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August 7, 2023 By GOQii 4 Comments

Top 10 Weird Excuses We Make To Skip A Workout

excuses to skip a workoutPulling someone out of bed for a workout can really be a task! In the field of health and fitness, we have come across people giving some very fickle excuses that are just not valid. We are writing this article not to help you make those excuses, but to convey the fact that these excuses are invalid. We need to get stronger and workout harder!

Top 10 Excuses We Make To Skip A Workout 

  1. I Just Ate A Meal: We agree there should be a good 2 hour gap between your meal and workout but does this qualify as a reason to not workout? If you have just eaten your lunch, schedule your workout towards late noon or evening. But, include it in your “to-do” list. Do not skip it.
  2. I am not going to wear my “brand new” shoes for a run: If you aren’t wearing them, then why did you buy them? To walk the ramp or just look at it and feel good? Unless you are heading for some mud run or splash in a mucky puddle, they are going to remain the same. Shoes are meant to get dirty. It is very important you wear the new shoes and run as you need to break into them as well.
  3. I Can’t Afford a Gym: One doesn’t need to go to the gym to be fit. The roads are your playground and your coach is your motivator. Running, trekking, walking and stair climbing are some accessible and free ways to get fit. In fact, you can even tune in to GOQii Play sessions or subscribe for GOQii Pro classes for one-on-one coaching from fitness experts. The sessions are pretty affordable too and you can do it from the comfort of your home!
  4. I Don’t Have the Time: This one is probably the most common excuse. A workout does not need to last for an hour. 15-20 minutes is also good enough. If that too sounds like a lot to spare for your health, then you should definitely be working out because such a thought itself is an indicator of stress. Set your priorities right! Break into some HIIT‘s (High Intensity Interval Training). Have a Smart Workout.
  5. I Feel Sick: Now this sounds like a genuine one. A viral fever, dizziness or any condition that requires extra care are excused. But, days when you suffer from a mild headache, feel heavy, PMS or just not feel a 100%, a little exercise will actually help. Your body needs to get rid of the toxins.
  6. I’m Too Tired: Next time, tell yourself, “10-15 minutes of a quick workout and I shall head home for a nap”. As a result of this you shall end up taking a nap with more satisfaction and contentment.
  7. Blame My Crazy Travel Schedule: This is the time when Tabata, body-weight exercises, living-room workouts and other HIIT’s will make more sense to you. Most hotels already have the facility of an in-house gym. Avail that. Or else, take a brisk walk and explore your new surroundings. One more tip that comes handy is to book your room above the 3rd floor, so that you get a chance to climb the stairs.
  8. I Worked Out Yesterday: One bite of pizza doesn’t harm you. Similarly, one day of activity is not going to help the goals you have set for yourself. We need to be consistent for at least 21 days till it becomes a habit (rest days included). It’s a lifestyle change. The old saying, ‘Tomorrow never comes’ still holds true.
  9. My Buddy Did Not Turn Up: OK! This is serious! You need some serious motivation. Go solo, that’s alright. More often than not, we are so dependent on our friends for any outdoor activities and this holds true for workouts as well. You can’t always wait for company to workout.  You are your own individual and cannot allow someone else to impact your fitness goals.
  10. Bad Day at Work/Home: This calls for some “me” time then. Trust me, a workout will definitely make you feel better. It will refill your confidence, relieve your stress and elevate your mood. Whenever you feel like ‘it wasn’t your day’, get your favorite workout into the picture and work off that tension.

Remember that the only person standing in your way is ‘YOU’. Go ahead and take a step towards a healthier lifestyle. Your body will thank you for it! Did we miss out on anything? What are the most common excuses you have heard? Share them with us in the comments below!

Find more articles on getting fit and living a healthier lifestyle here. To never skip a workout and stay motivated at all times, join a live and interactive GOQii PRO class conducted by a certified expert. Book a class now from the GOQii App.

#BeTheForce

April 13, 2023 By GOQii 6 Comments

Common Myths About Exercise & Nutrition

Nutrition and Exercise myths and facts

In the quest to lead a healthier and fitter life, we do end up reading and talking a lot about it. While exchanging information is good, the kind of information you exchange also matters. Are we following the right advice? Is this correct? Can this be verified? Is this information about nutrition and exercise coming from a trusted source?

There is no harm in reading about nutrition and exercise and following through, provided that it comes from a reliable source. Doing your own research on a topic can save you from following myths and sabotaging your own journey.

Keeping that in mind, let’s explore some common myths around exercise and nutrition.

Myth #1: Some Fruits Shouldn’t Be Given to Diabetic & Weight Loss Cases

Fact: Mango, Grapes, Chikoo and Bananas are often considered as enemies for diabetics and weight loss cases, considering their natural sugar content. Yes, I agree they are naturally loaded with sugar content, although best in class when it comes to nutrients. One should always consider the nutrients in a food rather than the natural sugar content or calories.

These food, when consumed at the right time and right quantity, provide fruitful benefits! For instance, Mango being high on Fiber, when consumed as an in-between meal gives you fullness and makes you not munch on the otherwise unhealthy stuff. Studies have proven that Mangoes have anti-inflammatory & antioxidant properties, which help obese people lose weight and in turn is helpful to diabetics. Bananas‘ high levels of B6 helps Type 2 Diabetics due to its anti-glycatic properties.

Myth #2: Rice is Fattening

Fact: Rice is high on carbohydrates and not high on Fat. When taken in right quantities and timing, it will get utilized by the body and will not end up being stored in the form of Fat. Again, rice is not responsible for weight gain. It is how our body processes food and reacts to excessive food, irrespective of whether that food is Rice, Quinoa, Oats, Whole Wheat or even Protein.

The best way to eat rice is to combine it with some protein source or fiber. For instance, Rice + Dal or Rice+ Fish Curry. Timing is equally important. You can have rice post a workout for your lunch, wherein your body can burn it off during the rest of the day. We can enjoy it for dinner too, provided the dinner is around 7-7.30pm.

Myth #3: Spot Reduction

Fact: There is nothing like spot reduction! As and when we lose or gain weight, it happens overall and not in one place. When we lose, it is as per the fat cells in the specific area which may have a tendency to lose more or gain more, depending upon your genes. When we train our muscles to be stronger, body burns more to repair and maintain them. While doing so, it does not take fat from the local area, it will take fat from all over to burn.

Myth #4: Ghee (Homemade Butter) Makes One Fat

Fact: Homemade Cow’s Milk Butter (Ghee) contains CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) which helps you mobilize the stubborn fat in your body to help you energize. It has added benefits like anti-ageing, sexual vitality, healthy skin and eyes, etc. Want to lose weight? Add a spoon of homemade ghee to the plate.

Myth #5: Multigrain Biscuits and Fat-Free Snacks Are Healthy

Fact: We often get fooled with the marketing gimmicks that Multigrain is healthy, fat-free is the best snack, etc. If we get into more details, we can clearly see the facts. Just turn the packet of these foods around and read the label. The ingredient list goes in a descending order of the content of the food and the first ingredient is wheat, which we end up thinking to be whole wheat, where as it is the processed form of wheat which is Maida.

Majority of the contents are not healthy, it is just that they are given fancy names to fool us like Demerara Sugar, which is actually just normal sugar. The marketing names used are often the least in the percentage in the food, like Ragi, Multigrain, Oats, etc.

Myth #6: More Cups of Green Tea = More Fat Burned

Fact: Green tea, when taken in the right quantity and at the right time, can help you burn fat. This is due to its caffeine content. When people have it in larger amounts like 6-8 cups or more in a day, it ends up making them dehydrated and acidic. Rather than increasing the metabolism, it slows it down.  Thus, there is no extra ‘burning’ that will happen if one has it more. As we always say, anything in excess is not good, even if it is healthy.

Myth #7: Skipping Meals Helps One Lose Fat

Fact: Skipping meals will make you lose weight for sure. Although there is a difference between weight loss and fat loss. What do we do when our mom is not at home to give us food and we are very hungry and you cannot place an order for food?  We look for easy options at home to kill the hunger, right?

Our body does the same when we skip meals. It will look out for options within the body. The easiest one is the muscle glycogen storage, it will opt for that first and when one loses muscle content, there is a loss in body weight too, as muscle weighs a lot naturally. Although, metabolism goes down and fat content remains the same or increases. Skipping meals helps you lose precious muscle content while the fat still sticks around, in fact, increases too at times. 

Myth #8: Only Running Helps in Weight Loss & Maintenance

Fact: Running is a great sport/exercise. It has its own high due to the endorphin rush it gives you, especially when running outside. No doubt it gives you great results with regards to weight loss, although it is majorly muscle loss that happens if the pre and post run meal is not taken care of.

If one keeps running for a long time without strengthening workouts, they are bound to lose more and more muscle. Thus, weight loss will surely be seen but not in a healthy way. Later, when one stops running, they will gain all that weight quickly as the metabolism is low. Running will help one lose fat only when combined with strengthening workouts over the week.

Myth #9: Eating Extra Protein Helps Build Muscles

Fact: Given the fact that muscles need protein to survive, everyone assumes if you have extra protein, the body will keep it only for the muscles. This is not the case. At any given point, our body will take as much as required and the rest goes in to excess. Let that be Carbohydrates, Proteins or Fats. Whatever is excess and that which the body doesn’t require will go to storage, which is fat.

Myth #10: Lifting Weights Isn’t a Good Way to Lose Weight Because It’ll Make Me Bulk Up

Fact: Weight training will break your muscle and repair it back to be a little stronger and denser than the last time. Yes! This process will add up on your body weight but not fat.  You will start adding bulk depending upon the type of training you take and the type of nutrition support you have. The bulk up can happen only if you aim at it and train accordingly. If we are not looking at bulking up, one can train as per that. For instance, lesser weights and basic reps of 15-20.

Myth #11: Physical Activity Only Counts If I Do It for Longer Periods of Time

Fact: Workouts done the right way, at the right time, give us the right benefits! Some have a notion that if one trains for longer hours, the results will be better and faster. When one trains for longer hours, our body starts secreting Cortisol, which is a stress hormone. Due to excess cortisol, the body will store more fat and start losing muscle. This will in turn make metabolism slower. Thus, the quality of workout matters rather than the timings.

Myth #12: People Who Are Thin Don’t Need Exercise

Fact: One exercises because they want to be healthy and fit, not to lose weight. Majority think only those who want to lose weight need to workout. Everyone needs to workout. However, the type of exercise and its intensity will vary depending upon the person’s health and fitness goals. Thin people need to aim at gaining muscles. Often, thin people have the same percentage of fat as the person who actually looks fat. This is because the person who looks thin usually has least amount of muscles and thus, the body weight is lesser (as muscles are very dense).

Myth #13: If You Binge and Detox Later, It Nullifies The Binging.

Fact: This is like punishing your body! First you eat a lot and then you make it starve by detox methods or working out for hours. Rather than doing this, while eating out, one can practice mindful eating. Mindful eating involves chewing well and enjoying the food. It will end up in portion control too as your mind knows where to stop. If you binge, you eat fast. You eat the food with guilt and later punish it. Which is completely wrong! By practicing mindful eating we can eat out and not punish the body. We do need a detox at times to cleanse toxins but not as a punishment for binging.

If this article helped you identify myths and clear all your doubts on nutrition and exercise with facts, let us know in the comments below! You can find more articles on making a healthier lifestyle change here.

To bust more myths and get the right information from a certified expert, speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

March 31, 2023 By GOQii 9 Comments

How Important Is Cardio For Weight Loss?

cardio and weight lossYou are well aware of the fact that you lose weight when you burn more calories irrespective of how much you eat. The best way to lose weight is to follow a combination of cardio, strength training and a healthy diet.

Cardio is one of the key components because:

  • You burn more calories at one time.
  • Getting your heart rate into your target heart rate zone means your blood is pumping, you’re breathing hard, and you’re sweating and burning calories.
  • You can easily add intensity to increase your calorie burn. With cardio, it’s easy to increase your calorie burn with small changes, for instance running or walking faster, jumping higher, climbing hills or trying new activities that your body isn’t used to.
  • It adds to your overall calorie deficit. Burning calories with exercise means you don’t have to cut as many calories from your diet.
  • You can do cardio most days of the week. With strength training, your muscles require rest to recover and grow stronger. Cardio can be done most days of the week without worrying about injury or over-training.

The Best Cardio Exercises

While you know that cardio is important for weight loss, which exercises are best and how much do you really need for weight loss?

The truth is, there really isn’t any best cardio exercise. The best activity is the one you’ll do on a regular basis. So, finding something you like is critical to reaching your weight loss goals. That said, some exercises offer more intensity than others.

  • Impact activities: Exercises that involve some impact, like walking, will usually boost your heart rate quicker than no-impact activities like swimming or cycling.
  • High impact activities: High impact, or exercises that involve running or jumping, will often burn more calories than lower impact things like walking.
  • Whole body activities: When you involve both the upper and lower body, such as an aerobic activity which is also is known as cross training, it’s often easier to get the heart rate up and burn more calories.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t bother with low impact exercise. Both types of activities offer opportunities to burn calories and doing both gives you a well-rounded cardiovascular endurance development.

To get an idea of just how much cardio can do for you, check out the following list of common exercises. Below is the number of calories burned for a 150-pound person in 30 minutes:

  1. Step aerobics: 340 calories
  2. Stationary bike: 238 calories
  3. Swimming: 270 calories
  4. Walking 4 mph: 170 calories
  5. Running 5 mph: 270 calories
  6. kickboxing: 400 calories

Everything from walking to kickboxing can burn a significant number of calories!

How Much Do You Need?

It’s tough to know exactly how much cardio we need for weight loss. The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association recommend about 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity activity on most days of the week. But, the truth is how much cardio you need varies from person to person and depends on factors such as:

  • How many calories you eat
  • How hard you exercise
  • Metabolism, age and gender
  • Fitness levels
  • Body fat percentage and weight
  • Exercise schedule

That said, here are some tips for setting up an effective cardio program:

  1. If you’re a beginner, start with 3 days of the cardio exercise of your choice, working at a level you can handle.
  2. Add time each week to work your way up to 30 to 45 minutes of continuous exercise.
  3. As you get stronger, try interval training once a week to help boost endurance and burn more calories.
  4. Work your way up to 5 to 6 days of cardio and try to vary what you do and how hard you work.

It will help you lose weight but it is most effective when combined with strength training and a healthy, low-calorie diet and adequate rest.

How Much Do You Need To Build Muscle?

You may think you shouldn’t do cardio exercise if you’re trying to gain muscle. But, cardio isn’t just for weight loss. It also helps condition the heart and lungs and promotes health and well-being. If your goal is to gain muscle, you won’t need tons of cardio. But, doing at least three 20-minute sessions a week won’t hurt your goals and will help you reap the benefits of cardio without burning too many calories. These are some simple necessities for cardio in weight loss. After reading this, I am sure all your misconceptions about weight training and weight loss are cleared!

If you want to begin working out or want to take your workouts to the next level, book a GOQii PRO class through the GOQii App and join our certified experts for a live, interactive session.

For more on weight loss, click here. Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

#BeTheForce 

October 17, 2022 By Navnee Garg 5 Comments

4 Effective Ways To Track Your Fitness Progress To Meet Your Goals

Track your progressYour workout goals may vary greatly – from reducing a certain amount of weight and gaining muscles, to getting a toned body, a flat stomach and/or a lot more. Here’s where measuring your progress comes in handy. If you track your fitness progress over a course of time, you can take note of significant data that you can act upon and decide the next steps towards attaining your goal. If you’re unsure or don’t know how to track your fitness progress, we’ve got you covered!

4 Ways To Track Your Fitness Progress

Tracking is really important, not only for your progress, but to keep you motivated as well. It helps you stay focused and decide the next steps of your fitness journey. Here are 4 effective ways in which you can track your fitness progress:

1. Body Composition

Body Composition measurement determines your overall body fat percentage. A healthy body composition is one that includes a lower percentage of body fat and a higher percentage of fat-free mass which includes muscles, bones and organs. Body composition can provide you with a clear idea about how much lean muscle and fat you have.

This test can be used to check whether you are gaining muscles and/or losing fat. This test can be an eye opening experience because it reveals the ratio of fat to lean muscle tissue, the percentage of fat in the body, the metabolic rate (BMR) and BMI.  It can easily be done at gyms, health clinics and so on, at a nominal price.

How much Fat is OK?

           Women                     Men
Essential Fat             10-12%                     2-4%
Athletes             14-20%                     6-13%
Fitness             21-24%                     14-17%
Acceptable              25-31%                      18-25%

2. Girth Measurement

This is a wonderful way to track fat loss! Reduction in body fat is usually represented by the inches you have lost. It is one of the easiest and home-based methods to assess your progress. You can use a standardized flexible, flat measuring tape to measure different parts of the body, including your chest (across your nipple line), neck, abdomen (at your belly button), hips (measure the widest part of your buttocks with your feet together) and your calves (widest/largest part), among others.

As per ICMR, Abdominal obesity (AO) was defined as a waist circumference (WC) ≥ 90 cm for men and ≥ 80 cm for women. Isolated generalized obesity (IGO) was defined as a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 with a waist circumference of < 90 cm in men and < 80 cm in women.

3. Body Mass Index (BMI)

BMI is a person’s weight in kilograms (kg) divided by his or her height in meters squared. On a BMI calculator, the number you get may fall into one of these four ranges: obese, overweight, normal weight or underweight. However, this number does not consider your muscle mass vs fat mass, which means muscular individuals, can end up with a higher BMI that may place them in the obese category. So, you should use BMI just as a beginning point.

As per WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO):

Nutritional Status

BMI
18.5 Underweight
18.5–24.9 Normal weight
25.0–29.9 Pre-obesity
30.0–34.9 Obesity class I
35.0–39.9 Obesity class II
Above 40 Obesity class III

And 4th is My Favorite…

4. Selfie Zone

A full body Mirror selfie is a perfect way to measure/compare your progress from a specific time period. Nothing can be better than a visual explanation. One gets to know his/her own progress by comparing the two selfies of BEFORE and AFTER.

Reasons to Track Your Fitness Progress

  1. It allows for modifications and indicates when and where you need to make changes
  2. It lets you manage your workout regimen and time more effectively
  3. Helps to drive direction and focus to your workout program
  4. Makes it easier to attain your goal
  5. It’s quite easy to go overboard when eating your meals. But, if you have clarity about your fitness progress, it will help you decide on the right portion size
  6. Tracking your progress with regard to your workouts acts as a strong motivator that keeps reminding you of the fitness goals you wish to achieve

We hope this article helps you! Do leave your thoughts in the comments below! For more on health and fitness, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to live classes on GOQii PRO, where our 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.

To get workouts and tips directly from your GOQii Coach, sign up for Personalised Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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