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Easy and Effective Tabata Routine For Beginners

effective tabata routineWhen it comes to getting active and losing weight, people generally get confused about where to start. So, let’s look at this effective Tabata routine which is simple and easy. TABATA (also called Tabata protocol) is a type of HIIT (high intensity interval training). It originated when a Japanese Scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata and his team from The National Institute of Fitness and Sports at Kagoshima, Japan were working on the fact that shorter high intensity workouts followed by a shorter period of rest can impact the body better rather than longer periods of continuous workout.

The structure of program is like: 

  • Exercise hard for 20 seconds
  • Rest for 10 seconds
  • Complete 8 rounds

A combination of any exercise can be used in Tabata. It targets a wider range of muscles and helps in burning fat during and after workouts. 

Three major health benefits of this Effective Tabata routine are:

  1. Helps in burning more fat in a shorter period of time
  2. Helps in increasing endurance
  3. As it is high intensity training, it needs to be focused & attentive, thus, increases efficiency.

Before You Begin, Keep in Mind:  

  • A beginner has to first check his/her flexibility, efficiency and endurance before picking up the sets of exercises
  • Make sure to complete a dynamic warm up before you begin this easy and effective Tabata routine.
  • You can choose a group of 3-4 exercises for a week and then add some other exercises one by one depending upon your stamina.
  • Don’t do exercises in a hurry. Rather do it in proper posture and manner.
  • Always keep a stopwatch with you.

Exercise To Include In Your Tabata Routine  

There are basic 10 exercises which you can include in your Tabata protocol when you are planning to start. These are:

  1. Burpees: Toughest among all exercises and increases endurance, strength & power. It is most effective but for a beginner can be placed at last.
  2. Lunges: Can be included in beginners protocol & difficulty level can be increased once you are comfortable in traditional lunges.
  3. Jump Rope: It is an effective and portable form of exercise and can be included in the beginners list.
  4. Squat Jack: It combines two bodyweight exercises which are squats and jumping jacks. Can be safely included in the list.
  5. Tabata Sprints: It starts with 20 seconds of sprints followed by 10 seconds of walking, jogging or rest.
  6. Push Ups: One of the most simple and familiar exercises which can be included in the list.
  7. Super man: This will strengthen the back and core muscles and can be included in the list.
  8. Plank jack: These are simple. The difficulty level can be increased at one’s comfort ability.
  9. Mountain Climbers: Very effective for legs and most suitable for beginners.
  10. Windshield Wipers: Easy to do and can be included in the list and variations can be done later.

From the list above, you can choose any 4-5 exercises and start practicing according to the Tabata protocol and always start with high energy and not in a hurry.

For more effective workouts and to learn more about fitness, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to our live, interactive classes on GOQii PRO, where our experts will guide and motivate you in real time. Book a class now from the GOQii App.

#BeTheForce 

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Manage Diabetes With These Lifestyle and Nutritional Tips

By this point, we are all well aware of the silent killer known as Diabetes. It is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, neurological and cardiovascular disorders. Diabetes Mellitus is a condition in which our body’s ability to utilize glucose from the blood lowers down. It is a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism characterized by impaired ability of the body to produce or respond to insulin. Glucose is the main source of energy to the body’s cells and insulin is a hormone (which is produced by pancreas) that controls the level of glucose in the blood.

Types of Diabetes

  1. Type 1 Diabetes referred to as Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, is a condition in which the pancreas produce little or no insulin. Such individuals require daily insulin injections. This type of diabetes generally affects children or adolescents.
  2. Type 2 Diabetes referred to as Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, is a condition in which the insulin production may be normal or even high but the insulin produced is not as effective as normal insulin. This type of diabetes generally affects overweight or obese adults.
  3. Gestational Diabetes develops during pregnancy and usually disappears after giving birth. Women with Gestational Diabetes are at a higher risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes later in life.

Factors Which Cause Diabetes

In order to manage Diabetes or eliminate it from our lives, we must understand the factors that cause it.

  • Obesity: Being overweight or obese has been identified as the number one risk factor for Diabetes. In fact, 80% of people diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes are overweight.
  • Cigarette Smoking: Cigarette smoke elevates the level of inflammation in your body. This increases the risk of diabetes in smokers as opposed to non-smokers. Smoking can also elevate the level of blood glucose in your body and hence, worsen your insulin resistance.
  • Physical Inactivity: It can increase your risk of diabetes, even if you are not overweight or obese. On the other hand, in case you are overweight or obese – physical activity can help you reduce your risk of diabetes.

