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March 15, 2016 By Harshita Mehrotra Leave a Comment

“Give yourself just half hour in a day to be active”

She is a doctor by profession but, strangely never found time for herself to be active and healthy. But, the GOQii band and her coach changed everything for her in 18 months. Here is Dr. Harshita Mehrotra’s success story in her own words.

I am a surgeon and currently posted in Port Blair. But, during my residency training to be a surgeon I was based in Delhi. Residency can be very taxing and stressful. I was so involved in my studies and work that I never paid attention to my own health as I never made time for myself. It’s ironic that I was studying medicine and I myself was not up to mark with my health goals.

I used to be frequently working night shifts in the hospital and I got addicted to caffeine leading me to have several cups of Coffee through the day. Add to this habit, I also had a very sweet tooth so it used to be pastries with Coffee invariably. I just could not resist them. I was also suffering from PCOD and GRD (Gastro Reflux Disorder) which are lifestyle diseases. And above all, I had no form of exercise at all.

I knew it was time for me to do something about this and get on the health path as soon as possible. I was sure that whatever changes I made to my life needed to be sustainable over the long-term. After all, what would be the point of working really hard to get active and healthy, only to go back to old times and face all the problems again?

Before:

Unstructured schedules of a medical student
No focus on her own health – Incorrect food, no exercise routine

In November 2014, I was suggested that I join a gym or do something to get active. I had joined a gym earlier but due to my odd things as a resident, I frequently skipped it. I came across GOQii band and I decided to go for it. The moment I got it I had made up my mind I am going to get active. I was also happy that I got a personal coach who would be having a hawk’s eye on me.

My dear coach Neha More asked me all about what I did, how I ate, what I ate, if I was active daily, how much did I sleep and when did I sleep etc. I had no positive answers to give her but, I told her my health goal was clear – I wanted to get active and be active every day. Neha helped me a lot towards achieving my goal.

We did not do anything drastic. Slowly and steadily she made me change my habits. She would say “ok, you are not having enough water – so drink water and not coffee.” She got me to reduce my caffeine and sugar intake. Alongside, she also made sure I was walking or had some kind of physical activity. Prior to getting a GOQii, I was leading quite a sedentary life. Then just by jogging around also gave me some leg pain but as I got regular, the pain also disappeared.

After:

Daily fitness routine – Run and core exercises every morning
Introduced Interval Training to build stamina
Healthier meals – given up sugar, white carbs, and snacking on junk food, having an early dinner and not skipping breakfast
Change in mood, energy levels, and dress size

I have now moved out of Delhi and practice in a hospital in Port Blair so cannot be a part of Delhi active Sundays anymore. But, I make it a point to spend at least 30 minutes with myself. Currently, I do a step count of anywhere between 7000 to 10000 steps daily. I also go for a 1.5 to 2 km run every day.

Having a personal coach has really helped. Some days when I am really stressed out and tell her I am stressed she would tell me to do some meditation and breathing exercise. She would ask me to focus on the positives and these helped me.

My life has been transformed as a result of being active on a daily basis. Even the voice in my head has changed. The voice that used to be harsh and self-critical is now kinder and much more compassionate. I have learned to treat myself and others with me too who are struggling to be active and healthy.

I have also had the opportunity to inspire others to take steps to become more physically active, too. I just tell them to give you 30 minutes daily to get active and that would be all.

While it’s not just about getting active and healthy, GOQii also gives you an opportunity to do good through their Karma initiative. I have so far donated 5000 karma points till date. I donated this towards improving healthcare access for women, improving access to healthcare to poor and victims of Tamilnadu floods. Karma initiative is a great idea and makes me feel that I am contributing to the welfare of society.

It’s been over a year-and-a-half since I started on this journey. Today, I can proudly say that I have gained so much more. I have gained a healthy life and hope for the future. By the end of this year, I want to run a marathon.

What does Coach Neha More have to say about Dr. Harshita?

Dr. Harshita is a surgeon and very dedicated. When she was working in a hospital in night shifts she used to have lot of coffee and pastries. She had a sweet tooth or should I say rather sweet teeth and no time to be physically active.

We had been working on her sweet cravings, coffee intake then later running, interval jog and strengthening exercises too.

She started with exercises like strengthening, Interval jog and run and it has now become her routine and she ensures to keep herself active through the day if she misses on her daily exercises.

She incorporated healthy foods and understood the effects of ‘Mindful Eating’ while having meals which had great impact on her sweet cravings and portion control. She started consuming more water, lemon water after having sweets and coffee to maintain hydration level. We also worked on balancing the nutrient intake than restricting the specific food items to develop a healthy meal routine. All in all she is well on her path to ‘Good Health’ and be the force.

March 14, 2016 By Anurag Bisen 1 Comment

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

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.

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.’

February 29, 2016 By Ruta Satam 2 Comments

From Soul to Sole

Just as clothes are important to cover oneself, Shoes is also important to cover your feet from the hard ground. Lack of a shoe in your feet can cause a lot of wear and tear in the foot tendons, ligaments as well as bones. Additionally, hookworms, a leading cause of disease in developing countries, enter the body through the foot, usually when a person steps in infected dirt. The use of shoes is the best way to prevent infection by hookworms.

