January 26, 2023 By Trupti Hingad 3 Comments

7 Tips To Help You Drink Water The Right Way

Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate should be the slogan. But, the question often asked is, are you drinking 8-10 glasses of water per day? Not having sufficient water has many side effects but, it is also important to be mindful of the way and how we drink water. Water is chemical energy which means it is a universal solvent. Water exists in the body as plasma, cytoplasm, serum, saliva, nasal secretion, cerebrospinal fluid, urine and sweat.

How To Drink Water The Right Way

Considering how essential water is to human life, here are some handy yet important tips to drink water.

It is always better to sit down and drink water rather than standing: When you stand and drink water you upset the balance of fluids in the body and this may lead to more accumulation of fluids in the joints. When you sit and drink, your muscles and nervous system is relaxed and you absorb it nicely. Also, kidney pace of filtration is good when you sit and drink water
Avoid consuming a large volume of water at once: When you gulp too much amount of water at one go, air is blocked from going into our lungs which can lead to heart and lung issues.
Avoid chilled water; drink room temperature or warm water: Ice chilled water disturbs the ongoing process of digestion and puts off the fire. Cold water decreases the blood supply to various organs of the body further leading to constipation. Drinking tepid water can help in proper digestion and metabolism that promotes weight loss, relieves bloating and pain. Warm water helps to keep the fire in the stomach going, leading to good digestion and this also helps control cholesterol levels, keeping the arteries clean.
Keep a tab on indicators your body gives when you are thirsty: When you are dehydrated, the colour of urine changes to dark yellow, whereas clear urine is a sign of a hydrated body. Dry lips and tongue are indicators of dehydrated body. If you observe these signs, hydrate immediately!
Start your day with a glass of water: Drinking water in the morning helps in flushing all the toxins in the body and clean your intestines. It helps to ward off many diseases as well.
It is good to use water stored in silver or copper vessels: As water stored in these vessels has the ability to balance all three doshas in the body and it does this by positively charging the water. Copper has numerous antioxidants and anti-bacterial properties that help boost the immune system of the body. It also has anti-cancer properties. Water in the silver vessel has the power to remove free radicals from the body and gives a cooling effect in the intestines and smoothens the process of digestion.
Drinking water is not just to quench thirst. We have to remind ourselves that drinking water is a habit of replenishing and recovery process. It helps to replenish the essential salts and minerals lost when we sweat. It hydrates our muscles and tissues for proper usage. It maintains the fluid balance of our body that controls acidity levels.

We hope these tips help you drink water the right way! For more tips like this, click here or speak to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

January 19, 2023 By Saba Mirza 3 Comments

How to Set SMART Goals and Achieve Them

As a lifestyle coach, I often hear people complain about how they have been working on their health goals, but not getting anywhere. Most times, they aren’t able to achieve that “perfect target” is because they are either confused about the target they want to set or don’t know how to plan a strategy to achieve that goal. The simple solution is to plan SMART goals.

What are SMART Goals?

SMART is an acronym which was first used by George Doran in a Management Review Magazine in 1981. It gained popularity not just in companies but, also in other relevant fields including health and fitness.

SMART stands for:

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time bound

In essence, a SMART goal is a simple formula which helps you define your goal clearly, focus your efforts, and utilize your time and resources productively to increase your chances of achieving a particular goal successfully.

How Do We Achieve It?

1. Specific
Your goal should be clear and specific! It is crucial to focus your effort towards one point and feel truly motivated to achieve it. When planning the goal, ask the five “W” questions, namely:

What do I want to accomplish?
Why is it important to me?
When do I want to achieve this goal?
How will I achieve this goal?
Which resources will help me in achieving them?

For example, a general goal would be ‘I want to get a toned body’. While a SMART goal would be ‘I want to join a Zumba class near my house and I will go there 4 days a week to improve flexibility and muscle strength’.

2. Measurable
It is important to measure your goals in order to track your progress regularly and feel motivated. Assessing your progress with specific indicators at regular intervals helps you stay focused and feel the thrill of getting closer to your goals. In fact, it even helps you change your strategy if needed. To make a goal measurable, ask:

How many/much?
How will I know when it is accomplished?
What is the indicator of my progress?

For example, building on a specific goal, we will add, ‘I will join the Zumba class near my house for 4 days a week to improve flexibility and muscle strength. I will aim to lose 1kg of body fat weight every 15 days’.

