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Recover and Reclaim Your Health – Yashas Ranganath User Journey

Yashas Ranganath

More often than not, we find ourselves moving passively through the world revelling in all it has to offer and more. Wading way beyond moderation in the beauty of excesses till the consequences of our actions pile up. Lifestyle diseases are caused because of indulgence in unhealthy habits, something that one of our players Yashas Ranganath found out first hand. How did he manage? How did he recover? Let’s find out!

Life Before GOQii

Yashas Ranganath, an IT professional from Bangalore led quite a normal life. He used to eat, drink and do whatever he pleased, paying no attention to health and fitness. His physical activity was almost nil and he paid no attention to his lifestyle to even make a change.

In 2016, he was diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes. He was also admitted to the hospital for a severe migraine attack and put under medication for both. His health only got worse with time. In September 2018, he was hit by a stroke due to a cyst in his left brain. This left the right side of his body completely paralyzed.

Enter GOQii

Initially, Yashas Ranganath had joined GOQii in 2015 when he was exploring the market for a good fitness tracker. He chose GOQii as he was intrigued by the personal coaching feature. However, he says he completely wasted that subscription and did not take it seriously at all.

In December 2018, after 50% recovery from the paralysis, he began thinking about making lifestyle changes. He turned to GOQii and renewed his subscription. He says that his life took a complete positive turn after that!

Making a Positive Lifestyle Change

Yashas’ goal was to get all his vitals under control and completely recover from paralysis. His GOQii Coach advised him to completely stop the consumption of oil, sweets, salt, junk food and all types of processed food. He was also asked to stop eating maida and consumed bottled beverages. From a foodie, he had turned into a monk – eating to live and not living to eat. But his sole focus was recovery and he was ready to give up on everything.

His daily routine became structured in terms of eating habits, activity and sleep:

  • He wakes up at 4 in the morning to leave for work at 6:30 AM. He eats his breakfast and lunch at work – both are customized to his requirement.
  • His breakfast consists of upma, poha or idli. For Lunch, he eats 2 cups of rice with salads and vegetable curry.
  • Dinner consists of chapatti with a curry.
  • His coffee intake is limited to 1 in the evening and he eat fruits as mid meal snacks.
  • Under the rare occasion when he eats out, he manages to customize his food.
  • He exercises for 2 hours a day, doing what his physiotherapist suggests along with numerous stretches recommended by his GOQii Coach. He concludes this with 15 minutes of meditation.
  • He has also started cycling and performs Yog Nidra at night.

After following this routine, Yashas says that he feels no cravings at all and doesn’t even get tempted after seeing other enjoy different delicacies. He enjoys his current lifestyle modifications.

What Changes Did Yashas Ranganath Experience?

When he joined GOQii in 2018, his weight was 75kg, HBA1C was above 8 and blood pressure was 200/170. He now weighs 63kg. His vitals improved drastically too with his HBA1C at 5.4, blood sugar – fasting at 80-90 mg/dl and postprandial at 80-100 mg/dl. Blood Pressure is 130/80. He is on minimal medication, feels more active physically and positive mentally. He has also made a 90% recovery from his stroke.

“You have to get hit before your eyes are opened and then you change in ways you never thought you could,” says Yashas.

His wife and parents are overwhelmed with his recovery. He attributes the change in his lifestyle to his GOQii Coach and says her contribution has been 100%, constantly guiding him on what to eat and what not to eat. Yashas has also explored the features on the app like Play and watches videos as and when he finds time.

Recently, Yashas Ranganath spoke to our Founder & CEO Vishal Gondal about his recovery and journey with GOQii. You can watch the entire episode of GOQii Health Talks here:

What Did His GOQii Coach Have to Say About Him?

“Yashas is one of the most disciplined player I have ever seen. He has been very regular in following
all the habits formulated for him. After the treatment of his stroke and during recovery, he used to suffer from episodes of hypoglycaemia in between. He used to feel dizzy and uncomfortable. Slowly, we started making him have small and frequent meals with portion control. We started millet based meals for better glycaemic index and on the side, he was doing his physiotherapy as well. All of which contributed to his lifestyle change.”

