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6 Health Benefits of Playing Sports

health benefits of sports

Do you remember the days when you were active and indulged in sports. Be it a game of football or cricket in your alley or shooting 3 pointers at your college’s basketball court, running all over the place with your friends created cherished memories. If this was an integral part of your childhood, you are familiar with the health benefits of playing sports!

Sports ensures that you are active both mentally and physically. As you grow older, sometimes due to responsibilities, work, family or other reasons, we tend to give up on our favorite hobby. We have seen so many cases where a person who used to play a sport, gave up and gained weight.

In most cases, once they began playing their favorite sport once again, their body accelerated much faster than the others and they lost all the stubborn fat they couldn’t get rid of otherwise. This happens primarily because your cells have the memory of being active. Remember that it is never too late to start again! 

Sports as an extracurricular activity in school and college not only gave you a break from your studies but also helped you get healthier. How you ask? Let’s find out!

6 Health Benefits of Playing Sports

  1. It teaches you to be patient, have a fighting spirit, and never settle for less in life.
  2. Studies show that, children who have been into sports or are blessed with super active genes are quick learners, very social, perform better at any given task, are more attentive in class and their grasping powers are much better than the others.
  3. Sports at an early age helps in life-long fitness habits.
  4. Earlier it was believed that any type of physical exertion can make a person feel more tired and less attentive. This belief was nothing more than a myth. Active people are more intellectual and perform better as compared to sedentary people.
  5. Looking at the growing occurrence of Teenage Obesity, sports can be a great and fun way to help them get back into shape.
  6. Any sport or activity will give you a dash of endorphins, reducing any kind of stress and keeping you happy!

So don’t sit back and think you’re too old for this or too old to get back to the sport you love! Wake up your inner child, grab your equipment, play a sport and encourage those around you to as well!

If you need guidance or want to pursue a sport, speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

Happy National Sports Day!

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Active Rest For Muscle Building

Active Rest

Yes, you heard it right. Rest is an essential part of any training program. Even when it comes to classes or work, we recognize that a few days leave can be recharging and renewing. For athletes, this can be harder, as they may feel guilty for taking a day, a week or a month off their training plan. Whether you are training for a competition or feeling extra motivated, more is not always better. Rest days are just as important as exercise. In fact, a successful fitness regimen isn’t complete without rest days.

What is Active Rest?

In terms of Rest days, there are 2 types of rest days

  • Passive Rest
  • Active Rest

Passive rest means a day of total rest without any physical activity, whereas Active rest means including low-intensity exercise that promotes blood flow to the muscles, helping them to recover better and faster.

Active rest is the sweet spot between being idle and training intensely. The goal of Active rest is to help your body heal from exercising by reducing the likelihood of inflammation and soreness. It allows your body to recover and repair. On your Active rest day you need to be active enough to increase blood flow, but gentle enough to allow your muscles to heal. 

Benefits of Active Rest

Whenever we use our muscles for exercising, our body turns glucose into Lactic acid; this is how our muscles get the energy to perform. Once our muscles stop working, the lactic acid our body remains in our muscles and causes that dreaded post-workout soreness. Active rest helps lactic acid move out of our muscles and dissolve into our bloodstream, so it’s not around to cause us pain afterward. The increased blood flow also makes it to our joints, reducing the chance of joint and muscle inflammation. It is essential for muscle growth. Exercise creates microscopic tears in your muscle tissues. But during rest, cells called fibroblasts repair it. This helps the tissue heal and grow, resulting in stronger muscles.

Active rest is also known to improve our mood and keep us from getting the post-workout blues, while also alleviating any fatigue. Plus, it’s great for our heart since it increases our heart rate and builds endurance.

Planning an Active Rest Day

An active rest day should include a different activity from your usual workout at the gym. You shouldn’t be working at maximum effort. Rather, go slow and don’t push yourself too hard.

Examples of active recovery exercises include:

  1. Stretching: is a simple and effective way to maintain increased blood flow and relaxation.
  2. Yoga: lengthens our muscles and tendons, aids in their recovery, and helps our body develop better mobility and flexibility.
  3. Meditation: is a great way to rest and refresh your mind. If sitting still for extended periods isn’t for you, there are alternative ways of meditating that keep your body busy and your mind free, such as doing the dishes or knitting.
  4. Swimming: is a low-impact exercise that’s easy on your joints and muscles.
  5. Walking or Jogging: is one of the best forms of Active Rest. Walking or jogging at a leisurely pace can enhance blood flow and help with recovery.
  6. Cycling: at a leisurely pace is an excellent way to get in an active recovery. It is low-impact and doesn’t put pressure on the joints. One can cycle either on a stationary bike or on a bicycle outdoors.
  7. Myofascial release with a foam roller: Active rest doesn’t only include movement. One also can stretch and roll a foam roller over parts of your body and get many of the same benefits. If your muscles are sore, foam rolling can help relieve tightness, reduce inflammation, and increase your range of motion.

A Word of Caution

Active rest day exercises are generally considered safe. During active recovery, make sure you aren’t working harder than about 50 percent of your maximum effort. This will give your body the chance it needs to rest. You may find that you feel less tight, sore, and even have more energy to exercise after active recovery. If you’re injured, in pain, or very fatigued, your body may need passive recovery which means total rest.

We hope this article helps you make the most of your workout and recovery. Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

You can find more information on muscle building here. You can also get these tips and know more about Active Rest or set up your own fitness routine by speaking to a GOQii Coach. All you need to do is subscribe to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

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Dance Your Way To Good Health on International Dance Day!

Dancing

We are all well aware that April 29 is celebrated as International Dance Day. Did you know that it is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Jean George Noverre – the creator of Modern Ballet?

If you’re wondering whether International Dance Day is just another addition to the various days that are being celebrated worldwide, then you’re in for a surprise. Dance and good health are closely knitted. You can, in fact, reap a surplus of health benefits from dancing.

From celebrations to harvest rituals, dance has always been an integral part of the human culture. In India, the legacy of dance dates back to 5000 years. The Hindu mythology speaks volumes of Lord Shiva as Natraja – the Lord of the Dance. The Divine Raslila by Lord Krishna, Radha Rani and the Gopis in Vrindavan or Lord Ganesha’s dance to express joy.

Not just in India, but in any part of the world, dancing has always been a source of delight and ecstasy. It‘s a way to express joys, sorrows and communicate emotions or a story with grace.

As it is International Dance Day, let’s take a look at various dance forms and how they can keep you healthy!

1. Ballet

This graceful dance originated during the Italian Renaissance in the 15th Century. The dance moves slowly at first and then picks up the pace to classical music with dramatic interpretation. Perhaps the main features of this dance are standing on the toes and the arms held out in an extended curve. As a result, these dancers have significant strength in their hamstrings, glutes, calves and feet. The turnout of the leg at the hip socket joint is another key element in Ballet which helps develop strong gluteal muscles. Ballet ensures posture alignment and joint flexibility. Ballet trainees are taught to engage their core to achieve alignment, balance and prevent injuries.

2. Bharatanatyam

Bharatanatyam is a classical solo Temple Dance from Southern India. The dance has impressive gesture and excellent footwork. It is based on Hindu religious themes. This dance form tones the arms, legs and the core. It also increases stamina, flexibility and balance. The steps and eye movements increase concentration and coordination skills. Rolling of the eyes is a good exercise for the eye muscles. It’s a great way to have a healthy heart and stay fit.

3. Belly Dance

The mesmerizing belly dance of the mysterious Middle East is an impressive and expressive dance form! It has admirers and followers all around the world. This dance originated in Egypt and has complex movements of the Torso. Dancing gracefully and fluidly is possible only when you have a strong core. Contrary to its name, Belly Dance also employs the larger and smaller muscles of the abdomen, pelvis, spine, neck, glutes and the upper arm.

4. Zumba

Zumba is the latest fitness craze which has swept youngsters as well as the elderly off their feet! It was accidentally invented when Albert “Beto” Perez, an aerobics instructor forgot to carry his tape and played the available Latin music and infused this dance with aerobics and Eureka! Zumba was born! It provides a great workout for the entire body, engaging each and every muscle group. It‘s a high-intensity cardio exercise which keeps metabolism high. Besides this, Zumba also increases endurance.

5. Salsa

Salsa is a dance and musical style with deep Caribbean and African roots. Although it was popular in Latin America, it has gained popularity in Europe and Asia too! Salsa is a partner dance which features a series of hip movement, twirls and other dance moves. This dance virtually engages all the major muscle groups. The glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves and core area are exercised aggressively in order to perform the various step sequences.

6. Bollywood Dance

If I had to pin down the exact number of dance forms which comprise the Bollywood Dance, it would be as difficult as gauging how many shades of blue makes the sky.

Initially, Bollywood Dance was inspired by classical and folk dances of the various states in India. Over the years, Bollywood Dance has evolved. Now there are professional choreographers who have introduced Disco, Hip-Hop, Freestyle Dancing, Belly Dancing and so on.

Bollywood Dancing is a great aerobic exercise which engages the whole body. It is a fun way to tone up the body as most of the dance movements help strengthen the core and calves. And last but not the least, it’s a great stress buster.

How Does Dancing Help Your Health?

  • It is a great activity for those with cardiovascular disease as it helps increase lung capacity
  • Dance aids in boosting memory and preventing dementia as you grow older
  • It improves flexibility and helps in maintaining body balance and coordination
  • Dancing solo, with a partner or in a group is said to reduce stress. Symptoms of depression are much lower with people who sway to the rhythm
  • It is a popular way to stay fit and active. Most fitness clubs have already included dance in their fitness regime
  • It also improves one’s confidence and self-esteem

Although dance can be performed by anyone, keep a few things in mind:

  • Consult your Doctor if you have any medical conditions or obesity
  • Warm up and stretch before dancing
  • If you are a beginner, don’t push yourself too hard
  • Keep yourself well hydrated
  • Rest in between sessions

Whether you’re a busy person, multi-tasking or a senior citizen, age is just a number when you dance to the music you like! If you want to start dancing for health, tune in to some of our coaches on GOQii Play and find a good mix of Zumba, Strong by Zumba, Aerobics and Belly Dancing! Download the app to get started.

Do you know of any other dance form that provides a multitude of health benefits? Share them with us in the comments below!

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High Intensity Interval Training and Its Benefits

HIIT and its benefitsYou have definitely come across the term HIIT in the past few years. High Intensity Interval Training is an exercise routine which people swear by to get the best results! While there may be a lot of confusion as to what exactly HIIT is and who should do it, we’re here to clear out the confusion!

What is High Intensity Interval Training?

HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training, also known as Sprint Interval Training or High Intensity Intermittent Exercise is a form of a workout designed to lose body fat and increase stamina.

In this routine, a person performs a burst of high intensity exercise [say sprinting for 30 seconds] followed by a short burst of active rest [say walking/jogging for 30 seconds] for a total of 4-5 minutes. You can then take a minute or two of rest and repeat the same pattern with other exercises.

The main aspect of this routine is that you can’t rest. You are always moving and doing either high or low intensity exercise. HIIT is suitable for all ages and can be done 4-5 times a week for best results.

It is advised to begin HIIT training with a 1:1 ratio of high and low intensity which means 30 seconds of high intensity and 30 seconds of low intensity. When you can do it easily then the ratio can be 2:1 of high and low intensities.

Benefits of HIIT

  1. Quick Workout For Busy Individuals: HIIT workout can range from a 10 minutes to 45 minute sessions consisting of one or different exercises. It is the best exercise routine if you have less time on your hands and want to get the best results. You can lose up to 500 calories in a 40-45 minute workout depending on the exercise and the ratio you choose.
  2. Fat Loss: HIIT raises the heartbeat to the fat burning range rather quickly and keeps it there because of no rest. This gives amazing fat loss results in a relatively short amount of time compared to conventional cardio. The results are visible too.
  3. Increased Endurance: This exercise routine is very helpful to increase stamina even if you start at the lowest speeds. Many players who perform HIIT have found that they can run longer at higher speeds when they followed this routine regularly for some time.
  4. Improved Brain Functioning: Research done at various institutes has found that following an HIIT routine for some time causes the following changes which increase the brain’s functioning capacity.
    • Increases the number of neurons in the brain
    • Better cognitive functioning
    • Reduced stiffness and inflammation in the nerves
    • Increases the development of new blood vessels in the brain
  1. Better Physical Performance: Research done at the University of British Columbia found the following benefits of HIIT over the traditional long duration, moderate intensity workouts
    • Higher stamina
    • Longer endurance
    • Higher metabolism
    • Increased speed and agility
    • Higher peak power

So now we see that HIIT is not your usual go-to method for reducing fat, but it is also very helpful in improving important aspects of both mental and physical performance. You can include it in your current workout or try it instead of your current cardio routine for a week.

Here is a Quick HIIT Routine You Can Follow  

  • Jumping jacks – 1 minute
  • Squats – 1 minute
  • Spot Running – 1 minute
  • Squats – 1 minute
  • Jumping Jacks – 1 minute

Rest for 1-2 minutes and do 2-4 sets depending on your fitness level.

Was this article helpful? Did we miss out on any facts? Let us know in the comments below! For more on fitness and workouts, check out Healthy Reads.

To workout with an expert, you can join our live, interactive, online classes on GOQii PRO, where our certified fitness experts will guide you on the correct form and posture in real time, while making sure that you are well motivated! You can book a class now from the GOQii App.

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