Sadly, today a lot of people and children alike from the background walk barefoot, not by choice, but because they cannot afford a pair of shoes or slippers. And then there is this affluent class or fairly privileged class of people who have several pairs of shoes and seldom know what to do with the extra pair that has got old and lying in the corner.

Understanding this disparity and the importance of footwear for one and all, two young lads from Mumbai Shreyans Bhandari and Ramesh Dhami started Green Sole, a social venture that collects discarded shoes, refurbishes them and makes comfortable footwear for the underprivileged.

The idea is to provide these shoes to the neediest through corporate, NGOs and schools. The seeds of this idea was sowed when Shreyans and Ramesh started running for fitness and ran hundreds of kilo meters every year participating in various Marathons. And through their runs they also lost three to four pairs of sport shoes each year.

They found that the soles were in good condition but, the shoe sides tore within months. The duo wondered if they could find some use for the intact soles of these quality sport shoes. Research led them to the idea of recycling and refurbishing them into trendy slippers. That brainwave eventually spawned an eco-friendly enterprise that reuses shoe soles and is appropriately named “Greensole”.

So far Greesole has distributed over 3000 footwear in Kondana village, Maharashtra and to homeless in Mumbai. There are several corporate entities who are joining this initiative of collecting old shoes and donating them to Greensole.

GOQii haspart of their Karma initiative has partnered with Greensole to provide its users a platform where they can donate their footwear or contribute their karma points towards those individuals who are deprived of a footwear. The idea is walk more to get healthy.

GOQii and Greensole will also be hosting on-ground workshops for GOQii users and provide all those interested an opportunity to lend their hands to make shoes for the under-privileged.

To know more about Greensole, please visit their website http://www.greensole.in/

Reference:

February 9, 2016 By Parwage Alam Leave a Comment

5 basic exercises to shed your excess weight –Part 1

In today’s hectic life – with packed schedules, calendars have no column for relaxation or time for doing anything good. This also translates into “No Time” for eating healthy food which invariably leads one to have all sorts of JUNK food available on the menu. and is a ready to eat option. Outcome of overeating junk food is ‘excess weight’.

Excess weight slowly and steadily leads to Obesity and to shed this excess weight and get back on track becomes a huge task. Nevertheless it is not impossible if one puts in the effort, had dedication and patience. Exercise is the key to creating a physically, mentally, and emotionally healthier body. However, at the same time, some of the moves may be too painful or nearly impossible for those who are heavy.

Here are some basic exercise which can be done to avoid unhealthy lifestyle, without any harm:

Walking–This is one of the best and basic workouts that can be done by one and all, anywhere without spending a single penny and is a low-impact aerobic exercise. It may still be difficult to work for those who are morbidly corpulent, which is when baby steps need to be implemented with a walker, walking cane, or assistance. Slow walking burns extra calories for those carrying extra weight because they have to exert more energy than a normal-weight person.

Exercise Ball Workouts: people on the heavier side often find it difficult to exercise in front of others. The best solution in this case is Exercise Ball, which is really a great help to do different workouts at home. An exercise ball will help them to do the variety of strengthening, toning, stretching and balancing exercises with support. Exercise balls can be used for abdominal crunches by lying on your back, setting your ankles onto the ball, and lifting upward with your core and both arms behind your head.

You can do:

# “Bouncing On the Ball Workout” targets: core, quads, glutes, and hamstrings

# “Inner-Thigh Squeeze Workout”, targets – Strengthens inner thighs and core

# “Half Squat” with the help of Exercise Ball and wall”, which targets: Strengthens abs, glutes, and hamstrings

Once you get comfortable with the ball, try incorporating it into your everyday activities, such as sitting on it while you are on the computer, eating at the dinner table, or reading a book.

Aqua Aerobics: You can perform your exercise under water because water makes you feel lighter by helping to support your body weight. It also lessens the impact on your joints. You can do swimming if you know.

For more read my Blog “One-Stop Shop Workout – Swimming”: http://goqii.com/blog/one-stop-shop-workout-swimming/

Seated Stationary Bike: The seated or recumbent stationary bike is different than a normal upright exercise bike. It provides a backrest optimal for heavier or obese people who haven’t developed a strong enough abdominal core to hold them upright long enough. It also places less stress on your lower spine, which is a frequent problem for those who are heavy. Biking also engages different muscles than walking or running do. Alternating exercise days between biking and brisk walking will also give the body a dynamic bonus aerobic workout.

Group Exercise Classes: There are chances that you will get bored and demotivated if you are working out alone. The best way then to motivate yourself is by joining a group exercise class that has people who all have similar goals such as yours. Each of them then motivates the other to achieve the respective goals. Initially, it will be difficult to achieve your goal, but with the continuous motivation and effort, you will achieve your goal.

Get up set your goal and start working towards it.

Look forward to the second part of my blog where I will take you through some more exercises.

Note: Please consult your Doctor before including the above exercises into your routine, as an individual’s body and medical conditions vary.

“Give yourself just half hour in a day to be active”

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

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

From Soul to Sole

5 basic exercises to shed your excess weight –Part 1

From Burnout to Balance: How Dr. Ranjit Reclaimed His Health

From Shimla’s Slopes to Chandigarh’s Sidewalks: Surinder Kaur Bhalla’s Journey from Chaos to Control

“I’ve Challenged Myself to Live 100 Years” – The Story of Chandubhai Savani’s Second Chance at Life

From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story