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Benefits Of Participating In The GOQii Corporate Challenge

GOQii Corporate Challenge

We have already spoken about why Corporations need to Reimagine Corporate Wellness to improve health, build team spirit and morale after their employees have spent months working from home.

The GOQii Corporate Challenge, a 60 day inter-corporate challenge, where corporations can get their employees to participate on an individual, team and corporate level, can certainly ensure employee engagement and help them bond, beyond work, over a mutual goal. 

How Can The GOQii Corporate Challenge Benefit A Corporation? 

As the challenge consists of a 30 day steps challenge, daily social media spot challenges as well as daily workout, meditation and health talk sessions, it can impact your employees and business in more ways than one! 

  1. Individual Benefits: As your employees participate in the challenge, they will begin to form certain healthy habits like taking frequent walks (walking being the best form of exercise), eating right and meditating to name a few. Forming these healthy habits will help them focus better and remain stress-free. With guidance from our certified experts, they can form healthy habits which will reflect in their work as well. 
  2. Team Benefits: A healthy competition never hurts anybody! You won’t just be competing against other corporates but even within your own teams for prizes. This can help your employees motivate each other to complete steps, participate in spot challenges and claim rewards, building team spirit, coordination and morale – something that will positively impact their professional lives as well. 
  3. Organization Benefits: As a whole, healthier employees means less absenteeism which in turn means more productivity! This challenge will also help you reduce cost to the company as the entire challenge is online and there needs to be no additional costs for external trainers or booking an off-site location for an event. With GOQii’s tech and certified trainers, you can get healthier right where you are! 

Currently, we have approximately 20k+ employees over 25 organizations such as Bajaj Allianz, HDFC Life, Wipro, Philips Lighting, Times Group, Tata Sky, Max Bupa, HPCL, Indus Towers and more that have signed up for the GOQii Corporate Challenge. Sign up your organization now and know more about this inter-corporate challenge by visiting: https://gcc.goqii.com/ 

Registrations open today!

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Rahul Pandit Gets Off Medication & Gets Healthier With GOQii

Rahul Pandit

Being healthy involves a lot of factors other than just exercise. You need to watch what you eat, get quality sleep and manage stress effectively as well. These pillars are essential towards leading a healthy life. Our Player Rahul Pandit learned this when he joined GOQii. 

Life Before GOQii 

Rahul Pandit is a 30 year old working professional. While he had the necessary knowledge on exercise and how to keep his body in shape, he didn’t have the right knowledge on maintaining a healthy diet which led to issues such as weight gain. 

Weighing around 80kg, he was exercising regularly but at the same time, he suffered from hyperacidity. Every time he felt uncomfortable with acidity, he visited a doctor and was given medicines for reducing acidity but this fix was only temporary. He says that, “No doctor tells you how to take care of yourself. My eating habits were also wrong. I used to eat at odd hours and have long gaps between meals. I used to eat lots of junk food!”  

Making a Positive Lifestyle Change With The Right Guidance

After watching a GOQii advertisement featuring our brand ambassador Akshay Kumar, Rahul Pandit was inspired to rectify his health. He bought a GOQii tracker with a 3 months personal coaching subscription which changed his life. 

After interacting with his GOQii Coach, he realized what his routine lacked. His coach began introducing new habits to his list which included: 

  • Consuming lukewarm water with Saunf and Ajwain Seeds
  • Eating at regular intervals while keeping an eye on portion size
  • Breakfast was compulsory 
  • Fixing meal timings
  • Eating evening snacks 
  • Eating an early dinner 

These small habit changes did wonders for Rahul. He says that, “These habit additions and getting over old habits have been good for me”. 

With regards to fitness, he had to cut down on fat – so his meals were low on calories, low on carbs and protein was just as much as his body required. Earlier, he wasn’t aware of how much protein he should consume but got some clarity after speaking to his GOQii Coach. 

As of now, Rahul Pandit is free of hyperacidity. He manages his stress well and his body is more toned, minus the fat layers on his stomach area. After almost 2 years, he is off medication and is getting healthier day by day. 

What Does His GOQii Coach Have To Say? 

Rahul Pandit has been with us for almost 2 years. When he joined GOQii, he wanted to be fit and healthy but was dealing with hyperacidity. Thanks to his focus, dedication and being true to himself, he has come a long way. 

