inspiration Archives

April 29, 2020 By GOQii Leave a Comment

Shreyans Ravrani Shifts From Illness to Wellness!

At the age of 38, Shreyans Ravrani led a lifestyle which wasn’t very different from the working professionals of his age group. As a Gujarati, his diet involved regular consumption of oily food and sweets, something he never realized can be detrimental to his health. He didn’t maintain portion control nor eat a balanced meal. Physical activity was almost nil and to add to it, his stress and sleep were negatively impacted due to work pressure and traveling.

He had joined GOQii in 2017 as he found the personal coaching feature appealing but did not stick to his plans or take being healthy seriously. In June 2019, Shreyans Ravrani was diagnosed with high cholesterol and fatty liver disease. He was faced with 2 options – either live with the prospect of lifelong medication or adopt a healthier lifestyle. He chose the latter and his life changed since then.

Making Positive Changes

Shreyans Ravrani realized he had to reduce his weight. He weighed 77kg with a BMI of 29. In order to get healthy, he renewed his subscription with GOQii in July 2019 and got more serious about utilizing personal coaching. He already was consulting a dietitian and he started to validate all her suggestions and inputs with his GOQii coach.

These were the changes he incorporated:

Took sugar and fried food off his diet
His breakfast included oats or idli.
For lunch, he reduced his chapatti intake to 3 and included lots of salad and buttermilk
For dinner, he mostly had soup or a light khichdi.
He stopped snacking on processed foods and shifted to fruits, roasted chana or makhana along with green tea.
He began walking for 2km every day but that wasn’t enough to burn fat. So he began running in August. Initially he felt breathless after 350m. By November, he could run 5km a day. From a strenuous activity, his running time now became his “Me-Time”.

As a Jain, he was used to fasting which helped him control his hunger pangs even as he reduced his meal portion. He says, fasting gives you mental strength and distracts you from the thought of food, which he was able to do successfully.

Levelling Up The Game!

By November 2019, Shreyans Ravrani participated in and completed his first 10k run within 65 minutes. In December 2019, he did it again but completed it in 60 minutes. He was happy that he managed to beat his previous time so quickly.

Between July – November 2019, he had reduced 14kg. Seeing this, his coach had to ask him to cut down on his running and add some strength training routine to his workout. He ensures that he completes his quota of running by spot jogging at home even during lockdown!

He regularly participates in health challenges organized by GOQii with the GOQii App from time to time including the current 30 Day Quarantine Burn Challenge.

What Does Shreyans Ravrani Have to Say About His GOQii Coach?

Shreyans is extremely thankful to his GOQii Coach for her contribution towards his transformation. He thinks the best part is that he can ask questions as and when they arise in his mind and get them answered by an expert quickly. She is also a constant motivator, following up with his habits, progress as well as guiding him in the right direction. He feels it helps when you have someone monitoring your habits and giving you timely feedback.

What Changes Does He See in Himself?

Apart from weight loss and his vitals returning to normal, he says the complete change of mindset towards health and fitness is worth it! His entire family is now more aware and diet conscious. Every member makes sure to burn off extra calories as and when they indulge.

Do you want to make a lifestyle change as well? Download the GOQii App and subscribe now.

For more inspiring user journeys, read here: https://goqii.com/blog/category/user-stories/

#BeTheForce!

January 25, 2020 By GOQii Leave a Comment

GOQii Trail Challenge Heroes: Pooja Behuria Achieves the Impossible

Fitness is not a race and it is true that you can’t get active overnight. It is a gradual process which takes time – something which today’s erratic work hours and busy schedules don’t offer. Pooja Behuria learned about this when she decided to take the GOQii Trail Challenge in 2019. But, that wasn’t the only thing she learned. She also realized that GOQii was more than just a company or a group of individuals trying to get fit… GOQii is a family!

Before the GOQii Trail Challenge

Like most people, the concept of fitness and a healthy lifestyle were alien to the 23-year-old Pooja Behuria from Mumbai. The banes of erratic work hours coupled with living alone in the city compelled her to live a sedentary lifestyle. But all that was about to change!

She learned about GOQii and the Trail Challenge through Genesis-BCW, an agency associated with GOQii since the past 4 months. Since then, she has been watching LIVE videos on GOQii Play.

Pooja Behuria had never been on a trek before. When the registrations for GTC began, she thought that it seemed like an adventure – considering the terrain for the trail. What drove her to register was that she saw it as a challenge as none of her friends or colleagues believed that she would be able to complete it. In fact, they were certain she wouldn’t even reach halfway. She decided to prove them wrong!

