health and wellness Archives - Page 19 of 19

April 27, 2019 By GOQii 1 Comment

“I Am Addicted to GOQii” | Darshpreet Gulati User Journey

Have you ever casually browsed through products and then stumbled upon something that changed your life forever? You might not have been looking for it, but somehow you found it and it transformed you into a better version of yourself. Our player Darshpreet Gulati, had a similar experience.

In 2016, Darshpreet Gulati was looking for new gadgets. He stumbled upon GOQii but wasn’t specifically interested in fitness at the time. After going through the features, he concluded that it was value for money. He was particularly attracted to the personalized coaching feature and thought that the device was a cool gadget.

Before Joining GOQii

Like most people, Darshpreet Gulati led a very sedentary lifestyle with little to no physical activity. He indulged in sweets quite often and ate out frequently. He weighed around 85kg.

Enter GOQii

One of Darshpreet’s key goals was to lose weight, get fit and active. At first, he was not convinced with what his GOQii Coach suggested as it seemed to be contradicting what he already knew about diets i.e. counting calories, skipping meals, etc. He then happened to read a well-known celebrity Nutritionist’s book. This encouraged him to take his GOQii Coach seriously.

He began following the habits introduced by his coach.

Embracing the Change

Darshpreet’s Coach had asked him to cut down on junk food, eating out at restaurants, drinking aerated drinks and most importantly his indulgence in sweets. He used to eat a lot of chocolates before but significantly cut them down after realizing what sweets can do to his body. He restrains himself even if his fridge is stuffed with chocolates. As he began getting more conscious about what he eats, he started exercising portion control.

His current dietary habits include starting his day with detox water and nuts. He then eats a paratha and eggs for breakfast. He keeps his dinner light and eats around 7 PM. Before GOQii, his dinner used to be rich and high in calories as dinner was family time and everyone would sit together to eat and relax.

On the exercise front, he performs light exercises accompanied with stretching. Last year, he trained rigorously for the GOQii Trail Challenge and walked daily with high-intensity exercises.

Currently, Darshpreet weighs around 64 kg, having lost 21 kg and is a healthier and more active version of his former self. He is a GOQii Champion and leads the Active Sunday sessions in the city of Gondia, Maharashtra.

6 months back, he was diagnosed with some back issue. This condition aggravated during the GOQii Trail Challenge. Due to his current condition, he has only been able to manage 4-5 sessions. However, this Sunday, he is charged to lead participants towards a healthier lifestyle and get more players to attend GOQii Active Sunday.

Darshpreet spends his time by joining live classes on GOQii Play. He religiously follows Aliya Imran, Shweta Kariya and Vishakha Sodha as he finds their sessions interesting and informative. He enjoys Divya Thampi’s class as her topics have helped him strengthen his emotional state of mind.

After his experience in the GOQii Trail Challenge, he says that he has grown even more confident. Along with a healthy lifestyle, he has begun to place more focus on his personal goals as well.

What did Darshpreet’s Coach Have to Say About Him?

“If I would have to describe Darshpreet Gulati in just one word then it would be a “FIGHTER”. He joined GOQii with a goal to reduce weight and for that he worked on his diet, exercises and most importantly, managed stress. Darshpreet believed in me and I tried my best to keep him motivated. The turning point in our journey came when he registered for GTC 2018. He was determined and worked extremely hard for that. Since the time he has joined GOQii, he has lost around 20 kg and has been maintaining it quite well through our healthy habits. He is indeed a FIGHTER!”

April 18, 2019 By Dr. Viral Thakkar 1 Comment

Epitome of Climax: The Big “O”

What is an Orgasm?

The climax of coitus, the mountaintop of making love and the ultimate, the almighty orgasm! Yes! This is what this article is about. You will agree that the pleasure of an orgasm is so heightened, it is difficult to know what is happening; but knowing what’s going on inside of us may heighten that.

