Search Results for: pranayama

April 23, 2020 By Urvi Gohil 1 Comment

Tips To Get Rid of the Lockdown Boredom!

Right now, you’re probably experiencing a lot of boredom being in lockdown for this long. No doubt that we’re all dealing with it the best way we can as most of us aren’t used to being idle at home. Another way to look at this is that you get to spend more time with family! So, instead of getting anxious about this situation, let’s see how we can turn all that idle time into something productive!

8 Ideas To Drive Away The Lockdown Boredom

Start Your Skincare Routine: Instead of staring at screens all day, give your eyes some rest and your skin some relaxation! Try out homemade masks, ice packs, scrubs 3-4 times a week or intensify your night skin routine.
Cover Your Sleep Debt and take more rest. Sleep for an extra hour and you can ask everyone at home to do the same. If you’re wondering what sleep debt is, read this article: https://goqii.com/blog/tips-to-sleep-better/
Awaken Your Inner Chef: Trust me, it’s a pleasurable experience. If you want some easy, healthy recipes, check out the articles we’ve published so far on Healthy Reads. Take charge of the kitchen and toss up something yummy!
Tune In to Tune Out: Update your music playlist and move to the groove while doing your household chores. Have an instrument lying around? Pick it up and learn to play! We’re going to be starting some music classes on GOQii Play so keep an eye and ear out for that.
Game More: Playing cards, housie, name-place-animal-thin, antakshari, karaoke – the possibilities are endless when you think of it. Nothing like the good old games to bring your family together and drive away the boredom clouds of gloom!
Re-arrange Your Cupboard: Cupboards are never too tidy. Probably iron your clothes, separate old and new clothes. Keep aside some clothes which you think you can donate. It will keep you occupied and help you declutter for sure!
Meditate! Meditate! Meditate: Say Aum from your Home! Organize a family meditation hour. You can tune in to GOQii’s Guided Meditation feature in the app or follow our experts on GOQii Play for a session full of bliss, relaxation and who knows – possibly enlightenment too! You can also practice Pranayama and other Breathing Techniques.
Develop a Healthy Habit: Working on ourselves is a continuous process. It’s the right time to develop a healthy habit or discontinue a bad one. Probably you could start reading, do a mobile detox or take your home workouts to the next level.

There are many ways you can beat boredom at home. What are you doing to keep boredom away? Let us know in the comments below.

For more on nutrition, exercise, meditation and recipes – in fact, most of the tips above can all be found on GOQii Play. Download the app now!

Stay home, stay safe and #BeTheForce

March 26, 2020 By Navnee Garg 3 Comments

10 Ways to Turn Quarantine Time into Quality Time

It has been over a week of working from home, social distancing and self-isolation from the outer world! Is it getting boring for you? With another 21 days of lockdown in full effect, life might only get monotonous. Let’s break that routine. Let’s utilize this time to do something more fun, productive and refreshing!

Focusing on the positive, this lockdown might actually be a blessing in disguise for those who have been too busy with work to do anything else. With all the time you save by not traveling or not being able to invest in social gatherings, you can pursue a hobby you’ve always wanted to or do something fun!

10 Fun Things to do During Lockdown

Read a Book: Are you an avid reader who would finish a novel over weekends? If busy work hours and long travel hours stopped you from doing that, now is your time to shine! Get cozy in a corner, sip some nice green tea and immerse yourself in a book you’ve wanted to read. If you want to begin reading, try Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain or Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.
Rearrange the Wardrobe: This is every mom’s dream come true! Clean the shelves, rearrange clothes and once this lockdown is over, you can even donate the ones you don’t need. Organize your cupboard now that you have the time.
Workout at Home: With the work from home mandate, closed gyms and lockdown, we’re spending more time sitting than being active. Now is the best time for home workouts. If you’re not motivated to workout, then you can join the 30 Day Quarantine Burn Challenge on GOQii and earn some exciting rewards while getting fit! All you need to do is tune in to workout videos on GOQii Play for 30 days. There’s more info in the GOQii App.
Learn a New Hobby: Each one of us has always wanted to learn something or the other which could be painting, dancing, boxing, playing an instrument, cooking or may be as small as a headstand. You have all the time to explore these wonderful creative activities now! Utilise this bonus time to enhance your creativity skills.
Grow Some Greens: Gardening is not only environment friendly but also a great stress buster. Go on and grow some organic vegetables to relish the nutrition at its best. If you want to begin growing your own microgreens, join Coach Arooshi Garg on GOQii Play as she has classes which are specific to growing microgreens!
Sanitize Your Home: It is not only the hands that need sanitizing but everything that you touch as well. Wear your gloves and reach on to every corner of the house that you usually miss on due to lack of time. You can use a dettol spray to kill the germs around.
Watch your Favourite Series: It’s time to catch up on the list of shows/movies you always wanted to watch. We do not suggest binge watching and eating as that can harm your health but planning your tasks everyday and having the entertainment slot for 30 minutes can be manageable.
Plan Virtual Meets: Family and friends are always important. Social distancing needs to be followed strictly but we still can connect with our people over the phone, video calls, skype, etc. Make the most of the technology we have.
Quality Time with Your Family: The busy routine of office and work at times keeps us away from family chit chats. Now you can sit together, talk to each other and recollect old memories. You have more time to spend with your spouse, eat food with your kids and play in the house with your siblings. If you have a pet, you can feed, groom and bathe him/her! This would boost your inner happiness for sure.
Mediate: Stress levels are definitely high with the fear of increasing cases in our country. Be patient and calm. Indulge in some nice deep breathing sessions before sleep or practice Pranayama. It will help you stay positive and take decisions responsibly during emergencies. Join meditation and yoga sessions on GOQii Play for a better experience!

