Search Results for: work from home

June 2, 2015 By Mohammed Tufail Qureshi Leave a Comment

WORKOUTS IN A 10 SQUARE FEET AREA

One of the biggest reasons for not exercising is largely due to lack of time and not being able to make it to the gym. Reasons could be varied such as dislike to visit the gym and lift weights, especially for women. Well, it’s not necessary for you to go to the gym, you can work out at your own home, office cabin or at any place which is just no more than 10 square feet in measurement.

Yes , you heard it right. You can do your complete body workout in just 10 square feet area. Let’s have a detailed look at the different types of training you can do in a little place.

You can do aerobic (cardio) exercises with your own body weight and also with a very basic equipment like a skipping rope.

You can do exercises like jumping jacks, mountain climbers, burpees, high knees, spot jogging, spot jumping, hot feets etc. These are few of the very basic and effective exercises to raise your heart beat up and build cardio vascular strength. Per session you can select 3-4 exercise as a part of the session and can do each exercise for 15-20 seconds and then take 5-10 seconds of rest between each exercise.

You can do strength training with your own body weight or basic equipment like resistance tube or a pair of dumbells or barbells. You can do free hand body weight exercises like squats, jump squats, wall squats, push-ups, supported push-ups (on your knees), tricep dips on a chair or on the floor, leg raises , lunges, leg extensions on chair. Also with a pair of dumbbell or barbells or with resistance band you can do bicep curls , triceps extensions, shoulder presses, rowing , squats, lunges etc.
You can do a specific core workout session which includes exercises to be done for lower back and abs. Core session is extremely important. Exercises like back extension, superman raises , child pose, cat & camel thrust , pelvic raises will strengthen and stretch your lower back. On the other hand, exercises like crunches, bicycle crunches, leg raises, scissor kicks, flutter kicks, planks, side planks etc. will work on your abdominal muscles.
You can do stretching exercises, yoga, power yoga and different types of breathing exercises. Stretching exercises, Yoga, power yoga and breathing exercises will improve your flexibility and burn fats as well. Yes, that’s right. Oxygen burns fats, so the more you focus on breathing exercises the more you burn fat and keep your cells healthy by providing oxygen to your body.

These are the exercises which you can do in a very small place like 10 square feet area and, can still focus on your overall fitness by improving strength, stamina and flexibility. You can plan it well according to your schedule and do each of these variety exercises at least once in a week.

January 23, 2015 By Mitali Ambekar 5 Comments

Excruciating Knee Pain- can’t workout? Here are some dos and don’ts

India is rapidly getting on the fitness path. However, many who have been active have suddenly become inactive due to injuries and largely these injuries pertain to leg or back. Knee pain and back pain being the most common among the young adults.

Knee pain today has become one of the most common orthopedic pain ailment among people of all age groups. What was earlier considered to affect people after about 60 years of age is now striking people earlier, reason being wrong foot wear, injury, bad and sedentary lifestyle, body weight, etc.

Let me cite my own example: I had injured my knee during the rainy season due to wrong shoes while performing an adventure activity. I couldn’t walk for few days as I had ruptured my ligament. It was a ligament strain. Thereafter, my knee became a hindrance for my workout. Doctor suggested rest and no workout.

I had to skip everything, right from running, working out, playing a sport. And I felt miserable and helpless that an injury stopped me from so many things. This is exactly the scenario with many of the people I consult. Most come up with the same issue of Knee injury so exercise is a NO NO, which is necessary for being fit.

First and foremost one needs to understand there are different kinds of Knee pain, it can be an injury, strained past injury, excessive weight, high uric acid, joint pain, arthritis. Depending upon what it is exactly that is giving the pain; there are different or similar solutions to it. In my case too, I spoke to different experts like Physiotherapist or My Trainer and I figured out that I need not stop exercising. I need to work on the strengthening of the knee and avoiding exercises that would worsen it.

In cases like High Uric acid and joint pain, of course dietary changes play a major role but exercises also need to be a part of recovery.

Things that would bother it more is exercises like Squats, that is why your doctor says start using western toilet and don’t sit down, as that motion would impact more on your knee and give pain.

Also avoid lunges, a form of exercise. Jumping moments as it would give shock to your joints especially the knees.

How do we still continue to be active with the knee pain?

What can be done?

1. Exercise to strengthen it: Sit on a chair and raise your leg up and put it down again, repeat this for 10 times in a set of two. After few weeks, repeat the same exercise with little ankle weights, if you can manage.