3. Achievable
Ensure that your goal is achievable. While it should stretch your abilities enough to make you feel challenged, it should also be possible to achieve. An achievable goal should answer the following questions:

How can I achieve it?
Do I have the proper resources and capabilities to achieve the goal? If not, what am I missing?
Is the goal approved by experts in that field?

For example, setting a goal of reducing 4-5kg weight in one month may not be achievable and neither advisable by health professionals because of its harmful effects on the body. It can also demotivate you if you don’t achieve that goal.

4. Realistic
Keep your goals realistic! It should be practically achievable, given the resources and time available to you! A realistic goal should fulfil the following criteria:

Is the goal realistic and within reach?
Is the goal reachable given the time and resources?
Am I able to commit to achieving the goal?

For example, setting a specific goal of attending Zumba classes seven days a week may not be realistic if you have other commitments towards your family or professional life!

5. Time-Bound
Your goal should also have a specific deadline. This is to ensure that you have a well-defined duration to work towards it. Making your goal time-bound can also prevent the goal from slipping down your priority list.

A time-bound goal should answer the following questions:

When?
What can I achieve from six months now?
What can I achieve from six weeks now?
What can I achieve today?

For example, building on our goal above: ‘I will join a Zumba class from October 1 near my home. In order to improve muscle flexibility and strength, I will workout 4 days a week. Every 15 days I will target 1kg weight loss! By the end of October, I will have realised my goal if I lose 2kg of fat weight over the course of the month’.

As Bill Copeland has quoted, ”The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score!” So choose your goals SMARTly and get set to hit the bull’s eye!

What are some of your long-term and short-term health and fitness goals? Are they smart goals? Let us know in the comments below!

For more on goal setting and healthy living, check out Healthy Reads. To get started on your resolutions, sign up for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching and let our experts guide and motivate you!

#BeTheForce

January 5, 2023 By Parwage Alam Leave a Comment

6 Ways To Track & Achieve Your New Year Goals

We are in the first week of the first month of 2023 and I am sure many of us out there would have made some New Year Resolutions! The most common resolutions often revolve around “Losing weight and getting fit”, “Quitting smoking”, “Learning something new” or “Traveling to new places”. The question is – are we working on it and what’s our game plan? The desire to change something about yourself happens year after year. While intentions are good, most of us seldom end up fulfilling the resolutions we’ve set. A recent article by Forbes magazine said that only 8% of the people actually achieve their New Year Goals.

Why Is It So Hard To Stick To New Year Goals?

Why do so many people fail at goal setting? What is it about those few who manage to get it right and achieve their goals? There are many answers to the why’s and how’s. New Year goal setting is just seen as an opportunity to dish out our large bucket lists of all that we wanted to achieve through the year and could not. It’s an attempt to tell yourself that this year will definitely be better than the last.

This enthusiasm continues in the first week of the New Year. Then gradually as days and months pass, the interest in achieving these goals fades away. The human mind always finds excuses to stick to set goals set or loses interest mid-way, with little room for introspection. But fear not! We will list 6 ways you can stay on track with your New Year Goals!

