or muscle pain during or at the end of the day?
Do you feel a strain in your eyes or around your forehead area?

If your answer is yes to any of the above questions, it’s time to start with some basic office workout options which will help you remain active throughout the day. It doesn’t matter if you hit the gym in the morning for an hour, when you sit in front of a computer or TV, in a car or in a meeting, you’re not moving! This will increase your risk of obesity, heart disease, etc. Continuously sitting is bad for your health!

Workouts You Can Do At Work

1. Walk: Keep an alarm for every 45 min and get up from your seat to take a 3-4 min break. You can walk till the dispenser to drink water or go to printer to get a print. Take a bio-break or just take a round in the lobby. The idea is to walk!

2. Neck Stretch: Tilt you head to the right so you feel the stretch on the left. Hold for 5 seconds. Similarly, do it on left side, front and back. Repeat this 2 times.

3. Head Rotation: Slowly rotate your head in clock wise and anti-clock wise 5 times.

4. Shoulder Shrug: Raise your shoulder to the max, take them back, squeeze gradually and relax.

5. Arms:

Sit or stand straight and place one arm across your body. Keep your arm parallel to the ground and pull your elbow towards your body.
Stand with one hand behind your neck and elbow pointing upwards, then use your other hand to pull your elbow behind.

6. Wrist/Hands:

Roll your wrist 10 times clockwise and anti-clockwise. If possible every hour or while taking on phone.
Extend fingers as far as possible and hold for 5 sec, then make a fist as tight as possible and hold for 5 sec. Repeat 5 times.

7. Back:

Place your hands on the edge of your desk and slowly push your chair back until your head is between your arms and you are looking at the floor. Feel the stretch and slowly return to normal. (Repeat 5 times)
Stand straight, raise your arms up to the ceiling, alternately extend 1 arm up to the ceiling.
Stand straight, lock your hands and extend them towards the ceiling by turning your palms upward. Slowly pull yourself back. (Repeat 5 times)

8. Legs:

While sitting on the chair, straighten each leg one at a time, gradually lower it, stop halfway and hold for a few seconds. Repeat with the other leg (Do this 5 times with each leg).
Stretch the front of your thigh by standing straight. Place one hand on the chair or desk for support, grab one of your ankles and bring it upwards to your buttocks. Remember to be in an upright position, keeping your back straight and knees parallel to each other. Hold for 10 seconds and relax. Repeat with other leg. (Repeat 5 times for each leg).
Place one feet on another chair or desk and bend forward until you feel the stretch in the back of your leg. If possible try to touch your feet. Flex your foot and then point it. Hold it for a few seconds and repeat with the other leg. (Repeat 5 times each leg).

More Office Workout Tips To Keep You Active!

Take stairs instead of the elevator – 2 at a time to maximize the burn!
Have a good posture as you work at your desk.
Sitting on an exercise ball will help your posture more.
Park away from your workplace so you have to walk farther.
When you can – stand rather than sit and walk rather than stand.

The above stretching guide is to reduce muscular stress and aches. Try doing as much as possible to get healthier. If you feel any unbearable pain while exercising, stop and seek professional help.

If you really want to get active, you can read these Lunchtime Workouts You Can Do. You can also tune in to experts on GOQii Play for more expert advice on staying fit at work!

We hope this article on Office Workout options helps you #LevelUp, get active at work and stay healthy! Do leave your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

January 20, 2020 By Mohammed Tufail Qureshi Leave a Comment

Is Weightlifting For Men Only? Here’s Why We Think Otherwise

If a woman lifts weights, does she bulk up like a man would? Will it change her appearance to a more muscular one like those guys at gyms who rip through every piece of heavy equipment they can get their hands on? Very few women desire that bulky or ripped look but those who don’t, tend to avoid using weights at all.

In truth, weightlifting is for everybody. Let’s look at it from a functional perspective. Women require the same muscles as men to open a door or lift something up from the floor. The muscles that are engaged are the same. It begs one to ask the question:

Should Weightlifting Be For Men Only?

Be it lifting a cylinder at home or a box and placing it on a shelf, carrying shopping bags, moving a chair or sofa, one requires muscles and the strength to carry out these tasks. While most women prefer cardio, they also need to focus on strength training and weightlifting to be able to carry out these tasks just as effectively as men.

Does Weightlifting Really Bulk Women Up?