Training and Preparation

As she had never attended an endurance trail such as GTC, she browsed through the website to gain more insight into what to expect and how to prepare herself. However, due to time constraints and partly due to her own laziness, she did not begin her preparations until 20 days before the event.

If she was going to do the trail, she had to prepare! With new motivation, she made some changes in her eating habits and began doing a little bit of exercise to prepare her body. She began including more proteins, complex carbs and most importantly, drinking more water on a daily basis which she wasn’t doing until now. Pooja began drinking coconut water and eating seeds and nuts between meals instead of junk food.

On the first day when she decided to go for a walk, she covered 20km and ended up feeling sore and tired. She couldn’t move her legs for 2 days. She then realized it was a mistake and decided to gradually increase the level to get her body conditioned. She began taking short walks and using the stairs while going to the office and back home as stair climbing is good for building endurance. She still felt she wasn’t prepared enough.

Walking the Trail and Persisting

Pooja Behuria partnered with one of her office colleagues Jisha, when she began walking on the 7th morning. She and her partner were all geared and excited when the trail was flagged off at 5:30 in the morning. They managed to reach the 1st checkpoint in just 1.5 hrs. Both seemed to think it was no big deal and they should be able to complete it easily within 9-10 hrs.

As they left the 1st checkpoint, her partner started feeling unwell. Jisha had developed a fever but still persisted and continued. By the time they reached the 3rd Checkpoint, Jisha was shivering and on the verge of passing out. Before the 3rd checkpoint, she had fallen in water which only aggravated her condition. Jisha thought it was best to give up. From there on, Pooja was by herself.

But it is the GOQii Trail Challenge and we are all a family. No one is ever alone on the trail. Another participant, Girish Narang who had been walking solo became her partner for the rest of her journey. Pooja says that if it wasn’t for her new partner, she wouldn’t have completed the trail. Girish Narang kept pushing her and motivating her to continue. She was already halfway through and giving up wouldn’t make sense – is what he kept telling her.

After every decline down a mountain, when she said she couldn’t go any further, her partner motivated her to take another step. The last 10km were the hardest where every step seemed strenuous. Her legs were giving up and the pain was unbearable. All she wanted to do was sit and not move.

After 16 long hours, when she finally saw the finish line, she was filled with mixed emotions – exhilaration, shock, awe, relief and complete joy all rolled into one! She couldn’t believe her eyes! That unexplainable feeling of achieving something she thought wasn’t possible for someone like her was unparalleled.

Now, when she looks back she’s still surprised that she didn’t give up. It has filled her with a sense of pride and confidence. The trail does change you in one of the most beautiful ways. She now believes that it is all a mind game. If you persist, you can achieve the impossible.

She says there were participants who were twice her age and yet completed the trail in half the time she did. This hasn’t demotivated her but has only inspired her to prepare thoroughly and participate in GTC 2020. She says that though she didn’t know anybody at the trail, each and every participant she met along the way encouraged and motivated her to move ahead. It was like one big family, joining hands and motivating each other to complete the trail!

Want to know what the trail looked like? Watch the GOQii Trail Challenge 2019 Movie.

Want to share your experience at the trail. Write to us!

We look forward to seeing you for the next GOQii Trail Challenge!

#BeTheForce

December 16, 2019 By Akanksha Khullar Leave a Comment

5 Life Hacks to Stay Motivated

Setting goals is easy but achieving them can be quite difficult. In between working towards your goals or giving up, the thing that keeps you going is motivation! That’s why knowing how to stay motivated is very important! Whether it is your health or career, you must focus on the long term. Here are some tips that will help you stay motivated and achieve your goals!

1. Set SMART Goals

Try and set goals which are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reasonable, Tangible and Time bound). Be very clear as to what you actually want to achieve in how much time and keep your goal realistic. Try not setting larger goals in an impractical time period to be completed in as it can cause unwanted stress and demotivation. Here are more details on setting SMART Goals.

2. Divide Goals into Smaller Parts

Try and take small steps which will facilitate fulfilling the long term goal set by you. If your smaller goals are achieved, it motivates you to move forward and accomplish the other goals which bring you closer to your main goal!

3. Tap into People with Common Goals and Positive Attitude

When you feel demotivated or have just begun following your long term goal, try looking for people with similar goals as energy is something which is definitely transferred from one person to another. If the other person is performing well and is motivated, it motivates us as well! You can also read articles of people who have set goals and achieved them! It will motivate you.

