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August 9, 2022 By GOQii Leave a Comment

Top 10 Basic Trekking Tips For Beginners

Monsoons = treks! There’s no other way to look at it. Most hiking trails and trekking landscapes light up with luscious greenery during this season. Maybe that’s why avid trekkers and nature lovers venture out to explore spaces when it rains. Now while trekking seems like a fun activity, a few bruises and muscle aches will be the least of your worries if you’re not prepared. So to ensure that you have a good trip to enjoy that beautiful scenery only trekking can bring, here are some basic trekking tips to help you out!

Basic Trekking Tips For Beginners

1. Walk Straight: Whether you’re climbing up or making your way down, slopes can seem to be a challenge. While surmounting this challenge, make sure that you walk upright and don’t slouch or sit and climb as it can put pressure on your knees which could make the rest of the trek difficult.

2. Stay Hydrated: When making your way to the great outdoors, make sure you carry at least 2L of water with you. Avoid gulping the water down in one go. Instead, you should sip slowly. Carrying a sipper will help!

3. Carry An Electrolyte Mix: Sweating is only natural when you perform a strenuous activity but when you sweat, you also lose some essential electrolytes. To replenish lost electrolytes, carry some salt and sugar mixed with water. An easier option is to carry Electral or Glucose which you can mix with water. Alternatively, you can also opt for this electrolyte drink available on the GOQii Health Store. You need to be careful that you sip this and do not gulp. Remember to take 2 sips of water for every 1 sip of this energy drink.

4. Use Walking Poles: A walking pole can easily become your best friend on a trek. It really takes the pressure off your knees when you’re climbing down and supports you well when you’re going uphill. While it might take some time to get used to it, it’s definitely worth it!

5. Avoid Sitting Immediately: If you’ve been climbing for a while, it’s only natural to take a break. But when you do take a break, avoid sitting down immediately. It may make it difficult for you to get back up. Stand and rest for a while before you make your way again. Be mindful of the number of breaks you take as well as frequent breaks will increase tiredness.

6. Fuel Your Body: Your body needs fuel to keep going. Carrying heavy meals doesn’t make sense as you want to travel light, you can opt to carry some nuts, a nutritious trail mix or a protein bar with you. These will give you the energy to keep going. Eat them in small portions when you take a break.

7. Watch Your Footwear: Even if you’re keen on doing just two treks this monsoon, it’s a good idea to invest in a good pair of shoes. Some terrains can be tricky and slippery, especially during monsoons. You need shoes that offer good grip and support you well.

8. Dress Well: A trekking trail might be the worst place you would want to show off your new dress or those awesome, trendy shorts you picked from a fancy outlet. You need to cover up! Wear a Dri Fit, full sleeve shirt and pants that cover your legs. This will protect you from insects, mosquitoes and getting scraped by thorns when you move along a dense trail. You can get some amazing Dri Fit t-shirts and Joggers from the GOQii Health Store!

9. Waterproof Yourself: If you’re planning to carry an umbrella, don’t. During a monsoon trek, leaving your belongings and yourself unprotected from a sudden rain shower would not bode well for you. Try carrying a poncho which will cover most of your body as well as your backpack.

10. Communicate: If you’re with a trekking group or you’re trekking with a group of friends, if at any point you feel uneasy, make it a point to tell your trek leader or organizer. You could put your life in danger if you continue and could ruin the experience for everyone else. It’s best to mitigate issues before they get worse. Remember that communication is key in the outdoors.

Few Things To Bear In Mind Before You Begin

If it is your first time trekking, start walking now! Prepare a little by taking small hikes around your vicinity. Practice on uneven trails instead of footpaths or a park because trek trails won’t be that flat. Additionally, also work on some leg based cardio and try taking the stairs as often as you can. It will help you build some stamina and endurance before your climb.
Travel light. Do not carry things you do not need. Fewer the electronics the better. A trek is not a place where you will find any need for a laptop or a tab. Your cellphone, a power bank and a torch, along with other essentials mentioned above will be enough.
Additionally, avoid wearing your earphones when you begin your climb. You might miss out on instruction, a cry for help or any unforeseen circumstance. Keep your eyes and ears wide open and enjoy the natural sounds and vistas you’ll only get in the midst of nature.
If you would like to document your adventure, it’s always nice to keep a small notepad with you to jot down your experiences and also to keep a track of the details of the place like how to get there or certain markers which will help you when you visit again.

We hope these trekking tips help you make the most of your trek! Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

For more articles on staying healthy and fit during monsoons, check out Healthy Reads. If you need any help to train or build your stamina for a trek, reach out to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce

August 8, 2022 By GOQii 9 Comments

Put Your Fat On Flame With Interval Training

Most of us have this desirable goal of losing fat but, when asked to act on it, we have a fixed set of excuses ready – No time! Too tough for me! Too boring to repeat the same pattern, etc. It’s time to ditch these excuses and rev up workouts which consume less time, can be done easily and are not monotonous. We suggest going for Interval Training!

What Is Interval Training?

Interval training is a workout in which we alternate the bursts of high-intensity exercises with intervals of lighter activity. All that we do here is, we repeatedly challenge our body and then give it shorter breaks to recover, for a massive cardio blast. It helps burn more calories in a short period of time, as compared to a steady-state exercise.

How Does It Work?

When we vary the intensity while working out, it leads to muscle confusion. Our body gets confused and wonders what’s happening! As a regulatory mechanism, our heart rate shoots up and it starts pumping more blood. More the blood, higher the Oxygen and to your surprise, fat combustion occurs more efficiently in the presence of Oxygen.

Ever wondered why a candle stops burning when we put a glass over it and block the Oxygen? That’s exactly the principle. Any burning process requires O2 which is a key to burning fat. And since interval training involves a lot of Oxygen, it’s been gaining fame in the fat loss/inch loss sector.

There are no hard and fast rules in interval training. We can have variations as we want, to make it most enjoyable and keep boredom at bay. We can:

Interval walk: Walking fast for 2 minutes, then walking slowly for a minute, again fast, then slow and go on this way as long as we can
Interval runs Alternating 2 minutes run with a 1-minute walk
Interval swim: Alternating fast-paced swimming moves with slow-paced moves

We can also try this with cycling, dancing, strengthening exercises (Tabata – being the most popular form of High Intensity Interval Training) and the list can go on.

It’s quite possible to take interval training to many levels. The length and speed of each high-intensity interval solely depend upon our strength and capacity. To get better with it, we need to make sure we push our body way past our comfort zone each time we do it. Remember, not to rush into strenuous exercise before our body is ready, to avoid injury. Ensure a good warm-up session before starting with it, and end it with stretches.

If you are a beginner to exercising, We’d say, don’t start with interval training directly. Give your body some time to build the stamina with steady cardio workouts for a few weeks to a month. You can then add interval training to your routine. In fact, you can also add these interval training plans to your gym routine once a week to enhance your speed and cardiovascular endurance.

So what are you waiting for? Jump into your workout shoes and jazz up your workout routine by adding interval training! If you have a chronic health condition (Hypertension or Cardiovascular illness), it’s better to keep away from interval training to avoid any aggravation. You can check with your trainer or coach to take the best course. For further guidance, you can subscribe for GOQii’s personalized health coaching and get the best exercises and habits to meet your weight loss goals.

Additionally, you can also join our online classes on GOQii PRO, where our certified fitness experts will guide you on the correct form and posture in real time, while making sure that you are well motivated! You can book a class now from the GOQii App.

For more on fitness and weight loss, check out Healthy Reads.

Get Active and #BeTheForce

August 7, 2022 By GOQii 3 Comments

Homemade Remedy For Monsoon Illnesses – Decoction Syrup or Kadha Recipe

We all enjoy the smell of wet mud, the cool breeze and the pleasant environment, but with these experiences, the rains also bring illnesses such as fever, cough, cold, infections, and stomach disorders, etc. The quick fix which most choose in these conditions is to visit a doctor who prescribes us an antibiotic for quick relief. While quick, medicines suppress our immunity and in most cases, we have a relapse. Well, when it comes to monsoon illnesses, we have a simple solution passed down the ages – a home remedy known as a Decoction syrup or Kadha.

You might have had a taste of this too as a part of your Grandma’s home remedy methods. It helps alleviate cough, cold, fever and stomach pain. This special Decoction Syrup or Kadha is simple to prepare, tasty and kids will like it as well – which means you can avoid running behind them for medicines.

What You Will Need

Garlic – 1 clove, crushed or sliced. It contains a sulfur compound known as Allicin which is anti-viral, antibiotic, and antiseptic.
Ginger – 1 inch, washed, peeled and lightly crushed. It is an excellent anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory herb known for suppressing nausea and vomiting, reducing fever and coughing, treating inflammation, congestion, cold, diarrhea, indigestion, and flatulence.
Cardamom – 2 to 3. It stimulates digestion. It also helps to reduce body temperature and congestion of lungs.
Black Pepper – 3 whole or crushed. It is loaded with antioxidants and relieves many pains including headaches.
Jeshtimadh/Jyeshtamadhu (Liquorice Root) – 1 small stick. It is an excellent herb for getting relief from cough.
Cloves – 2. It contains an anti-inflammatory chemical called Eugenol. The combination of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties spells heaps of health benefits.
Black Tulsi (Basil) – 4 to 5 leaves. Black Tulsi or Basil leaves have excellent anti-fungicidal, anti-bacterial and anti-biotic properties which fight fever. It is also known to reduce fever.
Raw Honey/Jaggery – 1 teaspoon. Honey is antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiseptic.
Lemon – Half lemon. High in vitamin C, lemon may help decrease the strength of the cold and flu virus in the body and reduce phlegm.

How To Prepare The Decoction Syrup or Kadha

Take 2 cups of water in a vessel
Add all the above ingredients (except honey/jaggery and lemon) to the water
Let the mixture boil, till the amount of water reduces to half
Switch the gas off and now, add honey/jaggery and squeeze the lemon
Strain it and sip it hot

Note: In case of severe illness, please visit a doctor. If you feel things are under control, try managing them with natural sources. Your body is designed to heal by itself.

We hope you try this Decoction Syrup or Kadha to help you fight monsoon illnesses and build your immunity! Let us know your experience in the comments below. For more recipes, check out Healthy Reads.

To learn more about how to fight monsoon illnesses and to get more home remedies like this, reach out to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

Stay Healthy and #BeTheForce

August 5, 2022 By GOQii Leave a Comment

All You Need To Know About Visceral Fat

Are you familiar with the term Visceral Fat? We’re sure you’ve heard about it. It’s all the unwanted belly fat that forms inside the abdomen. It is considered dangerous because it is the type of fat that surrounds the internal organs, like the liver and the intestines and is also known as ‘Active Fat’ because it influences how hormones function in the body.

Visceral Fat can pose a lot of problems. If you have more fat stored than you need, especially around visceral organs like the liver, heart, kidneys, pancreas and intestines, your body becomes inflamed. This kind of fat stores inflammatory white blood cells and this is why inflammatory belly fat is linked with cognitive decline, arthritis, diabetes and so on.

Fat-generated inflammatory cytokines are the main contributors to heart disease and other inflammatory disorders. When your body is inflamed, your liver becomes overwhelmed with cholesterol and toxins, which leads to plaque buildup in your arteries. Visceral fat is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease markers like high triglycerides, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Furthermore, Visceral fat is thought to play a large role in insulin resistance, which means a heightened risk for developing diabetes.

Refer to the image below to know more:

Apart from Exercising, reducing stress and managing your diet well, beware of how you cook your meals as well. Boiling, steaming, baking, and grilling foods will help to make meals healthier and lower in fat. On the other hand, certain foods encourage belly fat. For instance, trans fats are found in meats and dairy as well as in deep-fried or processed foods. Avoid them along with sodas, candy, baked goods, and other foods sweetened with fructose.

We hope this article helps you! If you are keen on losing weight in a healthy, sustainable way, check out GOQii Transform for a personalized weight loss program. For more articles on weight loss, check out Healthy Reads.

To learn more about visceral fat and weight loss, speak to your GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr