Fitness and Health Archives

June 22, 2020 By Soni Thakur 2 Comments

Do Your Muscles Turn Into Fat When You Stop Weight Training?

Being indoors for this long has given people a lot of time to do some research. If you have been researching fitness, weight training and muscles, I’m sure the thought of – “will my muscles turn into fat if I stop weight training” has crossed your mind. While you might watch your fitness levels, maintain a healthy weight and improve strength, etc, it is equally important to understand what happens once you stop weight training in order to preserve muscle mass.

What Do Muscles Mean?

Muscle is a tissue in animal bodies. Their main purpose is to help us move our body parts. When a muscle is activated via exercise, it contracts, making itself shorter and thicker i.e. it grows in size.

When you exercise, your body does not create new muscles. Instead, your existing muscles grow larger and stronger.
With regular exercise, muscles also develop more mitochondria (this is where biochemical processes of respiration and energy production occur in the cell). The result is larger and more muscle mass.
When you stop weight training/adopt a sedentary lifestyle, then the increased blood flow previously needed to fuel your cells during exercise is no longer required, so your body begins to contract and reduce the size of your capillaries. As a consequence, muscles shrink and decrease in mass.

Points To Consider

Muscle cells and fat cells are different structures and are not interchangeable at all. They will become smaller and weaker if you stop weight training because they lose muscle mass. Although, it will not happen in a short period of time as the process of losing muscle mass is slow and gradual which may take 4-6 weeks. Fat may be produced if your diet provides your body with more calories than required based on the activity levels you maintain.

You can preserve and maintain your muscle mass by keeping yourself active. By active I do not mean hitting the gym everyday but by just walking in between breaks, using the staircase instead of the lift, stretching your body every 2 hours, walking while being on a call instead of just sitting at one place, walking after every meal whether it’s your main meal or just snacks in between and obviously by eating a well- balanced healthy diet.

Keep an eye on your protein intake because the protein requirement of your body is directly associated with building and losing muscle mass as well. Don’t overtrain as this can also lead to decreased muscle. Leaving weight training alone should not be blamed for decreased muscle mass. 40-45 minutes of exercise 5-6 days a week is recommended and 1 day should be dedicated for rest and recovery.

We hope this article helps you. For more useful information on muscles, strength training, etc. check out Healthy Reads or tune in to fitness experts on GOQii Play.

April 24, 2020 By GOQii Leave a Comment

Quick Indoor Workout To Keep You Active!

With the current lockdown scenario, it is impossible to hit the gym or venture outdoors to get your daily active fix. While most of us don’t have a mini gym set up at home, what do we do?

We’ve got the perfect solution to help you raise your heartbeat, aid fat loss and keep you active in self-quarantine! You don’t need any equipment and we’re sure this quick indoor workout will help you sweat and get the burn you need!

You already know what HIIT is and the benefits it provides. Now is the time to try it out! We have shared 3 levels below, namely Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. Choose the quick indoor workout that best suits you!

1. Beginner

20 sec Jumping Jacks
20 sec Marching
20 sec Spot Jogging
20 sec Wide Squat
20 sec Jumping Jacks

This is one set. Do 3-4 sets and rest up to 1 minute after each set.

2. Intermediate

20 sec Jumping Jacks
20 sec Plank
20 sec Jumping Jacks
20 sec Plank
20 sec High knees (spot running with knees at waist height)
20 sec Plank
20 sec Climbers
20 sec Plank
20 sec Climbers

This is one set. Do 2-3 sets and rest up to 2 minutes after each set

3. Advanced

20 sec Jump Squats
20 sec Punching
20 sec Jump Squats
20 sec Burpees
20 sec Plank crunches
20 sec Burpees
20 sec High knees (spot running with knees at waist height)
20 sec Punches
20 sec High knees

This is one set. Do 2-3 sets and rest up to 2 minutes after each set.

Here you go! Choose your desired quick indoor workout, take 15 minutes and exercise to make this lockdown scenario a healthier and more active affair. Always begin a workout routine after consulting your physician or under the supervision of your fitness expert to avoid injuries. For more home workouts, tune in to GOQii Play.

Was this article helpful? How are you keeping fit during lockdown? Let us know in the comments below!

Stay home, stay safe, get active and #BeTheForce!

June 7, 2019 By Tasneem Jawadwala 14 Comments

Healthy Weight Gain Tips

We’ve heard one too many instances of people having great success with weight loss! In fact, every time I visit the gym, I come across many such success stories. However, I can’t help this sinking feeling that the real strugglers are the ones who want to gain weight and build muscles.

Are you one of them? Ever wondered what you’re doing wrong despite indulging in healthy food and doing every possible workout and increase your appetite? Let’s see how you can gain healthy weight but before that…

Let’s See What You’re Doing Wrong

1. Protein: Gym trainers and dieticians often suggest including more protein, some in the form of powders and others suggest natural sources such as eggs, Sattu, curd, cottage cheese and the likes. However, calculating the right amount of protein required is often missed. One requires around 1.25g/kg ideal body weight proteins to build up muscles. For example if you are 60kg, then the required amount of protein required by you on a daily basis to build muscles is 75g.

If you aren’t having enough or the required amount of protein, you will not see a difference. Hence, take some time out and consult professionals who can help you calculate. To gain healthy weight and build muscles, you also need to watch your carbs, antioxidants and workouts.

2. Carbohydrates: I’ve noticed this as a trend. Most people place so much emphasis on proteins that they forget about carbs. Did you know that if approximately 60% of your diet isn’t from carbohydrate sources, your body will utilize protein to supply energy. Which means, your body will not have enough proteins for tissue building.

3. Antioxidants: Fruits and salads are often flawed to be used as a weight loss diet. Vegetables and fruits are the best source of antioxidants that help in tissue repairs, prevent injuries and inflammation. So include vegetables and fruits with selenium, zinc, vitamin C and Vitamin E in your diet on a daily basis.

4. Workout: Your workout should focus more on strength training, however, ensure that you still do some cardio. Cardio will help your heart and lungs function better which in turn will prevent you from falling ill during your program.

Foods That Help in Healthy Weight Gain and Muscle Building

Dates: They are loaded with iron, natural sugar and antioxidants. Eat 4-5 dates before your workout as dates provide you with instant energy and prevent muscle damage.
Sweet Nuts or Pulse balls (Chikkis): These is a sweet dish made up of pulses, nuts or seeds. It is nothing but roasted whole gram, peanuts or sesame seeds and jaggery. It’s a perfect combination of proteins and carbohydrates. Munching on them as mid meal snacks work as an energy booster.
Nut Shakes: A big serving of dry fruits is difficult to consume at a time but having them in a powdered form with milk will supply your body with good amounts of protein.
Fruit Smoothie: Eating fruits with curd will help add some antioxidants to your protein dose. This is probably the most tasty and delicious way to consume fruits!
Combination of Cereals and Pulses: Just eating a pulse at a time will really not help as it doesn’t provide us with good quality proteins. But, when combined with a cereal, it will provide the benefits of both protein and carbohydrates. Options like Dal Paratha (Pulse Flat Breads), Puranpoli (Sweet Jaggery Flat Breads), Khichdi (mix of pulses, rice and vegetables cooked together) and Idli (steamed rice pan cakes) should be considered.
Adding Vegetables to Meat: Eating a separate serving of vegetable becomes difficult. The meal size may exceed if we have 1 serving of vegetable for vitamins & minerals and 1 serving of non-veg preparation for proteins. The best option in my opinion is to combine a nonvegetarian source with vegetables. For instance, Spinach (Palak) Chicken, Tomato Omelet and Capsicum Stuffed with Mince.
Peanut Butter: People often go overboard with regular butter and get major changes in lipid profile but no change in weight. Ideally, one should apply peanut butter on their bread slices for the right fats and protein combination.

The key rule for healthy weight gain is to go for nutrient-dense meals. These healthy compact meals do not require an extreme appetite boost. Focus on healthy weight gain and be patient while you are in a weight gain program as it’s easy to cut on fats but takes time to add on muscles.

Remember, it took 9 months to give you around 3kg of weight at birth. Stay at it and be patient.

Was this article helpful? Want more tips? Write them down in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

October 5, 2018 By Gitanjali Bahl 5 Comments

Choose the right activity to stay fit

Who does not like to look good and fit? Everyone does. Off late you are also finding many who are conscious about wanting to be active. Many are obsessed with losing weight. All are aware that these changes will not occur overnight and hence exercising is very important.

Exercising regularly is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself. It lowers your risk of serious health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke and high blood pressure. It can also tone your figure and improve your sleep. Not only is exercise good for your body, it’s also good for your mind, mood and memory. Walking, doing household chores, climbing the stairs, playing a sport or dancing the night away are all good examples of being active.

Being physically active has other advantages such as easing depression, relieving stress and anxiety, enhancing one’s self esteem and improving one’s overall outlook towards life. You don’t have to spend long, boring hours in a gym to reap these benefits. Whatever your age, health limitations or fitness levels, you can develop an exercise program that’s fun and rewarding and fits well within your life parameters.

If you’re not ready to commit to a structured exercise program, think about physical activity as a lifestyle choice rather than a single task to check off your to-do list. Look at your daily routine and consider ways to sneak in an activity here and there. Even very small activities can add up over the course of a day.

Having said the above, making the right choice of exercise goes a long way in helping one be fit. Making some random choice of exercises can prove to become a deterrent towards you getting fit.

Let me sight few instances of wrong choice of exercises-

1) A person who is on the extreme heavy side ( Overweight) should ideally not op for running as an exercise as it requires to expend more energy and also running will put undue pressure on the joints which will lead to joint damage and injuries.

2) An osteoporotic man who is over 50 years old going to gym to lift weights. Though it is commendable that he is trying to stay active at his age but, lifting heavy weights despite osteoporosis is just straining the joints further.

Another important aspect to take care is never overdo it.

Research has shown that mild to moderate activity is enough to change your life for the better. You don’t have to sweat buckets or run a single step. Moderate activity means:

That you breathe a little heavier than normal, but are not out of breath. For example, you should be able to chat with your walking partner, but not easily sing a song.
That your body feels warmer as you move, but not overheated or very sweaty.

Therefore, making the right choice of exercise is a must.

The factors that are essential for choosing exercises:

-Purpose of exercise

-Age to perform exercises

-Weight

-Interest to exercise

-Medical condition if any

-Daily Routine to be able to spare time for exercise

-Daily Nutritional intake

Always, remember gym is not the only option for one to exercise and stay active. There are exercises that can be done at home, office or a park in the outdoors depending on your interest and purpose.

You can stay Active

-By going for a simple walk

-Brisk walking

-Yoga

-Simple strength and Stretch exercises like push-ups, planks, abdomen exercises that can be done at home

-Aerobics

-Cycling and Hiking

-Play a sport such as Badminton, Tennis, or any other sport

-Play with your kids

-Dancing

-Martial Arts

-and Running

Once you know the purpose to stay active you can automatically choose the right exercise for yourself. Consider all the factors and accordingly make a choice. Preferably if you can get a professional advice before starting on any exercise regime.