Yashas Ranganath made a positive lifestyle change, what about you? Subscribe to personalized coaching now to get healthier with GOQii: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Do check out more inspiring stories on Healthy Reads and #BeTheForce 

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Easy Home Workouts To Keep You Active!

easy home workouts

While India is slowly unlocking from a close to 4 months of lockdown, it brings with it a little scare and susceptibility to contract the virus. In my case, I’ve made a point to stay physically active within the 4 walls of my apartment. Initially, it was difficult to balance it along with household chores but gradually, the importance of exercise to keep this COVID anxiety and depression at bay, dawned on me. I’ve managed to chalk out some easy home workouts to ensure that getting fit never gets boring. 

Easy Home Workouts To Get Active Indoors 

  • Virtual Workouts: We’re social animals and right about now, that’s what we miss the most. Here, you can kill two birds with one stone. Create virtual workout groups with friends or distant family members via Zoom or Meet. It will not only help you connect with your family and friends but will also keep you fit and active. 
  • Dance Fitness: You don’t have to be a great dancer or know all the moves. All you need is music and your feet! Along with family members, this dance party can keep you healthy! It’s an excellent workout which helps burn extra calories.
  • Barre: This form is quite a different routine from the regular bodyweight exercises. It’s a form of workout inspired by movements from Ballet. Don’t worry, you don’t need Ballet classes to attempt Barre. You can do this at home without any special equipment. A simple dining chair for support and water bottles for weights will suffice. It’s a great blend of cardio, strength training, flexibility, balance and core conditioning. 
  • Stair Circuit: In my society, as people were barred from going out, our staircase was unused for days. So I took it up as my next workout. As the name suggests, walking up and down the stairs as a warm up, followed by a circuit routine of stair pushups, squats to step, steps up, tricep dips with variations in each for the next set. 

I hope these easy home workouts help you add some flavor to your routine. Before you begin, ensure that you’re doing some of these easy home workouts with the correct form and posture. If you’re stuck, you can tune in to GOQii Play and look for sessions on Dance Fitness, Barre Workouts and Stair Workouts as well as join LIVE classes by experts on GOQii Pro within the GOQii App! To read more on fitness, lifestyle and nutrition, you can check out Healthy Reads. 

You can also check with your GOQii Coach for more variations on home workouts by subscribing to personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

How are you keeping fit at home? Let us know in the comments below! 

#BeTheForce 

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Working From Home? 5 Simple Stretches You Must Do!

5 simple stretchesWith more of us working from home now, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s bound to be excessive hours where we’re seated and glued to work, chasing tight deadlines. Long sitting hours can have detrimental repercussions on our health like stiffness in the back, shoulder, knees, ankles and low circulation leading to low metabolism as well to name a few. While the work from home routine is here to stay for a while, these aches and pains can be avoided or resolved through simple stretching. It’s like an antidote to combat the ill effects of continuous sitting. So if your chair has held you hostage long enough, here are 5 simple stretches you can do to keep yourself healthy. 

5 Simple Stretches To Do While Working From Home 

1. Chest Opener
How this helps: Extended sitting time can weaken the spine and cause dropping shoulders. This reduces upper back and neck stiffness.
How to do it: Stand with feet shoulder distance apart, firmly hold a towel or scarf with both hands behind your back. Slowly raise your arms up as far as you can and stretch your shoulders while doing this.

2. Downward Dog PoseDownward Dog
How this helps: This stretch provides relief from back ache and strengthens the arms and legs. It energizes the body and helps to reduce fatigue.
How to do it: Stand tall with both hands up in the air, bend down to touch the palms on the floor without bending the knees. The hands should be shoulder distance apart. The feet should be flat on the ground and gaze at your navel.

3. Back Bend Stretchback bend stretch - 5 simple stretches
How this helps: This helps with better posture and supports the back muscles.
How to do it : Stand tall  with feet shoulder distance apart and clasp your hands above your head and stretch back. For greater level of stretch, you can place your palms on the wall while stretching backwards and look up at the ceiling.