He now has no acidity, is off medication and is focusing on getting healthier. Certain habits which we worked on together and got results included: 

  • For acidity, Ajwain and Saunf water helped 
  • Replaced refined flours to whole grains
  • Acidity was being triggered by junk food and regular bakery products. So, Instead of having biscuits in the evening, he was now having fruits, sprouts or coconut water
  • Did Sugar Detox for a week
  • He also suffered from disturbed sleep. To improve sleep quality, we introduced the 4-6-8 pattern of breathing which helped. Also, no Gadgets close to bedtime
  • Different type of workouts were also introduced gradually to help him build endurance and stamina

The best thing about him is that he believes in a holistic, 360 degree approach to health and lifestyle. Shortcuts are not for him! Few months back he went to Leh Ladakh, where he did very difficult treks back to back for 3-4 days, covering 15-20 kms daily in that kind of altitude. This speaks volumes about his health, dedication and approach to lifestyle! 

Does this story inspire you? Do you face similar issues? Get the right advice, guidance and motivation from a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr 

To see how others have benefitted from using GOQii, read more user stories on Healthy Reads. 

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Why Does Sweat Smell Bad After Certain Activities?

sweat

We all sweat. Sometimes, your sweat has a horrific stench post-workout as compared to your sweat during normal hours. Have you ever experienced this and wondered why? Truth be told, your sweat has no smell. So where does the smell come from? Well, there is a scientific reason behind it!

The horrific stench after a workout comes from bacteria that live on your skin. These bacteria break down the components of sweat resulting in smell.

What is the Smell About?

Your sweat comprises of water in large amounts along with trace minerals, fatty acids and skin cells that your body sheds. Your bacteria break these down further causing odour.

There is an endorphin (This is a hormone which is produced during exercise to ease your pain and make you calm and happy!) rush when you exercise which leads to a lot of perspiration or sweating. When you work out, your body produces cortisol along with endorphins which are hormones that affect the sweat glands on our skin.

There are two types of sweat glands which are eccrine glands and apocrine glands. Sweat glands in the armpits, groin and other smelly areas are called apocrine glands which produces a pheromone-like substance that provides energy for skin bacteria and leads to the horrific stench. Whereas eccrine glands are all over the body and don’t cause extreme sweating as compared to apocrine glands.

Why Does Everybody Sweat Differently?

You might have noticed that sweating levels are different for everybody. Why does this happen?

Factors which affect the rate of sweating:

  1. Environment/Weather/Climate: Our body needs to maintain the normal temperature irrespective of climatic conditions. Body, has its own thermostat and how much you sweat completely depends on how your body is trying to cope with the weather change.
  2. Your Fitness Levels Matter: The more you workout, the more you sweat. Your body tries to cool your body temperature so that you are ready to make the workout more intense!
  3. Genes: Apart from the temperature regulation, some people tend to sweat more than others due to their genetics (somethings cannot be changed).
  4. Could be a Medical Condition: Hyperhidrosis is a medical condition in which a person sweats excessively. Body tends to work hard to maintain the usual thermostat

5 Ways to Deal with Smelly Sweat: 

  1. Maintain Hygiene: It is important to wash the smelly areas frequently especially post-exercise. Washing these areas will help you in removing the dead cells from the skin, keep the skin healthy and reduce the smell eventually.
  2. Use deodorants and antiperspirants to keep underarms stench free!
  3. Wear Proper Clothes During Workout: Prefer sweat-absorbing workout clothes. Go for material which lets the body breathe rather than trapping the sweat instead leading to excessive sweat
  4. If the sweating is excessive, see a dermatologist.
  5. Work on your Diet: Certain food items are responsible for smelly sweat. Onions, garlic, cauliflower, alcohol, and coffee can lead to excessive sweating. Cutting back on these can help you with the reduced smell from the sweat

Home Remedies to Manage Smelly Sweat 

  1. Wheatgrass Juice: It works as an excellent detoxifier. Try 1 tbsp of wheatgrass juice with water early in the morning on an empty stomach for 2 weeks and then once every alternate day for 3 months.
  2. Baking Soda: It works as a natural water-absorbing agent. Mix 2 tbsp of baking soda with water and apply it on the underarms for 30 minutes. Please do not keep it beyond 30 mins. It might act as an irritant for your skin. Wash it with ice cold water and apply 2 drops of glycerin as a natural toner.
  3. Potato/Potato Juice: It acts as a quick water-absorbing agent which works as an antiperspirant. Cut Potato into thin slices, keep it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes and rub it on armpits. This will work as a quick antiperspirant.
  4. Apple Cider Vinegar: It has astringent properties. If you suffer from excessive sweating, take 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar with mother culture early in the morning on an empty stomach.
  5. Lemon: Citrus fruits work as natural deodorants. You can apply fresh lemon juice on your armpits and wash it after 45 minutes. You can try doing this every day to get best results.
  6. Black Cohosh: Research has shown that supplementing your diet with 80mg of Black Cohosh helps in reducing overall excessive sweating and hot flashes.