2. Roll up a towel or a cloth: to form a cylindrical type format and keep that under your knee with the leg extended, try to press that with the knee and then release, repeat this for 4-5 times.

You can follow these two exercises for a better and stronger knee muscles.

3. Avoid running, squats, jumping movements

4. Eat foods that make your knee stronger Walnuts, Almonds, Milk and Milk products

5. In certain cases physiotherapy exercises will be needed.

6. Strengthen the supporting muscles like glutes( hip muscle), core muscles and leg muscles.

7. Stretching the leg muscles will also help as the stiffness in this part of muscle can cause difficulty in movement of the knee leading to pain.

8. Anti inflammatory and high antioxidants food like fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts.

9. Have food rich on Omega 3 like flaxseed and fish

10. Home made ghee of cow’s milk.

11. Maintain body weight.

12. Warm up well before any type of activity.

13. Opt for swimming as it helps a lot in knee issue.

14. Wear proper fitting shoes

15. Do not increase or decrease your activity. Keep it moderate.

16. Increase your Calcium & D3 uptake. Sources can be Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, egg yolk

( avoid for people have high cholesterol/ triglycerides), Ragi, Broccoli, Nuts, Fish.

All these points can make your knee pain better and make it more stronger and don’t stop yourself from workout if there is knee pain.

May 1, 2026 By GOQii Leave a Comment

Revenge Bedtime Procrastination: Why You Stay Up Late When You’re Exhausted

It’s 11:30 PM. Neha has been running on fumes since 7:00 AM. Meetings. Commute. Dinner. Chores.

Her body wants sleep.

So she gets into bed… and scrolls for two hours.

By 1:30 AM, she’s exhausted, guilty, and already dreading the morning.

And tomorrow night? She’ll do it again.

You’re not scrolling because you’re bored.

You’re scrolling because your day gave you nothing.

What Is Revenge Bedtime Procrastination?

The term comes from the Chinese phrase bàofùxìng áoyè used to describe people who sacrifice sleep to reclaim a sense of control over their time.

It’s not insomnia.

You can sleep. You just choose not to because midnight is the only time that feels like yours.

Midnight isn’t freedom. It’s borrowed time.

Why It Happens (The Real Driver)

Revenge bedtime procrastination is not about discipline. It’s about autonomy.

When your day is consumed by:

Work demands
Family responsibilities
Constant notifications

…your brain looks for a window where nobody needs anything from you. That window is night.

So you delay sleep to feel:

In control
Entertained
Like yourself again

It feels like self-care. It’s actually self-neglect.

The Hidden Cost of “Stolen Time”

That extra hour at night isn’t neutral. It compounds.

The Cortisol Trap

Late-night stimulation keeps your body in fight-or-flight mode. As we have explored before, this constant adrenal stress and elevated cortisol leaves you feeling wired but tired. You wake up unrested even after “enough” hours in bed.

Metabolic Disruption

Sleep restriction disrupts hunger hormones (ghrelin ↑, leptin ↓), increasing cravings for sugar and high-calorie foods. Sleep less → crave more → store more.

Cognitive Decline

Lack of deep sleep affects:

Memory consolidation
Focus
Emotional regulation

That “brain fog” tomorrow? You created it last night.

The Loop You Can’t See

Poor sleep → harder day → more exhaustion → more late-night scrolling. You’re stealing from tomorrow to feel alive today.

How to Break the Cycle (Without Losing “Me-Time”)

This isn’t about willpower. It’s about redistributing autonomy.

Add “Me-Time” During the Day

If your entire day is transactional, your night will become compensatory. Create micro-breaks:

10-minute walk alone
Quiet coffee without your phone
A short read between tasks

If you don’t claim time during the day, you’ll steal it at night.

Create a Clear End to Your Day

Especially if you work from home. Build a shutdown ritual to align your circadian rhythm for better rest:

Change clothes
Dim lights
Take a warm shower

Signal to your brain: “Work is over.”

Replace High-Dopamine With Low-Dopamine

Scrolling = erratic dopamine spikes → alert brain. Swap it for:

Reading fiction
Stretching
Journaling
Podcasts

Calm doesn’t come from stimulation. It comes from slowing down.