These are just a few ways in which you can utilize and make the most of this 21 day lockdown! Do you have some other activities planned? How are you spending your days? Let us know in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

February 22, 2020 By GOQii 1 Comment

The Secret To Good Health Which Helped Vijay Prabudevan Make a Positive Change

Working towards good health is never a one-off affair. It’s an ongoing journey. As the saying goes, “Being healthy isn’t a race, it’s a marathon” and quite rightly so. In a world where we get everything quickly at the click of a button, we expect the same while recovering our health as well but that is never the case. The key is consistency and patience – qualities that our player Vijay Prabudevan uncovered for himself.

Before joining GOQii

Vijay Prabudevan, a 48 year old working professional from Bangalore, joined GOQii in 2015. Before that, his food habits and lifestyle choices had remained more or less the same – which included veg food, unabated consumption of oily food, frequently eating out and surrendering himself to the joy of eating.

His activity levels were quite low with inconsistent minimal walking. His sleep routine was marred by television and his mobile phone. This hampered his sleep time and quality. Stress levels were high and all of this took a toll on his health. He was diagnosed with high cholesterol. This was the moment he knew he had to change.

Getting Introduced to a Lifestyle Change

During his fight against his rising cholesterol levels, Vijay’s boss, who is an active user, recommended GOQii. His boss and a few of his friends were exploring different wearable in the market and had found GOQii to be the best. Although not convinced at first, Vijay Prabudevan was curious about the personalized coaching featured. He initially doubted the effectiveness of this model as he wondered how a coach, who hasn’t even seen him, will be able to help him with his health issues. His qualms about credibility were quelled once he came on board.

Beginning The Journey Towards Good Health

The first year with GOQii was tough for Vijay Prabudevan. There was no change in his cholesterol levels which only seemed to frustrate him. Change was difficult especially when it came to his meal patterns and their timings. He blames himself for this lapse as he was still not completely convinced with the concept and wasn’t consistent with his habits. He was trying to do too many things at the same time which ended in failure. In 2016, his coach guided him on the importance of introducing one habit at a time. His coach told him that it is an ongoing process and sustainable results will come slowly and steadily.

Making a Positive Shift

He began streamlining his meal plate. For instance, he reduced the amount of rice and substituted that quantity with salads. His plate now has 30% proteins, 30% fiber and 40% carbs. He also began adding fruits and nuts, which were non-existent in his diet before.

As of now, his breakfast is heavy, followed by a moderate lunch and a light dinner which used to be the opposite before. To keep his body active, he either incorporates 1 hour of walking, jogging or visits the gym 4 days a week. He has regularized his sleep timing as well. He ensures that he sleeps by 10 pm and wakes up at 6 am.

He has planned his work calls in a way that he winds up all his work before 10 pm. He has also begun Pranayama and meditation as recommended by his coach to work on his stress levels.

Vijay Prabudevan Makes The Shift!

His cholesterol level which was at 400 mg/dL in 2015 before joining GOQii has now reduced to 200 mg/dL has been stable for the past 2 years. He is completely off medication. His weight has reduced from 84kg in 2016 to 73kg in 2020. His energy levels have tremendously improved. Thanks to this, he can work tirelessly and is more energetic than before.

Before, the word marathon or run used to scare him. Now, he has successfully completed around 6-7 5k runs in the last 2 years and aims to complete a 10k run before the end of this year.

He regularly uses GOQii to log his data and has explored the GOQii Health Store as well as purchased products during flash sales. He also enjoys reading the blogs within the app.

He says that one should believe in the GOQii ecosystem, follow the habits set by the GOQii Coach and be patient enough to see results. He firmly believes that if he can achieve his health goals, then anyone can. He had joined GOQii in 2015 and since then has renewed his subscription every year. Now he says that it is going to be a lifelong association.

Vijay Prabudevan is elated that he made the right choice with GOQii. What’s stopping you from making the shift?

Download the app now and #LevelUp your lifestyle!