6 Ways To Track & Achieve Your New Year Goals

Create a Q&A: If you have decided to resolve a habit, prepare some questions that you can ask yourself at timely intervals. This really helps you boost your enthusiasm and keep a check on your progress. Analyze your life. Is there anything you want to change or improve? All answers start with questions, so be ready to create your list. Ask who, what and how: Who do I want to become? What can I improve? How can I change? Give yourself plenty of time — anywhere from a few hours to several days.
The Devil Is In The Details: Now as you have your list ready, it’s time to check and analyze it, so that you stick to your routine and check the progress. This will help you to carry out your resolution by the end of the year. For instance, if your goal is to lose 10kg by the end of this month, always keep a record and check at the end of every month how much of your goal you have achieved. This detailed data will help you to reach your goal and definitely works as a roadmap to success!
Gaze Into The Future: Now that you have your New Year roadmap in hand, it’s time to create some emotional attachment with your New Year goals. This really makes your journey enjoyable because it links you to your imagination. You have to visualize how you are feeling after achieving your goals. For instance, if a person’s goal is to lose 10kg, that person should start visualizing themselves in their ideal weight. This in turn will motivate them to achieve their goal. The more senses you engage, the better. This is your future self — get excited!
Eating Elephants: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! We always have to break our goals into small portions to achieve them. It helps us accomplish our goals on time. For instance, if you have to run 10km – your mind starts thinking it’s a huge distance which you have to cover, and you lose your motivation. But, if you break this down and say that you have to complete 1km 10 times, it will become very easy to achieve your target.
Reward Yourself: As humans, we either need bribes or rewards to stay motivated. Reward yourself every time you reach a milestone closer to your goal. It motivates you further. For instance, if you are planning to run 10km and you have already broken your target to 1km 10 times, start rewarding yourself after every 1km – by walking 100 meters. This will give you some rest and your body will be energized to run another 1km. You can also set a grand reward like maybe giving yourself a dream, outstation vacation after you have achieved your main goal.
Socializing: When you commit something in front of people, you’re always a little more motivated to achieve that goal. What you can do is publish your goals on your social channels and tell your friends about it. Go an extra mile and update your result in a timely manner as well. It will help you stick to your routine and achieve your goals!

And that’s it! A simple 6 step process to help you achieve your New Year Goals! We hope this article helps you. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more on goal setting and achieving them, check out Healthy Reads.

If you have trouble sticking to your resolutions, take help from a GOQii Coach who will guide, motivate and help you achieve your goals! Subscribe for GOQii’s personalized health coaching to get started now: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce

January 1, 2023 By GOQii 1 Comment

How To Stick To Your New Year Resolutions!

A new year has begun and with it, its once again time to make new resolutions. We’re sure a lot of you have already penned down your new year resolutions but what are these new year resolutions? More often than not, it’s a promise that we make to ourselves or with our near and dear ones to kick one bad habit and imbibe a good change for a better future.

New Year Resolutions Could Be:

Weight loss
Get fit and regular exercise
Eating healthy
Joining yoga class
Giving up smoking
Quitting excessive alcohol consumption
Playing a sport

Largely, I have noticed that most resolutions are around health and lifestyle. What is difficult though is to stick to the resolution made. It’s not easy to keep the enthusiasm going week after week. Especially when you have never played a sport or been active in the past. It’s not easy to maintain the same motivation levels throughout the year. Discipline is hard to come by. Most people don’t feel motivated enough and they give up within few days. It takes focus, planning and determination to stick to resolutions made. It takes the same amount of time to change a particular habit.

Tips To Stick To Your New Year Resolutions

Golden Rule: Make your goal achievable and do not aim for goals which are too difficult to achieve

Once you have decided on your achievable resolution, write it down. Writing it down makes a greater connection between your thinking self and doing self. This makes the resolution more real than it is only in your head.
Change one behaviour at a time. Replacing unhealthy behaviours with healthier ones requires time.
Fitness cannot be your short-term goal.
If you want to eat junk food, think what are the benefits you will derive from it. It’s the same as thinking before making any financial investments. Occasionally you can include a piece of Pizza or a burger but not daily.
If you are looking to reduce 20kg then achieve the target by reducing 2-3kg a month. It is not practical to lose 20kg in 2 months because it took years to accumulate all that fat and it will only go away slowly.
If you want to quit smoking and you are smoking 20 sticks a day, then reduce it gradually. You cannot stop immediately because it will take some time for your body and mind to adapt to the change.
If you intend to start working out, yoga or any other activity in the morning then begin with 3 days a week instead of 7 days a week.
For working out, most have the issue of waking up early. Try to start at a time comfortable to you. If you wake up daily at 8am but plan to start working out at 5am then it will seldom happen because your circadian system will take time to adjust. Instead try to wake up at 7 am which is practical and you will continue for a long time.
Be positive while thinking about your achievable goal. Instead of saying I cannot do something, say I feel much better doing this.
Always tell your near and dear ones about your resolution and seek their support in order to successfully achieve your goal.
Review your progress and reward yourself on the first target achieved

Lastly, we would say do not wait for anything. Every day is a new day. Start working on your resolution immediately. There is the famous saying, “Whatever you want to do tomorrow, do it today and whatever you want to do today, do it now!”

Go right ahead and work on your New Year Resolutions. If you have already penned them down and want the right guidance and motivation, reach out to an expert by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce of 2023!