Reduce the Friction to Sleep

Make sleep the easiest option by incorporating simple daily rituals for better sleep:

Keep your phone away from your pillow
Dim lights post 10 PM
Use a consistent wind-down cue

Start Smaller Than You Think

Don’t jump from 2:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Start with: 👉 15 minutes earlier tonight. That’s it.

The Bottom Line

You don’t have a sleep problem. You have a life structure problem leaking into your nights.

You deserve time for yourself. But sacrificing sleep to get it is a losing trade.

You don’t need more time at night. You need a life during the day.

Revenge bedtime procrastination is a signal, not a failure. Fix the signal: reclaim small moments during the day, create boundaries, and reduce stimulation… and your nights will fix themselves.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is revenge bedtime procrastination a sleep disorder?
No. Unlike insomnia, you can sleep you’re choosing not to, to reclaim personal time.
Who is most affected?
High-stress professionals, parents, caregivers anyone with low daytime autonomy.
Does sleep tracking help?
Yes. Seeing sleep debt (low scores, elevated resting HR) often triggers behaviour change.

#BeTheForce

Disclaimer This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. If you are dealing with chronic sleep issues, burnout, or anxiety, consult a qualified healthcare professional.

May 11, 2023 By Hajra Mithani Leave a Comment

5 Eating Habits To Avoid Before You Sleep

Did the lockdown, work from home and everything in between during the pandemic, affect our sleep schedule? The GOQii IndiaFit Report found that there was a drop in the overall sleeping hours we experienced. From an average of 7.6 hours of sleep in 2019, we dropped to 6.8 hours in 2022. This change has led to lots of disturbed sleep or even worse – insomnia.

Lack of quality sleep can contribute to issues such as indigestion, acidity and even mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Apart from practices like meditation, mindfulness, exercise and deep breathing techniques, even what you eat can impact your sleep. So if you’re aiming for a good night’s rest but are unable to achieve it, here are some eating habits you should avoid for a good night’s rest!

Avoid These 5 Eating Habits Before You Sleep

Junk Food: Pizza, burgers and fries, etc. have refined flours and simple sugars which take longer to digest, disturbing your digestive system at night causing disrupted sleep. Because of their high sodium count, they can leave you feeling bloated, causing sleep-stealing discomfort. Also, you might feel thirstier after consuming junk food. Foods high in calories are digested slowly and may cause stomach upset, cramping, bloating or heartburn if eaten before bed.
Sugars: Sugary food gives you an extra dose of unwanted energy, which is not needed at night. When you eat a lot of sugar before bed, your blood sugar climbs high and then falls rapidly as your body releases hormones to bring the levels under control. This swing in hormones and blood sugar levels impairs sleep. The other reason to avoid starchy or sugary food is it gives you immense energy in a very short period making the body highly active.
Spicy food: Eating items like chillies before bedtime can cause indigestion which makes it difficult to sleep well. It is speculated that this may be due to capsaicin, an active ingredient in chili peppers, affecting sleep via changes in body temperature. Eating spicy food too close to bed causes acidity and worsen symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Some studies have claimed that spicy food can trigger brain waves that cause nightmares and you end up tossing and turning all night. So it might not be a good idea to gorge on to those peri-peri fries for dinner.
Caffeine: It is a stimulant that increases your heart rate and alertness – the opposite effect you want when you’re trying to sleep. The role of caffeine (found in coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa) is to make a drowsy soul active and attentive. Caffeine delays and shortens the sleeping duration of individuals. Dark chocolate has polyphenol, but it’s also a surprising source of caffeine. 20gm dark chocolate has about a quarter of the caffeine as a cup of coffee, and about half the caffeine as a cup of green or black tea. It takes 6-10 hours to eliminate caffeine, which means enjoy a dark chocolate treat at around 4 pm if you plan to sleep at 10 pm.
Alcohol: It suppresses melatonin – the hormone that regulates your internal clock and thus disrupts the circadian rhythm of the body negatively, the reason you wake up in the middle of your sleep. Alcohol also makes you dehydrated and often thirsty in the middle of the night with frequent washroom trips. It interferes with the body’s other sleep-wake regulator – its internal sleep drive. Alcohol increases levels of adenosine, a chemical that regulates sleep by rising naturally in the body. It’s adenosine-boosting effects make you sleep at times other than your natural timings, thus disturbing your natural sleep-wake cycle.

If this article helped you catch up on your much needed hours of rest, let us know in the comments below! You can learn more about sleep here or you can discuss this topic further with a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.