4. Take Responsibility

Once you have set a goal, talk to yourself every day about achieving it so oyur path isn’t hindered. It’s a little difficult to restart habits one they are left in between. Always tell yourself that it is a part of your everyday schedule and you can achieve the same. Taking responsibility gives you a sense of ownership over your health and can help you remain motivated.

5. Adopt a Positive Vocabulary

Your body listens to what you think and say. All words carry a certain amount of emotional baggage. So instead of saying or thinking of phrases such as, “I may not be able to do it”, “not sure if I can”, or “I hate and dislike doing this”, try changing your vocabulary to “Yes I can do it”, “I am trying my best” and “I love doing this!” It will help you boost your motivation levels. Keep a positive attitude, use weak words for negative feelings and strong words for positive ones.

If you have lost motivation at some point, try to follow the above points to help you get back into the groove! It’s not about how hard you fall but how fast you stand up. Remember that nothing is impossible!

Still low on motivation? Try tuning in to GOQii Play and speak to experts LIVE who will help you with any queries you may have regarding motivation, health and fitness!

#BeTheForce

September 23, 2019 By Parwage Alam 12 Comments

How to Turn Household Chores Into a Workout

Taking care of the house is a never-ending job! I still remember my mother being so caught up with household chores that she never got the time to workout. One day when I got home after working out, I saw my mother doing the regular housework and an idea struck me! What if we can turn daily household chores into a workout routine?

Benefits of Turning Household Chores Into a Workout

Most people struggle with the fact that due to the lack of time, they skip working out. If you turn household chores into a workout routine, you’re killing two birds with one stone. You find your chores as well as get a good, light workout.

Like any other physical activity, housework can tone muscles if done correctly and in the right posture. It’s already proved that short bouts of relatively mild exercise can help improve your fitness levels, especially for those who do little or no physical activity or are just getting started. To top it off, this can help you break the monotony of routine and add a little bit of fun to completing chores.

Here’s How You Get Started

Lunges (Vacuum Cleaning): While using the vacuum cleaner, you can walk in a lunges posture. Remember to keep your knees directly above your ankles, your back straight and your abs engaged. You will know this is working by feeling the pressure in your thighs and glutes. Lunges are a good exercise for strengthening, sculpting and building several muscles/muscle groups, including the quadriceps (or thighs), the gluteus maximus (or buttocks) and the hamstrings as well.
Squats: Pick up items on the floor or tables by squatting. Keep your back straight, squat deeply by bending your knees. Hold for 15 seconds before rising up again. A Squat is an exercise that primarily trains the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks. It also works the quadriceps (vastus lateral, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius and rectus femoris), hamstrings, and strengthens the bones, ligaments as well as the insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body
Make Sweeping Movements: Instead of cleaning haphazardly when scrubbing glass doors or cleaning windows, make long, sweeping movements. For instance, when you are cleaning the doors or windows, take long swipes from top to bottom, squatting (not bending) to reach the lower spots. This will give you a fantastic shoulder workout and engage your entire lower body. If you want you can also hold a small bucket of water in your other hand to increase the strength of your arms.
Sweeping: While sweeping, tuck your stomach and oblique muscles in, keep your back straight and bring the bristles of the broom as far as possible and pull in.
Dance on the Beat: Turn on the music system while doing household chores and dance to the music the way you want. Try to use some fast music so you’ll be encouraged to pick up your speed and break a sweat. If you’re wondering how dancing helps your health, click here.
Step it up: Use a stepladder, stairs or step stool when you need to reach high areas. Try to repeat the same steps 8-10 times. Trust me, this is a really great exercise for your hamstrings, provided you keep your back straight. You can simulate your own step aerobics session this way!
Loading the Washing machine: When you are loading or unloading your washing machine, just twist and move more. This movement will help to strengthen your core.
Sculpt and Fold: Lifting laundry can be the toughest part of your routine. Tone your arms by holding them raised at 90° angle as you carry the laundry basket. Use the squats and lunges posture with your legs as your fold.
Take a Swing. Instead of cleaning your rugs, carpets, sheet using a vacuum cleaner, take them outside, hang them up, pick up your broom and show your muscular talent! Swing away to beat out the dust and dirt. Performing this activity will help you involve more muscles than vacuuming alone and help you get some fresh air as well.
Always Prefer Stairs: Instead of making one trip up and down, try to convert it into multiple trips with the clean or dirty clothes. Remember, we have a target to do more work as a workout, not less work with the help of machines!

What are you waiting for! Make your household chores something to look forward to by turning them into a workout. Try this for a week and let us know if you see any changes. Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce