GOQii Archives

September 27, 2021 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 LIVE workout classes by experts on GOQii Pro within the GOQii App.

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

#BeTheForce

September 25, 2021 By Urvi Gohil 1 Comment

Healthy Eating: Spinach Paratha

If you love parathas, roti or chapati for breakfast, here’s a way you can make the first meal of the day a healthy one! This Spinach Paratha recipe is loaded with all the essential nutrients to fuel your day and improve overall health. Let’s get started!

What You Will Need

Spinach leaves – 200g
Gram flour (besan) – 2 tbsp
Wheat flour – 1 cup
Ajwain – 1 tsp
Green chilli – 1-2
Ginger – 1 tsp
Oil – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

How to Prepare

Boil water in a pan and turn the flame off. In the hot water, add the spinach leaves. After it has blanched, remove the leaves and soak them in cold water.
Using the spinach leaves, ginger and green chillies, make a puree in mixer or blender.
In a mixing bowl add the wheat flour, gram flour and salt. Mix them well and add the green puree, ajwain and a tsp of oil.
Knead the dough well and allow it to rest for 10-15 min.
Roll medium thick parathas out of the dough.
Heat a tawa and roast the paratha after applying a little oil. Roast well on both sides.
Serve it hot with carrot raita.

Highlights of the Spinach Paratha

Spinach is one of the most nutrient dense leafy green vegetables and it will give you the required amount of Vitamin K
It benefits eye health, reduces oxidative stress and helps in managing blood pressure too

We hope you enjoy this Spinach Paratha recipe. Do share your thoughts in the comments below. For more recipes, check out Healthy Reads or get in touch with your GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Eat Healthy and #BeTheForce

September 24, 2021 By GOQii 185 Comments

Important Exercises & Yoga Poses To Be Done During Pregnancy

In my first part of the blog, we got to know how beneficial it is to follow yoga during pregnancy. In this second part, I will tell you which prenatal yoga poses should be done to get fit during pregnancy and a good post-delivery recovery. Let’s dive into it!

Exercises & Yoga Poses To Do During Pregnancy

Before you begin, start with breathing. Close your eyes and breath in through the nose and breath out through the mouth continue for 3-5 minutes.

Sit comfortably, with your knees bent and your shoulders, head and neck relaxed.
Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage. This will allow you to feel your diaphragm move as you breathe.
As you breathe in and out, feel your hand over the diaphragm move out and in.

1. Cat and Camel

Begin on your hands and knees, knees under hips, hands under shoulders
Round your back up towards the ceiling, drop your head slightly, tuck in your buttocks
Come back to neutral position
Let your belly lower towards the floor, creating an arch in your back
Keep your head up slightly, with your eyes looking straight ahead
Alternate between poses

Make it easier: For painful knees, fold a towel or blanket under the knees. For painful wrists, place fists instead of palms on the floor.

2. Butterfly Pose

Keep the spinal chord and the neck straight
Breathe natural and easy
Bend both the knees
Bring the soles of the feet together and place them up to the crotch area
Grasp both the paws with your hands firmly
Do not allow the heel to be raised
Keep the torso above waist including keeping the neck straight
Place the elbows on the thighs
Inhale deep and press both the thighs downward with the elbows effortlessly
Remove your hands from thighs and try to raise the knees without any support; exhale breath

3. Kegel’s Exercises

It is done to tone up pelvic floor muscle. It can be done in any position sitting standing and lying down – whatever’s comfortable for you. Contract your pelvic floor muscles as you would to stop urine flow for 5 seconds and then relax the muscles for 3 seconds. This muscle fatigues quickly, so do only 5-10 repetitions at a time. Do not hold your breath and breathe normally while doing this. Repeat a set of 10 at least twice a day.

4. Goddess Pose

Step your right foot a stride length towards the back of your mat. Turn your toes out and your heels in, so your feet land on a 45-degree angle
Bend your knees deeply out the sides and sink your hips down to the height of your knees
Bring your arms out to shoulder height and bend your elbows so that your fingertips point skyward. Spread your fingertips wide apart from one another and activate the muscles across your back to hold your arms here
Engage your core muscles and draw your tailbone in the direction of the floor. Do not hunch forward with your shoulders; keep your spine long and your muscles engaged
Stay here for 30 seconds to one minute

5. Warrior Pose

Stand with both your feet roughly three feet apart
Place the right foot in front of the left foot
Hold your arms out to the side with your palms down and arms extended and straight
Turn your left foot out to the side and your right foot in
Lunge forward gently, bending your left knee as you keep your right leg straight
Hold the pose as your legs stretch
Return to the original position then switches legs.

6. Walking

Walking is a great way to become physically fit. If you have not been a fit person, then start with slow walks that are less strenuous to the body. Expecting women can start with slow walks for a cardiovascular workout. Walking for a few minutes every day is safe and easy. 30 minutes of walking, three days a week is a good routine. For best results, club it with 30 minutes of your favorite exercise.