Orgasm is the sudden discharge of accumulated sexual excitement resulting in rhythmic muscular contractions in the pelvic region of men and women. It is controlled by the involuntary or autonomic nervous system & associated with other involuntary actions, including muscular spasms in multiple areas of the body, a general euphoric sensation and, frequently, body movements and vocalizations due to intense pleasure.

How Does it Happen?

I believe it is extremely essential to be attracted to your partner before indulging in any sexual activity. In fact, I would go ahead and say, indulge only if you love the person, else do not! More about this in another article.

If you are in this wonderful state, the continual stimulation of erogenous zones, such as the genitals, anus, nipples, or perineum by your partner might lead to an orgasm. Many believe that orgasms actually happen in the brain. Hence, one can reach an orgasm through masturbation as well. Physiologically, orgasms occur following two basic responses to continual stimulation:

Vasocongestion: The process whereby body tissues fill up with blood, swelling in size as a result
Myotonia: The process whereby muscles tense, including both voluntary flexing and involuntary contracting

If you thought having an orgasm is just a minute’s game, then you are in for a surprise. The body undergoes a long process to reach that state through the sexual response cycle, which is the sequence of physical and emotional changes that occur as a person becomes sexually aroused and participates in sexually stimulating activities, including intercourse and masturbation.

Phase 1: Excitement

As the name suggests, this is the stage when you blush and breath heavily in the hope of your coitus. In this stage:

Skin may become flushed
Muscle tension will increase
Heart rate quickens and breathing is accelerated
Nipples become hardened or erect
Vaginal lubrication begins
Blood flow to the genitals increases, resulting in swelling of the woman’s clitoris and labia minora (inner lips), and erection of the man’s penis
The woman’s breasts become fuller and the vaginal walls begin to swell
The man’s testicles swell, his scrotum tightens, and he begins secreting a lubricating liquid

Phase 2: Plateau

This is the phase when you are about to get an orgasm, but haven’t yet! The part of the brain that controls sensations – the primary somatosensory cortex – sees an increase in activity and the parts of the brain that control alertness and anxiety – the amygdala and hippocampus – dropped off.

Several other areas of the prefrontal cortex all show a decrease in activity. In other words, having an orgasm shuts the parts of your brain that make you worry. No wonder all of mankind is crazy about having orgasams! It’s a great stress buster! It’s in the way our bodies are built!

The general characteristics in this stage are:

The changes of phase 1 are intensified
The vagina continues to swell from increased blood flow, and the vaginal walls turn a dark purple
The woman’s clitoris becomes highly sensitive (may even be painful to touch) and retracts under the clitoral hood to avoid direct stimulation from the penis
The man’s testicles are withdrawn up into the scrotum
Breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure continue to increase
Muscle spasms may begin in the feet, face, and hands
Muscle tension increases

Phase 3: Orgasm

The climax – It is the shortest of the phases and generally lasts only a few seconds. Both sexes feel the contractions in a variety of places from the head (that explains funny faces) to the feet (that explains clenched toes). You cannot control these contractions as they are involuntary and cannot be contained… kind of like when you sneeze. The loss of control can be messy, but it is ultimately why we enjoy our orgasms so much.

General characteristics of this phase include the following:

Involuntary muscle contractions begin
Blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing are at their highest rates, with a rapid intake of oxygen
Muscles in the feet spasm
There is a sudden, forceful release of sexual tension
In women, the muscles of the vagina contract. The uterus also undergoes rhythmic contractions
In men, rhythmic contractions of the muscles at the base of the penis results in the ejaculation of semen

Phase 4: Resolution

This is the feeling of “Oh my! What was that?” In this stage, the man enters a temporary recovery phase where further orgasms are not possible. This is known as the refractory period, and its length varies from person to person. It can last from a few minutes to a few days, and this period generally grows longer as a man ages. During this phase, the man’s penis and testicles return to their original size. The rate of breathing will be heavy and fast, and the pulse will be fast.