It’s a myth. There are many reasons why a woman won’t gain the kind of bulk a man would. One of them being the male hormone called testosterone. It is the primary sex hormone in males as well as a muscle-building hormone. Men are genetically designed to have more muscle mass and physical strength than women.

At best, strength training will make a woman gain some lean mass and reduce extra body fat. Many women fear that they will look manly if they train with weights but the truth is that women cannot build muscles like men because they do not have enough of the male hormone Testosterone. The difference of the levels of this hormone is the primary reason why women will not gain heavy musle mass while training with weights. In fact, they will look leaner and toned.

It stands true for men and women that any amount of muscle gain leads to fat loss and any loss of muscle causes one to gain fat.

How Does Weightlifting Benefit Women?

Apart from the aesthetics, having more strength makes one feel independent and confident. It also provides a lot of other benefits. Weightlifting:

Tones the body
Reduces extra body fat
Improves posture
Strengthens bones and joints
Improves skin quality
Enhances sleep quality
Improves strength and endurance
Reduces stress
Boosts energy levels
Improves heart health
Fights aging and helps you look younger

Who’d want to forego these awesome benefits! We hope this article eases your doubts and helps you make the decision to try weight training today! For any help you may need to begin your weight training journey, watch workout sessions on GOQii Play.

It’s time to #LevelUp and #BeTheForce!

December 11, 2019 By Anusha Subramanian 13 Comments

Fitness For Trekking: Tips To Get You Started!

In my blog titled ‘Trekking is not difficult if you know how to walk’, I talked of how going on a trek is not such an arduous task. I also mentioned a few dos and don’ts that would help first time trekkers. In this blog, we’ll talk about fitness for trekking and how to prepare.

Trekking up a mountain or just hiking across the countryside is a wonderful activity to indulge in. Believe me, it is such a joyous and rewarding experience. However, one must be prepared! Most people heading off on a trek must be at a fitness level wherein they can truly enjoy the trek. Unfortunately, leading a busy life and lacking a specific fitness regime leaves many trekkers less prepared than they should be. Fitness for trekking or training for a trek is no rocket science. Training smart helps and training effectively helps to gain energy which in turn will help you truly enjoy your trek.

Before Everything, Get Yourself Checked

Any adventure sport activity requires stamina and strength. Trekking is like any other athletic sport and before you embark on this path it’s good to get yourself medically checked and consult your doctor. If you let your doctor where you are going for a trek –in India specifically if you are going for the time for a trek to the Himalayas it is good to get a basic medical checkup done. You can also let your doctor know the conditions your trek entails. What altitude would you be scaling, the number of days the trek entails, the distance you would be covering per day, the change in altitude per day and the extremes of temperature that you are likely to encounter.

Once your doctor is aware of what activity you are going to undertake he can advise you accordingly. But, in terms of getting some fitness tips its better you discuss your activity with your personal trainer or somebody who is a pro trekker and well aware of the conditions in the high altitude as they would be better equipped to give you the right guidance.

Fitness For Trekking

Preparing for a trek is no different from preparing for a long distance run or a long distance trail walking. The only difference being a trek is not a competition and you can walk at your pace and enjoy the serenity around you. For trekking, you need to adapt your body to stress and build on it slowly and steadily to be able to handle more stress in the future. The idea is to toughen your body to withstand extreme conditions of the trek. Walking for 5-6 hours in high altitude or at an altitude of even 3000 feet is taxing if you are not used to it or if you are not fit.

This is not achieved overnight. Your training has to start at least 3-6 months in advance for your body to get attuned to the stress levels that it will go through. If you intend to take trekking or any outdoor activity seriously and plan to go on regular treks, then training on a regular basis would be helpful.

Trekkers need a balanced approach, strengthening the entire body, if you want to be successful and injury free during training and during the trek. It is therefore important to strengthen your weak links as well as the major muscle groups.

When it comes to trekking, having a strong back goes a long way from having strong legs and arms. So along with cardio, coupling strength training will not hurt but only help. Strength training will help build up muscles. The key is to strengthen our stomach muscles as well as the surrounding muscle groups known as the core.

Every trek involves climbing or descending significant elevations. Therefore, you need to prepare your body for climbing, descending, or both. It is important to vary your training to work the muscles and joints used as you climb and descend.

