GOQii

Blog

Search Results for: tea

By 1 Comment

Nothing is Impossible! All you need to do is take that first step

Anurag on the move

Anurag on the move…..

It’s been few weeks since we started featuring GOQii Users success stories. These are stories of players who have reached their goals both in terms of clocking the required and more no. of steps, reaching their health goals, inspiring others to get healthy as well as doing well by donating their Karma Points. Anurag Bisen, 48, has conquered all of these aspects! Here is his success story, in his own words.

I am Anurag Bisen, a serving naval officer. Not that I was not active. I was active as I used to play Squash, go Yachting etc but, it was not a regulated regime for exercising. I did it all in spurts. Then I took to running sometime in March 2014 thinking every day running will become regular. But, yet again I was not happy about the way I was going about it. Then one day I was relaxing reading a tech magazine. I follow technology very closely and I came across an article about GOQii.

I found it extremely interesting to read about this new wearable from an Indian company and decided to find out more. Once, I got to know about GOQii I decided to go in for the band and became one of the beta players of GOQii on April 25, 2014. Since then I have had a fantastic experience with GOQii and my coach Shimpli Patil.

We initially discussed by issues and my goals. My coach in her own way kept me motivated to regulate my daily routine. My health goal initially was to reduce my weight. I was 98 kgs. Back then. I was very active and fit in my 20s and then somewhere I was unable to maintain a regulated regime. But, after getting on to the GOQii ecosystem I was determined to make a change. I was clear I had to do much more in a more disciplined manner. I made it a point to run regularly five days a week and on weekends played Golf as that was my rest day. But I clocked more steps on weekends as well. And because I do not run on weekends I run double the amount on Monday.

The change for me seemed like I have resurfaced again and all thanks to my coach for that.

Here is what I do daily…

I clock 10 km Monday to Friday –

Monday I walk 4 km in the morning and run double the amount (12 km)

Tuesday to Friday- I walk 4 km in the morning and run 6 km in the evenings. Monday I run double the amount as I do not run over the weekends.

On an average I run 70 km a week.

My weight reduced from 98 to 83 in just 11 months and I have been maintaining that.

Once my activity routine was regulated and I had started running enough, in 2014, GOQii put together teams to do the 100 km Oxfam Trailwalker. I have been interested in hiking and trekking and also indulged in these activities quite a bit. But, I had never walked 100 kms. And the best part we had to finish this 100 km Trailwalk within 48 hours.

GOQii interestingly also has a Karma initiative wherein based on your daily step count you earn karma points. These points can then be donated to charity that GOQii has partnered. Currently, it has a partnership with Oxfam and the points I earned I have donated part of those points to an Oxfam cause. This is a great initiative as one gets healthy and also does good for the society to make a difference in others life.

My experience in the first year of Oxfam Trailwalker was good. As a team though we could not finish. But, I was determined to complete the walk. All the steps that I’d accumulated up to this point clearly paid off. My training plan worked perfectly; I felt strong. So I took off on my own after my 3 teammates backed out. Technically our team was out but, I wanted to finish the 100 kms for my own self. GOQii team was there to motivate and that was good. I completed the 100 kms and I was in cloud 9.

Second year that is Nov 2105, I participated again in the trailwaker and this time we were four school mates who came together to walk 100 kms for charity. It was a sort of reunion for us. We had a memorable time walking together. It was completely overwhelming.

Overall, I can say that GOQii has made me extremely active and fit. I do not have any particular restrictions on food. I pretty much eat everything I want to. But, I am controlled. Sometimes I have my cheat days over the weekends when I indulge a bit. But, then I make sure I burn all those calories with a good run.

GOQii is a great concept and I am sure it can make a big change in people. Another fact I like about GOQii is the connect it has with its consumers.

Final Score:

In 23 months of being on GOQii platform

I have clocked a grand total of 10005k steps

Covered a distance of 7876 kms

Donated: 1417 Karma points towards one cause

In my mind I have set a target to earn a set amount of Karma points. Once I have earned those many points I shall donate them to charity.

To anyone who thinks they cannot or do not have it in them what it takes to do something like walking a 100 km or just about waking every morning and going for a 4 km walk or a 6 km run, just remember: all you need to do is take that first step. Put, one foot in front of the other. Keep it up. Before you know it, you’ll arrive.

Anurag with his 3 schoolmates after completing the 100 km Oxfam Trailwalk in Nov 2015.

Anurag with his 3 schoolmates after completing the 100 km Oxfam Trailwalk in Nov 2015.

What does his coach Shimpli have to say?

Anurag has been on the GOQii platform right since the beta phase. Being from the Indian Navy, he has always had a disciplined lifestyle. But, he felt there was something amiss. His aim was to make his workouts more regular and lose some weight (fat) and we kick started the GOQii journey with these ambitious goals.

During the course of Coaching, I was extremely astounded to see the way Anurag was progressing towards his goals. There were hardly any days where Anurag’s step count did not hit the target that we had set for him. It was very clear that this was easily achievable only because of Anurag’s infinite dedication, super strong willpower and the staggering amount of energy that he possesses. Anurag was so driven towards his goals that he could not resist going out for a run even when he was travelling or felt under the weather. One thing that just kept him going was his deep-rooted PASSION! With a passion like his, Anurag not only completed a couple of Marathons but also successfully completed the 100 km Oxfam Mumbai Trailwalker twice in the two consecutive years!

Anurag is indeed an inspiration to many! With his dedicated endeavor, he has managed to put his workouts in place and has come down from 98 kg to 83 kg today, with a very prominent reduction in the belly fat!

As a Coach, I motivate people to achieve their goals, but this is a rare instance where a GOQii Player reciprocates and motivates his Coach too! 🙂

‘Want to get featured here? Click Here to tell us your story.’

By Leave a Comment

3.9 million Karma points donated and still counting………

6996022-3x2-940x627

Here is some good news from GOQii and its Karma initiative. 5479 GOQii players have contributed a total of  39,25,968 or 3.9 million karma points to Oxfam India to support victims affected by the Tamilnadu floods of 2015. The cause is still on and we are still counting the points being contributed. An incredible impact has been created by Oxfam along with its partner organization towards helping the flood victims.

The heaviest rainfall in over a century caused widespread flooding across TN, driving thousands of people out of their homes, shutting down factories and paralysing majority of the system in the Southern State.

Highlights of the Impact created

** Extended a helping hand to about 8000 affected households

** DistributedHygiene kitsto 1327 households in Kanchipuram and Cuddalore 

** Non-food items (NFI) kits distributed to 3412 Householdswith Emergency Shelter. The Shelter NFI kits contain tarpaulin sheet, groundsheet, fleece blanket, bed sheets, and mosquito net and kitchen utensils to the most affected communities. 1900 household were donated mud stove as many homes lost their mud stoves during the floods.

** Dry food ration kits were distributed to 1050 households with first round of dry ration distribution in Tamil Nadu. Dry food package included: rice, lentils/dal, sugar, tea leaves, tangerine, spices and biscuits.

** Soap and Chlorine tablet were distributed to around 2200 households were given immediate access to safe drinking water during the emergency response phase.Oxfam distributed soaps, toothpaste and 60 chlorine tablets (NADCC) per household to 750 households in Cuddalore district and 300 households in Kanchipuram district and 1200 households across three slums namely AnnaiSatya Nagar, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar and Shiva Shakti Nagar in Chennai. 

** Hygiene promotion activities were carried out by the Oxfam Team along with a group of trained volunteers in Cuddalore and Kanchipuram. The main focus of the hygiene promotion activities was on safe hand washing demonstration and safe sanitation practice. The target audience were women and children. Volunteers distributed hygiene kits to 7 villages. 

** Debris and Village cleaning along with Public Health Promotion demonstrations has been completed in 11 villages in Cuddalore district and 2 villages in Kanchipuram district.Oxfam successfully completed debris cleaning in one of the worst affected slums in Chennai city- Koyambude (St. Thomas Nagar new colony). 

** There were 14 Latrine constructed in Kanchipuram, 25 toilets in Cuddalore and toilet block in AnnaiSatya Nagar is underway.

The cause is still on as Oxfam is aiming to reach 8,000 households or approximately 48,000 persons (direct beneficiaries) in Cuddalore district and Chennai city. Oxfam is continuously monitoring the situation on the ground and will expand the response to other districts as per need. GOQii players who have yet not contributed towards this cause, here is your chance to support and make a difference.

 

By 1 Comment

With brave wings she flies: Celebrating Womanhood

Screen-Shot-2015-03-08-at-9.18.49-AM-1030x765

Ruta Satam

She is a symbol of indomitable courage and power and the most beautiful creation of human kind whose mere absence is the loss of fragrance of life, she is the one who bears, rears and nurtures the life of all.

Today, the day of March 8th we celebrate womanhood to mark the International Women’s Day also known as International Working Women’s Day across the world in order to focus the achievements and contributions of the women in the society.

This is not a new phenomenon. Since the 1900s we have been celebrating womanhood in order to bring about a positive change towards gender equality and demanding equal rights for woman. There are several inspiring stories about women in India who have transformed their lives from just being Home makers to Change makers.

Today, we take you through some of these inspiring stories of women who have made an immense contribution towards helping other people in the society.

Pratima Devi: For most she might come across as a mere rag picker but, Pratima Devi is more than just a rag picker. She is a foster mother to 300 stray dogs. She does not care even if she gets a meal to eat but, she makes sure that these dogs do not hungry. You seldom find such individuals who are ready to forgo their own meal for a dog. She has been applauded for her great work and was awarded the Godfrey Philips Bravery Award for Social Bravery.
Priti Patkar: One always looks down upon sex workers as if they are some kind of a disease. However, Priti Patkar thought differently. She considered them one amongst us and decided to help them. She started an NGO-Prerna that has been doing pioneering work in the red light area of Mumbai. Looking at the plight of the kids of these sex workers she started the world’s first-night care center for children of these women.
Kalavati Devi: Then you have Kalavati Devi, a local resident of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh who thought about Swach Bharat and stop of open defecation in villages way before the PM Narendra Modi started the’ Swach Bharat’ movement. This 50-year-old woman helped in building   toilets across all slums and lower income neighbourhoods in her city. She went from house-to-house speaking to families and conducted joint meetings with the community to convince them to back her plan. The result of her efforts has paid in the form of funds pouring and getting support from the municipal corporation to build 50 seat toilets for approximately 700 families across the slums of Kanpur.
Chetna Gala: When we talk about women empowerment we only look at working women in corporate and the urban cities. Empowering women to participate fully in economic life across all sectors is essential to build stronger economies, achieve internationally agreed goals for development and sustainability, and improve the quality of life for women, men, families and communities. Let me take you through the women entrepreneurs of Mahaswad, Satara. They are part of Mann Deshi Udyogini, a ‘B-school’ for rural women. Mann Deshi Udyogini is not your average B-school and its students are most unlike typical management students. They are goatherds, vegetable vendors, roadside tea sellers, daily-wage labourers and homemakers, among other things. The classrooms are also unusual. The goat herding course, for instance, is taught in the fields. Mann Deshi Udyogini was founded by social activist Chetna Gala Sinha in 2006 with the support of HSBC Bank. The business school is run by Chetna’s Mann Deshi foundation. She works for social change in some of the poorest and most drought-stricken areas of rural India.
Andrea Thumshirn: Finally, social work in India is not the prerogative of the Indian’s alone. We also have several foreign nationals who have visited the country once and decided to stay back and help the under privileged in their own little way. Andrea Thumshirn, a German premier league hockey player is one such foreign national who came to India as a tour operator. But, things changed for her when she visited a remote village in Rajasthan and decided to stay there and teach hockey to rural kids. She brings the same passion and love for the game to India and trains kids to play hockey in Garh Himmat Singh village in Rajasthan through her NGO called Hockey Village India

Good in work and all her deeds,
She does everything without any greed.
Her aims for life are very high,
She always has a vision in her sparkling eye.
She always believes in hard work and perseverance,
Her heart is filled with endurance.
She loves to help;
She loves to share,
A lot of pain she has to bare.
she has an ability to choose good,
so lets all of us Celebrate Womanhood!