Orgasms are an inbuilt mechanism of human body (mammals). Our brain, emotions, and physiology are wired so that a person can experience it. In the second part of my article, I will elaborate on the benefits of orgasms, and why it is important to have a few now and then!

Want to know more? Drop a comment below!

#BeTheForce

Disclaimer: Reader discretion is advised. This content is for an older, mature audience who seek to improve their health and wellness. GOQii is not responsible for any misrepresentation of this information.

February 23, 2019 By GOQii 4 Comments

Jayanand Wagh’s Holistic Approach Towards Health And Fitness

Being overweight is a common condition and most of us face it at some point. This is the story of a man who overthrew overweight with just focus and determination. If you think getting your health on track is impossible, listen to this story and give it another thought.

Jayanand Wagh, aged 40, started his journey on December 2015 and was overweight for 20 long years of his life. As he got better, he purchased a GOQii Vital to train for his half marathon goal. His goals also included weight loss and to become fit. Despite the nature of his goal, he was quite stubborn about achieving this without the help of a gym, vigorous diets or any shortcuts. It took him 2 long years to reach his goals and the wait was totally worth it!

How Did He Do It?

His approach to fitness was different. Instead of working for an immediate change, Jayanand Wagh focused on inculcating healthy habits into his lifestyle. These changes included eating a healthier diet with less sugar and carbs. He also introduced exercises such as running and walking along with other home workouts.

The result was slow but it changed the man he was and helped him shed 18kgs in 2 years. His motto was, Sculpt yourself into what you want to become, and that’s exactly what he did over time, with patience and hard work. With his fat loss goal being achieved, Jayanand is now focusing on building lean muscle mass. He has his own marathon journey, successfully completing the 21k milestone twice. Currently, he is training for the Mumbai Marathon 2020 with guidance from GOQii Coach Divya Bhat. He is also using the GOQii RunGPS tracker specifically for this.

When we asked him about the changes he inculcated in his daily life, this is what he had to say:

The first change I made was, to my sleeping pattern. I woke up early and went to bed early. Every morning I would go cycling with my 7-year-old daughter Angel. I led a very inactive and sedentary lifestyle with a job profile that didn’t involve much physical activity. In order to gain control over my mind and to stay focused, I sought help from my mind mentor Sandeep Maheshwari Sir.

Decreasing my junk food intake was a crucial step as this allowed me to progress further with my goals. I also reduced my sugar intake, which I totally cut down over a period of time. My fluid intake, mainly water increased considerably to a level that I drank at least 3 litres of water per day. I never used to eat breakfast before, but developed that habit which helped me very much later on. Nuts, fruits and salads were added to my diet to make breakfast more clean and healthy.

The toughest challenge was to quit smoking and my alcohol intake completely. I quit them both eventually. I developed the habit of carrying a lunchbox from home to work so I can avoid outside food as much as possible. Meditation became an everyday routine along with bodyweight workouts at home by following my health mentor Guru Mann

To have a better understanding of my body, I made it a habit to do an annual full body checkup on my birthday and know where it stands health-wise. I do oil pulling for 20 minutes every morning with virgin coconut oil became a habit. With guidance from wellness mentor and GOQii Master Coach Luke Coutinho, I began Intermittent Fasting and then moved to Dry Fasting. I would fast every Tuesdays and Saturdays for 16 hours, consuming my meals before 7 pm to reset my biological clock. Following these minute changes, I was able to transform my health. Determination and focus are what it took for me to be what I am today and I’m really proud of myself.

Was it really that difficult?

Yes! To stay focused throughout and be motivated is a challenge but would you rather lead an unhealthy life or have more focus & energy? The choice is yours! With simple changes to your everyday life, you can achieve similar goals as Jayanand Wagh and all it requires is relentless dedication. This story is an example to people who believe that it’s too difficult to bring about such changes in your health. Try this holistic approach towards health today and feel the change yourself.