4. Glute BridgeGlute Bridge - 5 simple stretches
How this helps: This reduces lower back pain, provides a good stretch to the hamstring and activates the glutes.
How to do it: Lie on the mat on your back, legs folded at 90 degrees and feet firmly placed on the floor. Now lift your hips from the floor till your lower back is above ground. Hold on and gently come down.

5. Reclining Back BendReclining back bend
How this helps: It stretches the shoulders, chest and abdomen. It also strengthens the spine and soothes the sciatica nerve.
How to do it: Lie down on your stomach, with palms placed firmly on the ground next to your chest. Lift your upper body till the navel and look at the ceiling.

That’s it! That’s all you need to do. You can try these 5 simple stretches while taking a break from work. You can do these anywhere! We hope this article helps you and you try these stretches. Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below! If you feel like sharing these stretches, take a video, upload it on your social media channels and tag us! 

For more on fitness and home workouts, check out Healthy Reads or join our fitness experts on GOQii Play or get your pass for a LIVE GOQii PRO workout class – all within the GOQii App. 

To get these tips directly from your GOQii Coach, subscribe to personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu  

#BeTheForce  

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Should You Wear A Mask While Exercising Outdoors?

Exercising OutdoorsThe pandemic is far from over but it hasn’t stopped people from stepping out to get in a quick run or an outdoor exercise. If you’ve been vaccinated, chances of contracting the illness is slim but not negligible. So, the question remains, if you’re heading out, should you wear a mask while exercising outdoors? 

Should You Wear A Mask While Exercising Outdoors? 

Wearing a face mask while exercising outdoors helps prevent the spread of the virus, but it can also lead to breathing difficulties. When you are running, jogging, doing any activity which increases your respiratory rate, the oxygen requirement goes up several times and you need to inhale that much more air to deliver the required oxygen to the body. 

A mask can restrict airflow in and out of the mouth and nose, creating a situation where oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange are compromised. There’s a possibility that you may not be able to fulfil the increased oxygen requirement when exercising with a mask on. There are chances of inhaling the exhaled carbon dioxide. This can create health complications, especially in people with weaker lungs, chronic bronchitis, asthma and other health complications.

Symptoms You Might Experience While Wearing a Mask and Exercising Include: 

  • Anxiety
  • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Breathlessness
  • Dizziness
  • Loss of consciousness

Precautions To Be Taken While Exercising Outdoors 

Though it is important to wear a face mask in an enclosed space where social distancing may not be possible – like when going out for work, when using public transport or at grocery stores, restaurants, malls, etc. but when it comes to exercising with a mask on, be cautious. 

  • Listen to your body: You may feel fatigue faster due to a mask, so do not push your exercise limits.
  • Don’t ignore any of the symptoms mentioned above or any other difficulties and put a  break on your exercise immediately.
  • Wearing a face mask or not is a matter of social distancing. For someone walking/running and alone outside where social distancing is maintained, a mask isn’t required.
  • Try exercises where you use the same spot. For instance, stationary cardio workout – you can pick a location where there aren’t any people around. 
  • Keep your distance and be mindful of others. Keep as much space between yourself and others as possible or bring a mask with you and put it on when needed. You can also put a face covering down around the neck and pull it up over your face if you encounter someone.
  • Opt for a breathable, well-fitting face mask. Too tight can make you feel uneasy. 
  • Masks become wet when you wear them and can lead to skin infections. If you’re using a reusable mask, wash it regularly to prevent the build-up of bacteria.

Ideally, it would be best to not rush out. Prefer indoor workouts. You can learn a few of them from Healthy Reads or join our fitness experts LIVE on GOQii Play every day! More so, you can get some good exercise routines directly from your GOQii Coach via personalized coaching. You can subscribe here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu

We hope this article helps you. Do share your thoughts in the comments below! 

Stay home, stay safe, get active and #BeTheForce  

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