If you have varied terrain near your house where you live that would an ideal training topography. By taking longer walks up and down a hill trail, you simulate the conditions of your trek and work both the muscles needed for downhill as well as uphill. But, not all of us are lucky to have that perfect training setting. Then, the best way to train is to build a few physical activities within your daily routine before you embark on the trek. Start with walking for about 1-2 hours on flat surface for a week and gradually increase it to about 3 hours with walks on inclines for four or five days a week with a backpack with about 4 kg in it.

This is because in every trek you go, you will be carrying a small daypack with at least 3-4 kg in it. Doing this on a regular basis will help you get used to it. If you work out in the gym then walking on the treadmill with a backpack at a 2-5% incline will enhance your endurance and also strengthen you.

The other ideal way is to simulate your hill training is by climbing up and down flights of stairs. Repeating the process a number of times helps. Initially start with 20 flights of stairs. Then gradually build up to 100 flights of stairs. This number is highly subjective as flights vary in size and the amount of elevation you may climb in a day varies greatly. However, 100 flights is a reasonable goal that accomplishes a good base to prepare for your trek.

When walking up and down steps, try to vary which leg you lead with as well as whether you take one or two steps in a stride. By varying your step you greater simulate real world conditions. It’s usually not the case that you can walk with a consistent exact stride. Sometimes you have to step over large rocks or reach down to a flat area. The more you simulate the conditions experienced on the trail the better prepared you will be.

Most people don’t realize that walking downhill is actually more destructive to the body. This is due to two reasons: First, there is more force on the body as you go downhill, especially with weight on your back. Second, as you descend, the muscles elongate when stressed caused by walking uphill.

Initially you can start climbing stairs without a pack on your back. As the trek dates near say a month before the trek you can walk with the pack and the weight.

Remember along with all this training, a proper diet and rest should not be forgotten. Finally, trekking should be fun! It should be enjoyed and not thought of as an arduous task. The goal should also never be a race to a destination. The moment you think it’s a race and want to go ahead of everyone, you are putting yourself into trouble and in the process, miss the wonderful sites and experiences along the way.

We hope this article helps you trek and see more! Do leave your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

December 9, 2019 By Navnee Garg Leave a Comment

5 Common Weightlifting Myths You Should Stop Believing

If you have already browsed through countless articles on the internet before taking your first step towards weightlifting, then there might be a lot of questions on your mind. More so, because of the contradicting and confusing nature of the content you get online. The most common one being that you need a gym membership for weightlifting.

In a country that’s rapidly growing, it’s time we leave these myths and series of false information behind with some facts shared by certified experts. So here, we will be sharing some common myths making the rounds on the internet about strength training.

Myth #1: Weightlifting Makes Women Bulkier

Fortunately for all the ladies out there, this is not true! The muscles in a woman’s body are different in composition than that of men. In fact, weightlifting along with a combination of cardio encourages more fat loss in women. One can begin with a minimum of 2kg and gradually increase the sets and reps along with weights.

Myth #2: No Pain = No Gain

You’ve probably heard this a gazillion times by now! If your body hurts or your muscles are sore, then your training is working. Ideally, that’s not true. Muscle soreness is common in the beginning but can be reduced within the recovery period. But, at times, it can also be because of incorrect posture or overexertion. Rest and recovery is equally important in weightlifting or strength training. In cases of extreme soreness, you need to rest and recover.

Myth #3: Lift Light Weights to Tone Muscles

This one is commonly known as the ‘Pink Dumbbell Myth’. The fact is that lifting lighter weights for higher reps will help you increase muscular endurance and it does have a place in training routines, but that lean, defined look comes from losing body fat. So, the weight will always depend on your fitness goal, but one will need to try a variety of reps and weight ranges to achieve results.

Myth #4: Older People Should Not Lift Weights

This is completely untrue. Elders can lift weights, keeping in consideration that the weight and reps should be advised by a certified trainer. An elderly person should also keep their medical conditions, risk factors and all in mind. Most importantly, they should consult their doctor before starting any training routine!

Myth #5: You Need a Gym

That is not true! You don’t have to empty your pockets and sign up to an expensive gym or service. All you need is dedication towards your goal! Surprisingly, you can train even in a small corner of your room. Your body itself is a gym. You can start with body weight workouts to break the ice. To take it a level ahead, all you’ll need is a pair of dumbbells or barbell curls to transform your body.

These were some of the common myths I have encountered so far. How about you? Have you heard anything on these lines? Share them with us in the comments below and let’s begin busting some myths together!

For the right knowledge and to begin your weightlifting or strength training journey with an expert, check out LIVE sessions on GOQii Play.

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