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“GOQii’s approach to fitness is very motivating,workable and enriching that I easily managed to trek to Everest Base Camp

Enroute to EBC_ Walking the long bridges

Enroute to EBC_ Walking the long bridges. Photo Courtesy – Roland Amon

He is a filmmaker and started his own production house. Since then Life has been hectic for this young lad. He does indulge in travelling and exploring. He realized that as he was not going to stay young, which needed him to be fitter both mentally and physically…..so here is what Ridhesh Sejpal did…… his story in his own words.

I am a filmmaker and the Co-founder of Wise Guy Ent, which is where I started my entrepreneurial journey. Having my own production company makes my schedules generally hectic. To add to that I also travel for work and otherwise. These aspects give me limited time to do any kind of workout.  Although, I would make it a point to wake up early and hit the gym as often as I can.

But, at times when I am shooting or travelling, I would miss out on my gym training. During work / shoots, my sleep pattern would go haywire. On the nutrition front, I had the My fitness pal app and I followed it religiously for 3 months and also lost about 9-10 kgs, but after that, I was just aware.

I realized that I am not going to stay younger and it was all the more important for me to get fitter both mentally and physically. I wanted to be active on a daily basis and hence started looking out for a fitness tracker that could track my fitness progress. I came across “GOQii”. I researched to find out it was an Indian brand. I liked the idea of a personalized coach, who would keep track of your fitness, nutrition and overall health. I decided to go for it and got my GOQii band in August 2015. My health goal when I got the GOQii band was fitness for Everest Base Camp (EBC). I wanted to be extremely fit for the EBC trek that I was doing in November 2015.

Ruksar, being my coach did not give me goals but habits to follow. Since I am a vegetarian, she gave me tips on how to increase my protein intake in my regular diet. Her suggestions were also all practically doable. Nothing was impossible.

I had never trekked earlier in my life, therefore, I did some research and there were 3 things I wanted to concentrate on – to increase lung capacity, concentrate on strengthening my leg muscles and build stamina. I also joined a Les Mills & Cross Fit training classes for 3 months and made it a point to go religiously. My trek to EBC was challenging, terrific and breathtaking all at the same time! No words or pictures can elucidate to what I saw, felt and experienced up there in the Khumbu valley in Nepal!

Mission Accompalished-Ridesh standing 2nd from right with his friends at EBC summit

Mission Accompalished – Ridesh standing 2nd from right with his friends at EBC summit. Photo Courtesy – Roland Amon

I want to sincerely thank my coach Ruksar with all one’s heart for being a superb coach throughout. Pushing me daily and sticking to the basics. She helped me complete the trek successfully. Thanks to her coaching and my efforts, my lungs could endure the lack of oxygen and my muscles could survive the physical torture pretty well.  We did it!

During the trek, I also kept her diet sheet in my mind. My Coach’s “GPRS” (G Stands for Grilled, P stands for Poached, R stands for Roasted and S stands for Steam) rule, stuck with me and. I consciously followed it while I ate and I still do.

My takeaway from this experience was the solutions and advice my coach gave me. They were all practical and something which I can follow routinely all throughout my life. I feel GOQii’s approach to fitness is very motivating and workable / enriching. I have been able to inspire my family and friends, to the extent that a few family members and friends have now got the band already. My next big goal for 2016 is to run the Marathon.

What does Coach Ruksar Nathani have to say about Ridesh?

His primary goal was to loose belly fat, be fit and stay healthy apart from fitness for EBC trek. He was doing well with his activities so we started working on his food habits, introduced mid-meals, warm lemon water and salads and also worked on stress by setting a goal for breathing exercise. Ridesh religiously followed all the short term goals and as a result, there was inch loss at belly and was happy about eating well and was fitter and healthier than before.

I was informed 15 days before his EBC so I did a little research and summarized everything for him which included:
1. Obstacles that he will be facing
2. Ways to tackle those
3. Daily food options to be eaten before the trek for proper nutrition as there was intense exercise going on for building stamina and strengthening.
4. Food sources high in chlorophyll and food to be avoided that will deplete oxygen.
5. Food to be carried during the trek.
6. Food options when and where to eat while on a trek.

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Psychology of good health: It’s all in your Mind!

Best-Habits-of-Highly-Healthy-People

Eat right, be active, sleep well seem to be the ultimate health mantra these days. Yet, when we look around we find people having the most nutritious diet and doing the right mix of cardio and strength training exercises along with well-balanced polarities of activity and rest; and yet end up falling ill or having some or the other lifestyle disease thereby reducing their life span eventually.

Most people then end up blaming their genes, lower immunity levels or toxic environment in general as the main cause for all the diseases. One rarely looks within to find the cause. The issue is largely about the way one thinks and feels. Yes, our ‘Beliefs create our Biology’!!!

Does this seem complicated to you? Let me explain this with the analogy of a car.

Good food is like quality fuel. The exercise we do to build stamina and muscles is akin to the strong car tyres or the car body. And sound sleep is like the idle engine or off road time of the car. Just as diet, exercise and sleep are essential for our health and well-being in the same way for a quality car to perform well requires fuel and maintenance. Just as the car requires a good driver to manoeuvre it, our body too requires a good functional brain and nervous system to run it smoothly.

NERVOUS SYSTEM

I am sure everyone is wondering why we are taking you back to your school days telling you about the nervous system but, it is essential to understand how a good nervous system goes a long way in keeping one healthy and happy.

It is very important to understand the way the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in our body works.ANS regulates the pulse, blood pressure and our breathing apart from being responsible for controlling the functions of internal organs and glands which secretes hormones. It is also involved in our ability to experience emotions.

ANS is made up of these 2 different branches…

  1. Sympathetic Nervous System–it prepares the body for any action – increased blood flow to the muscles and other responses known as “fight-or-flight (just like the gas pedal in a car).
  2. Parasympathetic Nervous System – it functions when the body is at rest and helps the body store energy for future use. (just like the brakes in a car)

For smooth functioning both these components of ANS operate in sync, example during exercise the sympathetic increases heart rate whereas after exercise the parasympathetic helps to slow down the heart rate.

However emotions like anger, anxiety or worry can cause the signals going to these two parts of the ANS to get out of sync with each other. (It’s like we have our foot on accelerator and other on brake pedal at the same time which causes jerky rides and burns more fuel) This disharmony can lead to stress, wear and tear of our body and depletes its energy.

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

Continuing with the car analogy; the car definitely will not run longer if the fuel line is leaking or ruptured. Same way if the nutrients are not properly absorbed from the food we eat then even the most nutritious food will not make us healthy. This is exactly what happens when we are stressed. The brain is unable to distinguish between physical threat and mental tension. Body’s reaction to both is either flight or fight. The body prepares itself for flight or fight by supplying extra blood to our limbs and less to the visceral organs. This extra stimulation and inadequate blood flow causes improper digestion of even the most nutritious food.

IMMUNE SYSTEM

Immunity levels also decreases when we face stress for prolonged period of time. During such times the focus is to fight the external enemy or situation and not the virus attacking the body within. At most times it so happens that we keep thinking about a negative event of the past and feel stressed out both emotionally and physically. We unknowingly are making ourselves less immune because of our inability to correctly distinguish between the actual and virtual threat.

Thus, to end with the car analogy – the car can function only when it is run by a good driver who operates the accelerator and brakes in proper sync. The car surely requires good fuel, strong tyres along with enough engine idle time for a smooth drive; but most of all it requires is a good driver.

In the same way humans also need a sound mind which can distinguish between actual stressful situations and the trivial ones. It’s only then, we can keep ourselves calm and sleep well, eat right and move more for perfect health and longevity.

To achieve complete wellbeing we require a sound mind in a sound body.

This fact was very well exemplified by the oldest documented living person – a French woman Jeanne Clament who lived for almost 123 years without suffering any ill effects of her smoking habit of 100 years. As it’s said “Thought is more important than lifestyle”!!!

 

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

dr harshita

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.

dr harshita 1

 

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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.

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