Amelia Cruise

By Leave a Comment

Stay Healthy and Save Money

budget-health

Today’s Union Budget presented by Union Minister for Finance Arun Jaitley provides for new health protection scheme that will provide health cover up to Rs One lakh per family. And for senior citizens an additional top-up package up to Rs 30,000 will be provided. This is good but, how about staying healthy and reducing health costs once for all.

Lifestyle plays an important role in heart ailments but, perhaps many have not taken this to heart. Getting angioplasties and stents that cost thousands of rupees do not prolong life or prevent heart attacks in stable patients. Similarly, lowering blood sugar with drugs does not fully prevent the economic and human costs of diabetes (including heart attacks, strokes, amputations, impotence, kidney failure, and blindness), but lowering blood sugar with diet and lifestyle prevents all of these human and economic costs.

Bringing about lifestyle changes is easier said than done. Simple lifestyle changes like walking or cycling instead of driving, climbing stairs instead of taking an elevator, eating nutritious food or making dietary changes, exercising on a daily basis and incorporating some behavior modification technique can have a big impact on you and your pocket for the better. And rather than buy a pricey gym membership to get in shape, there are ways to work out on the cheap or choose a fitness tracker with a coach to guide you.

Her are 6 healthy habits that can keep you fit.

  • Portion Control and Mindful Eating: Watching how much you eat is one of the best ways to maintain your weight. Have smaller portions of food instead of filling your plate in one go and have 5 small meals a day that is healthy and nutritious. This will help you manage your weight, keep your cool, maintain your focus and avoid cravings.
  • Exercise Daily: The best way to start your day is with some good physical activity. We all know the importance of physical activity, but still only a less percentage of the population in the world follow the same. Exercise has been found to decrease your chances of depression, anxiety, and stress. It is also related to higher success in your career. If you don’t care about your body, every other aspect of your life will suffer. Take care of your body. It is the only place you live.
  • Have Enough Water: Staying well hydrated is one of our body’s basic needs. Water is needed to enable the body to keep eliminating the toxins generated, to produce digestive enzymes, maintain healthy skin, hair, organs and to help your body absorb essential vitamins, minerals and natural sugars. Water also regulates the body temperature, cooling one down by evaporating through the skin. Drinking at least 3 litres of water a day is a must.
  • Get A Healthy 7+ Hours of Sleep: Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right time can help protect your mental and physical health, quality of life, and safety. Sleep is just as important as eating and drinking water. Despite this, millions of people do not sleep enough and experience insane problems as a result. The way you feel while you’re awake depends partly on how you have slept or what kind of sleep you have had. During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health.
  • Think Positive and have a sense of Gratitude: Being positive and thinking positive builds a healthier immune system and boosts overall health. Body believes what you think so think positive. Gratitude is good for our bodies, our minds, and our relationships. Showing gratitude also keeps one happy. Gratitude also blocks toxic and negative emotions and
  • Avoid Stress: The human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. Here are few things you can do to avoid stress. Namely meditate, deep breathing, be alert, relax, laugh out loud, listen to music, and chase your hobbies.

So let’s stay healthy and save money and rather use that money for things we love to do.

From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story

As we observe World Cancer Day under the powerful theme ‘United by Unique’ (2025-2027)**, we are reminded that every individual’s journey with cancer is distinct, yet united by shared resilience, hope, and the collective fight against this disease. This theme places people at the centre of care and their stories at the heart of the […]