Do try these exercises and yoga poses during pregnancy and let us know your thoughts in the comments below. For more tips on how to manage your health during pregnancy, reach out to your GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce

September 23, 2021 By Neha Kapoor 4 Comments

Rise From Calorie Counting To Be Your Own Dietitian

Do you know the long kept “Secret of Diet”? Have you heard about it? In this article I would like to share it with you. It is a mantra to facilitate weight loss, regulate diabetes, hypertension and many such diseases taking good care of your immune system as well as vital organs. I am sure you must be familiar with these idioms i.e. “Food Pyramid” and “My plate”. If you are, I will be representing it from a different perspective. These are our main tools to plan a daily diet.

The Importance of Food Pyramid & My plate

The main idea behind the design of the food pyramid is to make our healthy eating experience much easier. When starting a new healthy diet, people need to know if they are consuming the right amount of the basic nutrients such as protein, fat, and carbohydrate, which is where the importance of the food pyramid and my plate comes in.

The food pyramid contains several sections of foods which are usually grouped according to their nutrient’s similarity. This actually helps you with a larger option to choose from. This way, you are not stuck to one particular food when there’s a whole world of options out there.

How To Use It?

Keeping this picture in front of you can help in making healthier choices with the number of servings you should ideally take in a day.
Now next step is to understand My Plate which makes things pretty clear.

My Plate

The beauty of My Plate is in using a plate icon to “measure” the relative portion sizes of what you’re eating.

My Plate is a food icon that serves as a powerful reminder to make healthy food choices and to build a healthy plate at mealtimes.
It is a visual cue that identifies the five basic food groups that are: Fruits-20%, Vegetables-30%, Protein group-20%, and grains 30% and a bowl of dairy products.

What to Put on Your Plate?

Eating the My Plate way means filling half your plate with vegetables and fruits, adding slightly more veggies than fruits (Due to sugar content).
Go for a colourful mix. You’ll get plenty of nutrients that way.
You should fill the other half of your plate with lean protein and grains, using slightly more grain than protein. For instance, lean cuts of chicken and other meat, fish, beans and peas, tofu, eggs, nuts and seeds (use sparingly).
Whole grains should make up at least half of your grains. That means choosing brown rice instead of white rice, whole wheat flour or multigrain or millets instead refined flours for instance. If weight loss is a goal make grains 20%.
The My Plate icon also shows a glass of milk/ buttermilk near your “plate.” It’s a reminder to include dairy (mostly fat-free or low-fat) in your diet. A2 or organic milk is essentially chemical-free and healthier as the cows are fed grass or organically cultivated fodder. Calcium-fortified soy milk also counts.

Dietary Guidelines of My Plate

Making food choices for a healthy lifestyle can be as simple as using these tips. Use the ideas in this list to balance your calories (energy coming from food), to choose foods to eat more often, and to cut back on foods to eat less often.

Enjoy your food, but eat less: Take the time to fully enjoy your food as you eat it. Eating too fast or when your attention is elsewhere may lead to eating too many calories (overeating). Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues before, during, and after meals. Use them to recognize when to eat and when you’ve had enough.
Avoid oversized portions: Use a smaller plate, bowl, and glass. Portion out foods before you eat. When eating out, choose a smaller size option, share a dish, or take a part of your meal home.
Foods to eat more often: Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fat-free or 1% milk and dairy products. These foods have the nutrients you need for health – including potassium, calcium, vitamin D, and fiber. Make them the basis for meals and snacks.
Make half your plate salad and vegetables: Choose red, orange, and dark-green vegetables like tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and broccoli, along with other vegetables for your meals. Add salad to meals.
Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk: They have the same amount of calcium and other essential nutrients as whole milk, but fewer calories and less saturated fat.
Make half your grains whole grains: To eat more whole grains, substitute a whole-grain product for a refined product-such as eating whole wheat bread instead of white bread or brown rice instead of white rice, whole wheat flour or millets instead refined ones.
Foods to eat less often: Cut back on foods high in solid fats, added sugars, and salt. They include cakes, cookies, ice cream, candies, sweetened drinks, pizza, and fatty meats like ribs, sausages, bacon, and hot dogs. Use these foods as occasional treats, not everyday foods. Natural sugars like jaggery, honey, pure maple syrup are better choices.
Compare sodium in foods: Use the Nutrition Facts label to choose lower sodium versions of foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals. Select canned foods labelled “low sodium,” ”reduced sodium,” or “no salt added.”
Drink water instead of sugary drinks: Cut calories by drinking water or unsweetened beverages. Soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks are a major source of added sugar, and calories, in American diets.

Do give it a try and share your experience in the comments below. After getting familiar with this tool, we really don’t need any diet charts. Stick the pictures in your kitchen and plan any day meal without any hassle.

For more useful information on health, wellness and nutrition, check out Healthy Reads or get the right guidance directly from your GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Stay home, stay safe, eat healthy and #BeTheForce