fitness Archives

July 4, 2022 By GOQii Leave a Comment

How To Make Exercise A Habit

We all set resolutions at the start of the year to get healthy, fit or exercise regularly. Now that we’ve reached the half year mark, how many of us are sticking to our resolution? Are we exercising regularly or have we given in to old habits? If you’ve found it difficult to maintain your exercise routine, here are some tips that will help you make exercise a habit and live healthier!

We hope this graphic representation helps you make exercise a habit and get healthier! For more tips on exercising and fitness, check out Healthy Reads.

For further motivation, join an online GOQii Pro class conducted by certified experts within the GOQii App. They will guide you on the correct form and posture while motivating you to complete the workout! Subscribe from the GOQii App now!

Get Active and #BeTheForce

June 27, 2022 By GOQii Leave a Comment

Quick Indoor Workout To Keep You Active!

With the onset of monsoon, it might be 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 indoors! 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! We hope this quick indoor workout helps you make the monsoons 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.

To get proper guidance from an expert in real-time, join our online GOQii Pro classes within the GOQii App where a GOQii Coach will guide you on proper form and posture while motivating you to push past your limits!

Was this article helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

Get Active and #BeTheForce!

June 23, 2022 By Parwage Alam 2 Comments

How Sitting For Long Hours Can Shorten Your Life

You might have often heard people say, “Sitting is Killing Me”. This phrase seems to be spoken lot more these days thanks to the busy schedules that people have. I believe that 75% of people work desk jobs which require them to be seated on their chair for at least 8 to 10 hours a day, if not more. No wonder that most corporate employees complain about aches and pains.

Sitting for long hours can be as dangerous for your body as smoking. Most people sit at their work stations and have no other activity apart from staring into their computers. On an average, 10 hours a day is spent at the work desk as compared to 7 hours of sleeping. Sitting is so prevalent and so pervasive that we don’t even question how much we’re doing it.

Excessive sitting, defined as nine to 10 hours a day, has been called a lethal activity. Dry eyes? Your eyes are not designed to keep focusing and moving repetitively across a computer screen. Weight gain? Sitting jobs are mostly stressful and when you are stressed out, your body is flooded with Cortisol, a stress hormone, which makes you crave for carbohydrates, sugar and fatty foods. You might not realize this being parked at a desk but all this goes into your body.

A sitting Job leads you towards a shorter life. Sitting down the whole day doubles the risk of diabetes and heart attack. Some research shows difference in health outcomes between the most and least sedentary workers. Those who spent the most time sitting down had a greater risk of diabetes. Risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart attack or stroke increased in the most sedentary workers.

How Sitting For Long Hours Can Affect Your Health

Sitting for long hours in a similar sitting position affects the blood circulation of body
Increased risk of diabetes and heart disease
Causes eye strain
Causes tiredness in the back and neck muscles
Reduces efficiency of heart and lungs
Leads to back and joint pains
Responsible for digestive problems

How Can You Stay Active At Your Workplace?

Take small breaks and frequent breaks
Avoid the elevator and use the stairs
Go for a short walk post eating your lunch
Rinse your eyes with water when you take a break
Try some neck exercises by moving your neck forward or backward
Change your sitting positions frequently
Adjust your chair correctly to improve posture and sit comfortably
Try some simple office workouts

We hope this article helps you understand how sitting for long hours can impact your health. Try to avoid it by taking short breaks and being active! If you experience any pain, here’s what you can do to avoid any further injuries: https://goqii.com/blog/prevent-injuries-at-work/

For more tips on living a healthier lifestyle, check out Healthy Reads. You can also get more tips for staying active directly from a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalized Health Coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce

June 6, 2022 By Saba Mirza Leave a Comment

Health Benefits of Weight Lifting You Might Not Know

Whenever I advise my players to include weight lifting in their workout regimes, their reactions range from, “It’s too complicated or difficult for me,” to “No! I don’t want to bulk up”. These are the misconceptions engraved in our minds from the glossy images of sculpted and chiseled bodies of men and women appearing in fitness websites and magazines!

Apart from the fact that many of these photographs are Photoshopped or Edited, they unanimously promote the sole purpose of weight lifting as ‘body building’, which defers many people who want to actually stay fit and active, from it. Weight lifting, in essence, is not just about getting toned and sculpted! The benefits of weight lifting are numerous, ranging from improving your body composition, burning fat, strengthening your bones and joints and increasing your happiness quotient as well!

Health Benefits of Weight Lifting

Get Stronger and More Active: Weight lifting stimulates the growth and development of the slow twitching muscle fibers (type2 muscle fibers) which improves agility, endurance, and builds up your stamina and strength, thus, boosting your performance in doing activities of daily livings (ADLs).
Boosts Resting Metabolism: When the muscles are stimulated after strength training, they need to work harder to rebuild. Hence, they utilize more calories for redevelopment and growth! Muscles are metabolically active tissues which keep burning calories even during the resting phase known as the Afterburn Effect!
Strengthens Your Bones and Joints: Weight training not only strengthens your muscles and ligaments but also improves bone density. The way muscles start developing under stress, the bones also adapt by increasing deposition after consistent weight lifting. This becomes more important as one reaches the age of early 40s when we are prone to natural decline. Also, stronger ligaments and bones prevent the occurrence of injuries while performing cardio and other activities!
Lower Risk of Diabetes & Blood Sugar Levels: A study funded by the National Institute of Health has found that men who added weight lifting to their cardiovascular exercise routine had a 34% lower risk of diabetes. It’s advisable for individuals with type 2 diabetes to include weight training in their workout regime as toned muscles improve insulin sensitivity and better utilization of glucose!
Improves Heart Health: As weight lifting improves the lean muscle mass in the body, it improves blood flow to different body areas which put less pressure on arteries, thus improving cardiac muscles pumping capacity!
Improves Posture & Balance: Weight lifting strengthens your core, tones up your muscles and improves your posture. It reduces undue stress on different bones and joints, especially the shoulders, spine and hips which are more prone to injuries because of bad posture! Weight training also promotes the development of smaller muscle sets known as stabilizers. These take care of keeping you upright and helping you balance on a slippery surface or on one foot when you are reaching out to a higher shelf!
Makes You Happier: Weight training stimulates the release of endorphins in the body which are also known as the ‘feel good hormones’. They trigger the happy centers in the brain. A well-toned, lean and fit body elevates your mood and self-esteem. Weight training brings you out of your comfort zone. High intensity weight training proves the worth in persisting through uncomfortable situations – a lesson which can be applied to be successful in other aspects of life too.

How to Start Your Weight Training Journey?

The simple mantra is just ‘go ahead’. Simply enter a gym or put on a video to see how you can take your journey forward. Start with minimum weights and gradually increase. Make sure to start under the guidance of an expert to avoid injuries or wrong postures or techniques. Keep setting challenges and targets which will keep you motivated to push harder.

You can even subscribe to GOQii’s Personalized Health Coaching to seek guidance from your GOQii Coach, tackle myths and get the right information about weight training.

Push past your limits to the extent that your toughest workout now, becomes your warm up later! If you hit a wall, simply climb over it. What stops you from hitting the gym? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.