Now that you know everything you need to about sweat and body odour, you can take the necessary measures and be odour-free!

Was this article helpful? Would you like to know more? Let us know in the comments below! For more articles like this, check out Healthy Reads or get advice from certified GOQii experts by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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Increase Productivity At Work & Improve Health With This New Challenge

GOQii Corporate Challenge

How was your experience working from home? While it did seem like a good break, the unexpected shift of remote working presented some issues that were difficult to deal with. Along with maiming profits, delayed appraisals, curbed salaries, increase in time spent doing work and disrupting respective corporate cultures, COVID-19 also impacted employees in ways they didn’t bargain for. 

Problems Faced While Working From Home 

  1. Detachment & Isolation: Whichever industry you work in, a workplace gives you a sense of shared purpose and connection. With lesser opportunities of bonding and interaction while working from home, team members began to feel more isolated and disengaged from their workplace. No amount of video conferences can fix this feeling of detachment and isolation. 
  2. Loss of Focus: While some enjoyed an isolated space where they could concentrate on their work, most didn’t have a remote space they could comfortably work from. Distraction by family members, pets and other factors caused more stress and lack of focus. 
  3. Mental Health Issues: Given the state of affairs during the early onset of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, it was easy to get stressed about the future. Feelings of fear, anxiety, sadness and frustration were common across all age groups. Working from home made it difficult to reach out to colleagues and friends for support. In a study we conducted, we found that around 43% Indians were plagued with depression. A number that only saw an upward trend. “Anxiety is one of the symptoms of depression. Most people are anxious on various counts. For some it is about not having a regular routine as they did in normal times,” says Divya Thampi, an Emotional Wellness Coach on GOQii Play. To read more about the impact of COVID-19 on mental health, read the report here. 
  4. Overwhelmed With New Tech: We already use a significant amount of apps and softwares daily. In the business landscape, everything is driven by data and tech. Adaptability aside, the sudden onset of the pandemic and the subsequent remote working scene forced us to work with new tools for scheduling, conferencing, managing, etc. faster than before. 
  5. Feedback, Recognition & Guidance: During pre-lockdown times, it was easy for a manager to step up to your desk to share positive feedback or guide you. In a remote working environment, this form of interaction has suffered greatly. Lack of feedback, recognition and guidance can make one feel further isolated, doubt their skills or lose confidence in their work. 
  6. Health & Wellbeing: Disruption of routine also meant that people were tied down to their couches, beds or desks at home with little movement. Those walks after lunch, chasing trains and any little movement we had while we worked from the office were tossed out the window. Eating habits also suffered and with work hours extending for some, sleep suffered greatly – only adding to stress. 

At GOQii, we believe that a healthy employee is a happy employee and a happy employee is a productive employee. Sadly, that was not the case during the lockdown. In view of these issues which are quite persistent even now, what can corporations do to motivate their employees, build team spirit, foster bonding, improve health and increase productivity?

GOQii Corporate Challenge

What if we told you that there was a fun way to build team spirit, improve health and performance at work? The GOQii Corporate Challenge – an inter-corporate health challenge, can be the solution you’ve been looking for. 

It’s a 60 day engagement program, starting from 13th December to 10th February, where corporates can get their employees to participate on an individual, team and corporate level. The challenges will consist of a 30 day steps challenge and daily social media spot challenges (where you can win daily prizes) – all tracked by a live leaderboard. 

The program also consists of daily fitness sessions i.e. 150+ sessions in 60 days starting with Yoga, Mind and Body sessions at 7 AM, Health Talks at 3 PM and High Intensity Workout sessions at 7 PM. 

What’s more, at the end of the GOQii Corporate Challenge, 1 in every 4 players stands a chance to win exciting prizes such as hotel stays, luxury watches, smartphones, gadgets and exclusive merchandise. 

A little bit of healthy competition like this, can definitely ease the strain left by COVID-19 and build team spirit while most of us return to the office! 

If you’re keen on participating, sign up your corporation for the GOQii Corporate Challenge to take advantage of exciting rewards – the best one being good health! 

Sign up here: https://gcc.goqii.com/ 

#BeTheForce 

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