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Effective Ways To Manage Working From Home

working from home

It has been well over 2 months now that people have been working from home because of the lockdown and to ensure safety from the COVID-19 pandemic. It won’t come as a surprise if working from home becomes the norm in a post-COVID world. While there are some people who have adapted to this lifestyle, there are others who are possibly struggling with the work from home model due to several reasons not limited to lack of communication, stress, work-life balance being disrupted and so on. As the lockdown may continue, it is a fact that this process of working from home has turned everyone’s routine upside down. 

Changes Due To Working From Home

  • A lot many people are unable to meet their work deadlines which are impacting their overall performance level
  • Because of the entirely new set up, a lot of people are getting stressed as this is beyond their comfort zone
  • A majority of the population has become too lazy to work on time.
  • People end up spending more time working and mess their sleep routines. The cycle of disturbed routine goes on to the next day as well.

Easy Tips To Strike A Work-Life Balance 

Here are some effective ways in which you can keep your work-life balance under control in the current situation. 

  • Start your day at the same time every day. This means both the wake-up time and the time to start your work
  • Get ready early to feel energetic
  • Sit for your work at such a place where you will feel fresh or simply choose a favourite corner of the house which will make you feel like working
  • Schedule your resting & eating break before starting your work
  • You may simplify this by eating meals at the same time what you used to maintain at the workplace
  • Take a walk inside the house in between your work just to relax your mind and body
  • You may set a two-hour alarm on your phone & get up from the place and take a walk inside the house for two minutes. This will help you to increase your step counts easily and will make you feel fresh
  • Avoid doing household work “Ghar ka Kam” in the middle of working hours
  • Finish your work every day at the same time or just shut down your dashboard & create that work-life balance for yourself by maintaining the time
  • Keep some healthy snack options ready. Choose options simply like roasted home-made snacks: puffed rice and chana (or) poha and chana (or) puffed jowar/bajra with chana or khakhra or mixed nuts trail or frozen yoghurt. Well, one may simply choose to have a fruit with chana or nuts or buttermilk or milk as per the availability
  • If you are the one who cooks, then make sure that you pre-plan your day in terms of planning the meal options to be cooked for the next day
  • Try to arrange those ingredients a day before making the dish, this will bring in more free time and it will reduce the stress of thinking what to cook and arrange ingredients for the same while you work

Lastly but most important point is to be strict with yourself to follow these tips to get a work-life balance in your life and enjoy the phase of being at home all day. We hope these tips on working from home help you. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. 

For more such useful tips, check out the GOQii Blog or tune in to experts on GOQii Play. 

Stay home, stay safe and #BeTheForce 

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Turn Everyday Chores Into Workouts

chores into workoutsSocial distancing can be really hard and not being able to burn all those calories while lying around at home is just unfair. Many of us don’t have any exercise equipment at home, so it’s all the more difficult to get a good workout. Well, a great way to kill two birds with one stone is to turn your daily chores into workouts. 

If you haven’t seen it already, our GOQii Play coaches did a fine job of turning some of their chores into workouts. You can find those videos on our social media pages but for now, let’s see how we can turn household chores into workouts! 

  1. Sweeping & Mopping: Tune in to music and turn up the heat! Grab that mop and start dance cleaning like some good ol’ cliché in a movie, yes? NO! Instead throw away that mop, get down on your fours with a washcloth and start scrubbing those tiles. Now, this is where the gut wrenching part comes in. So all done yet? Well, Congratulations! You have successfully burnt 145 calories per 15 minutes. And for sweeping you don’t need a vacuum cleaner! Use a broom for that extra burn! 
  2. Cooking: Considering the fact  that you are on a preventive healthcare platform, I assume that you are not on any fast, pre-cooked or any kind of junk food. If you aren’t then it is good for you, especially in this situation it’s good for you 2X times! As working on a good home cooked meal can help you vaporise 75 calories including all the cutting, pounding, whisking, stirring etc.
  3. Dish Washing: Now that we have gone through the gut-wrenching part, let me introduce you to the back-bending section. Washing the dishes is a comparatively peaceful activity and needs to be done with a peaceful mind. Although you wouldn’t notice your stiff back until you are done with your chore. It is completely worth it when you finish your washing and crash on your sofa having burnt a total of 100-120 calories within 30 minutes. But don’t worry about your stiff back; it’s just your lazy muscles bent over the sink continuously.
  4. Laundry: Doing the laundry will never feel the same once you know of its health benefits. You can burn up to 78 calories in one hour by just loading and unloading the washing machine, including hanging up the clothes for drying, which equals to 50 sit-ups. Those who prefer washing clothes by hand, you’ll be surprised to know that you can burn anywhere between 100 to 220 calories in 30 minutes. Besides, your arms will get toned from all that scrubbing, rinsing and twirling. Squat while washing clothes, your quads and calves will get a good workout too. 
  5. Ironing: With laundries in lockdown, you’re going to have to iron clothes yourself. There are some perks in it! Apart from burning 60 calories in  20 minutes, it tones your biceps. Also, note that standing rather than sitting while ironing your clothes will help you burn calories as well as wake those core muscles.

Now that you have read how you can turn your household chores into workouts, you’re all set for a healthy lockdown. You can help us a little by sharing these tips to your close ones and also by letting us know your thoughts in the comments below! 

If you want an extra burn, you can also try these 5 workouts you can do at home.

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

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Can Regular Exercise Prevent COVID-19?

exerciseApart from all the preventive measures we can take against COVID-19, should exercise be considered one of them? Can regular exercise actually protect us against COVID-19? Some might agree whereas others might not. In 1998, a large study showed that mild to moderate exercise performed about 4-5 times a week reduced the risk of dying during the Hong Kong flu outbreak. Could it be the same for COVID-19? Let’s find out! 

Some Points to Consider

  1. Indulging in regular exercise, mild to moderate, for 30-40 minutes, for 4-5 days a week of your own choice whether it is aerobics, dancing, Zumba, push-ups, squats, Pilates, etc. lifts up mood by releasing dopamine and serotonin (happy hormones) which is critical when faced with the challenge of staying inside with limited resources. 
  2. Exercising regularly can lower and keep your blood sugar level and blood pressure maintained, as people with these medical conditions are at high risk of getting infected with the coronavirus and other infections.
  3. Research shows that exercise can influence the body’s immune system, which is of utmost importance while fighting against infections and viruses. 
  4. Exercise helps you sleep better and manage stress better, which can both be difficult when schedules are disrupted.
  5. It can reduce the risk of other chronic diseases like heart problems, kidney failure, cancer etc.

Bottom Line 

Not much research has been done on COVID-19. At this point in time, it is best to follow WHO guidelines and take necessary measures such as eating right, exercising regularly, maintaining proper hygiene, managing stress and getting good quality sleep. Remember that whatever the disease may be, prevention is always better than cure. 

For more information on this topic, on building immunity and for home workouts, tune in to experts on GOQii Play or read more articles on Healthy Reads. 

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

 

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Practice Yoga Indoors For Good Health During The Lockdown

yoga indoorsWith gyms, parks and usual outdoor workout spots in lockdown, it is difficult for a person to even get as much as a morning walk. So how does one meet their daily physical requirement? The best way is to do whatever workout you can do indoors. Additionally, one of the best things you can do is practice yoga indoors! Let’s look at how you can start. 

7 Basic Yoga Poses You Can Do Indoors

1. Tadasana or Mountain Pose 

  1. Stand tall with feet about 10cm apart and hands on the hips 
  2. Raise arms over head and interlock the fingers. Place hands on top of the head.
  3. Look upwards and fix the eyes at one point. 
  4. Inhale, stretch the arms with palms facing upward. 
  5. Raise the heels coming up on the toes. 
  6. Hold the pose for a few seconds. 
  7. Exhale, lower the heels and bring the hands to the top of the head.
  8. Practice six rounds.

2. Twisting Cobra Pose or Tiryaka Bhujangasana
Twisting cobra pose makes the spine flexible and strong. It improves lung capacity, tones the abdominal muscles and improves digestion.

  1. Lie flat on the stomach with the legs straight and feet apart.
  2. Place the palms flat on the floor slightly below the shoulder.
  3. Rest the forehead on the floor.
  4. Slowly raise the head, neck and shoulder.
  5. Straightening the elbow, raise the trunk as high as possible.
  6. Look over the left shoulder and gaze at the heel of the right foot.
  7. Stay for a few seconds in this pose.
  8. Face forward again and repeat the twist on the other side without lowering the trunk.
  9. Repeat all steps six times

3. Fish Pose or Matsyasana
Fish pose opens up and stretches the chest and the diaphragm. It’s a great way to beat stress.

  1. Lie down on your back with legs straight. Hands beside the body.  Palm facing down on the floor.
  2. Take the hands underneath the hip and press elbows on the floor.
  3. Lift the back and head.
  4. Bend the head down, arch back to bring the crown on floor.
  5. Raise the chin as high as possible and push the chest upward.
  6. Hold this position for a few seconds. 
  7. Repeat three times.

4. Seated Forward Bend Pose or Paschimottanasana
Seated forward bend pose helps to calm the brain and relieve stress. It also soothes headache, anxiety and relieves fatigue.

  1. Sit down with legs stretched out straight.
  2. Raise both the hands upwards and place the palms together.
  3. Bend slowly and touch the feet.
  4. Gently bend the head downwards with face resting on legs and breathe slowly.
  5. Repeat this up to 3 times and maintain the bend position longer after each round.

5. Wind Relieving Pose or Pawanmuktasana
Wind relieving pose helps in aiding digestion. It also helps in reducing belly fat and enhances blood circulation.

  1. Lie down on the back with feet together and hands by the side of the thighs. Inhale and raise both the legs.
  2. Exhale, hold the knee joints and bring the knees towards the chest.
  3. Press the thighs on the abdomen with clasped hands.
  4. Breathe in again. On exhalation, lift the head and chest upwards. Touch the knees to the chin or forehead.
  5. Maintain the posture as long as possible. Repeat this for at least 6 times and each time increase the span of holding this position.

6. Child’s Pose or Balasana

  1. Sit on your knees. Place your hands on the thighs and palms down.
  2. Exhale slowly and bend forward, stretching your hands
  3. Breathe gently. Hold the posture for 2 to 3 minutes or less as possible.
  4. Repeat this up to 3 times maintaining the bend position slightly longer.

7. Cat-Cow Stretch Pose

  1. Take the position of cat pose.
  2. Lower your head and raise your back towards the ceiling. 
  3. Gently exhale and contract your abdomen. Hold the breath for 3 seconds.
  4. Inhale while raising the head and bring your abdomen downwards. 
  5. Expand the abdomen fully and fill the lungs with the maximum amount of air.
  6. Hold your breath for 3 seconds. 
  7. Exhale and repeat step 2 to complete one round. Repeat 3-5 rounds.

Practising simple yoga indoors can help you stay fit and healthy during this lockdown and well after it too. Do yoga preferably on an empty stomach or 3 hours post a meal. Practice these regularly to see an improvement in your health. Before you begin, do consult your doctor, physiotherapist or health expert especially if you have any health issues. 

For more guidance into yoga, tune in to LIVE sessions by yoga specialists on GOQii Play. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below! 

Stay safe, stay indoors and #BeTheForce! 

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