#BeTheForce

October 26, 2019 By GOQii 1 Comment

If You Must Take Control, Control Your Health! | Sakuntala Rao User Story

At some point in life, you can’t help but wonder that as you get older, things change. Life passes you by in such a blur that most times you’re unable to take control. Health issues begin to surface as medication and doctor visits become more common. While things seem bleak in this fixated downward spiral, there are individuals who think otherwise! At the age of 60, our player Sakuntala Rao can proudly say that life didn’t pass her by. She’s living it, breathing it and enjoying it to the fullest with good health… but was it always like this?

Early Life and Health Issues

Hailing from Bangalore, Sakuntala Rao had two major concerns – sleep issues and fluctuating weight. Albeit, she was aware of the reasons for both her concerns but was unable to find a viable solution. She attributes her sleep issues to high levels of stress. Being a control freak, she used to get worked up when things didn’t go the way she wanted. She had trouble falling asleep and used to wake up in the middle of the night unable to go back to sleep. Less sleep hours and disturbed sleep were regular occurrences.

On the other hand, her weight was something she had always struggled with. This was due to her travel routine for work, her diet which was completely erratic, marred with junk food, untimely eating, and zero portion control. As she puts it, her eating habits were all over the place.

To add to this, she was under medication for hyperthyroidism for 14 years before she underwent Radioactive Iodine Therapy which reversed her condition the wrong way. She developed hypothyroidism since most of the gland was destroyed during the procedure. This again contributed to hormonal imbalance leading to weight gain.

She often tried fad diets from time to time. Though she lost a little weight, she would gain it back in a month or two. Her daily routine was also devoid of any physical activity. After her retirement in 2017, she got herself a personal trainer to help her get active. She decided she wanted to focus more on health and fitness. That’s where GOQii came in!

Joining GOQii and Making a Lifestyle Change

In 2018, her husband got her a GOQii tracker as a gift. She explored the app, learned about the coaching mechanism, live video coaching by experts and blogs which motivated her to stick with GOQii. She was assigned a GOQii Coach when she signed up. Her goal was to just get fit which, with help from her Coach, got narrowed down to her two major issues – improving sleep and weight loss.

The first habit set by her GOQii Coach was an early dinner. She was also asked to perform Pranayama as demonstrated by GOQii Play Coach Ronak Gajjar. Sakuntala Rao was also given a few links to meditation which she was asked to listen to after Pranayama. She was also asked to stay away from her phone for at least an hour before bed.

All of this together, with the realization that she cannot control everything and that she needs to let go at times, helped her calm down. This reduced her stress greatly and thus, improved her sleep quality.

She wasn’t asked to change much in her diet as she had already started eating healthy. Only a few tweaks were made. For instance, including protein in each meal. She also began intermittent fasting on the 16/8 pattern – Her last meal being dinner at 6 pm and she breaks her fast at 10 am the next morning. The first thing she drinks is a glass of warm water followed by Ajwain (soaked overnight) and pink salt followed by nuts.

Her lunch consists of 2 rotis, some curry, and a large bowl of salad which consists of carrots, cucumber, radish, avocado, capsicum and some seeds mixed with curd. She consumes a cup of coffee and eats a fruit before that. Dinner consists of one roti, some curry, soup and salad.

Currently, she has set her goal as reaching a weight of 60kg in order to fall under the normal BMI range and maintaining that level.

Experiencing the Change

Sakuntala Rao says that her sleep has improved significantly. She is now able to sleep for an average of 7 hours and doesn’t wake up in the middle of the night. Her weight has reduced from 79kg in July 2018 to 70g when she last checked. She feels that progress has been difficult but consistent. She thanks her GOQii Coach for being persistent and following up with her, ensuring she keeps on track.

Now, she believes that mental health is just as important as physical health, especially after the age of 60 with people talking about Dementia and Alzheimer’s everywhere. She has enrolled herself for a dancing class as a hobby and she is also associated with a group called Silver Talkies. They cater to people over the age of 55 and get them involved in various social activities. The group has also planned a dance performance for early November in support of a social cause.

Her current physical activities include functional workouts 4 days a week, walking for at least 4 days and attending dance class 2 days a week. She attempted swimming but gave up as she couldn’t overcome her Aquaphobia (fear of water).

What Sakuntala Rao Thinks of GOQii

Sakuntala Rao praises her GOQii Coach for helping her make such a positive lifestyle change. She said her Coach was very prompt in her responses, be it a comment or a problem. She is very pleased with the fact that her Coach personalizes her entire routine keeping her age in mind. She also shares a lot of information which is educational and useful.

Has this story inspired you to make a change? If anything, it tells us that even if we can’t control everything, we can certainly control our health and the choices we make. Want to share your story with us? Fill this form and we’ll reach out to you.

Keep inspiring, stay motivated and #BeTheForce