Tips to Manage Diabetes

  • Medication: The first line of action to treat Type 2 diabetes is anti-diabetic medications, and/or oral or IV insulin administration. Generally, insulin therapy is prescribed for type 1 diabetes. However, only medicines will not be able to control your diabetes. There are several other attached conditions, which we will discuss further.
  • Quality Sleep: Sleep is extremely important to effectively manage diabetes. Reduced sleep or insomnia can result in hormone fluctuations which in turn leads to a spike in the blood glucose levels, leading to weight gain.
  • Regular Examination: If possible, monitor blood glucose levels regularly in order to ensure that everything is under control. Medication, stress, physical activity, other illnesses and the foods we eat can all impact our blood glucose levels.
  • Stress Management: Physical or mental stress can aggravate diabetes. The degree at which stress impacts our blood glucose levels varies from one person to another. Studies show that almost all kinds of stress leads to a blood sugar spike.
  • Regular Exercise: It not only has a multifold impact on controlling and even reversing diabetes, but also helps in burning fat and maintaining an optimum weight. Practicing any kind of exercise for at least thirty minutes a day can improve insulin sensitivity, help in maintaining blood glucose levels and even diminish the risk of developing heart diseases. Brisk walking, running, cycling, dancing, swimming and biking are some of the recommended exercises that can elevate heart rate and control diabetes.
  • Quit Smoking: Smoking increases the risk of diabetes as it narrows blood vessels, raises blood glucose levels and leads to inflammations.

Nutritional Strategy to Manage Diabetes

Try these nutritional tips and strategies to manage Diabetes effectively

  • The distribution of carbohydrates, fats and protein in the diet should be such that it maintains blood glucose and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases
  • Replacing saturated fat with healthy fats such as avocados, nuts and olive oil can reduce insulin resistance and consume lean proteins.
  • Take small frequent meals at regular intervals. Avoid large jumbo-sized meals.
  • Keep a watch on portion size as having too much food can also lead to weight gain and related problems.
  • 1 tsp of overnight soaked Fenugreek seeds or Fenugreek powder should be consumed every day in the morning or can be added with food.
  • Consume more complex carbohydrates than simple sugars as they breakdown and release glucose slowly in the bloodstream.
  • Fiber rich food like whole fruits, whole cereals, whole pulses, salads, sprouts, and green leafy vegetables to be added to the daily diet. Be sure to pick whole fruits over juices.
  • Avoid prepackaged, processed and sugar sweetened beverages completely.
  • Recent study shows consumption of Moringa Leaves, fruits, seeds or powder lowers Blood Sugar levels which in turn helps in reducing Cardiovascular Diseases. Roots of Moringa are to be avoided because of the toxic content.
  • Glycemic Index (GI) of foods is important in deciding whether to include them in the diet or not. Low GI foods are to be consumed to maintain blood glucose levels.

Food Selection As Per Glycemic Index

Food Groups Foods With Low GI

(Permitted in prescribed amount)

 Foods With High GI

(To be restricted)
Cereals Whole wheat flour, wheat bran, Pearl Millet (bajra), Sorghum (jowar), oats, Finger Millet (ragi), Cracked Wheat (dalia), brown rice, barley, whole wheat pasta, multigrain & whole wheat bread. Polished rice, white bread, Sago, All purpose flour, noodles, pasta, corn flakes, puffed rice.
Pulses All pulses can be consumed moderately. –
Vegetables Green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, cucumber, radish, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, mushroom, onion, green beans, carrot, green peas, capsicum, gourds, etc. Potato, Beetroot, sweet potato, yam, pumpkin, colocasia (arbi).
Fruits Apple, guava, orange, sweet lime, peach, papaya, pineapple, pomegranate, muskmelon etc. Dates, watermelon, plum, grapes, banana, sapodilla, mango, custard apple, canned fruits.
Nuts & oil seeds All nuts & oil seeds can be consumed but in moderate proportion. –
Milk & milk products Skim milk, cow’s milk, curd, buttermilk. Buffalo milk, full fat milk, cheese, cream.
Fats & oils MUFA-PUFA-SFA in the ratio 1:1:1 to be consumed but not more than 4 tsp/day.

MUFA- groundnut, mustard, linseed, olive, rice bran oil

PUFA- sunflower, safflower, soyabean, corn oil

SFA- Clarified Butter (ghee), butter, coconut oil

 Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Vanaspati), Margarine, Mayonnaise.
Sugars – Sugar, honey, jaggery, sugarcane.
Snacks & desserts Roasted bengal gram (chana), makhana, popcorn (low fat), American corn, air fry snacks, steamed snacks. Ice cream, cold drink, pastries, patties, waffles, doughnuts, potato wafers, muffins, all fried and baked items

Diabetes is a disease which can be controlled if we are fully aware of its complications and by following strict dietary and lifestyle protocol. Our priority should be to monitor blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels and ensure they are in control on a periodic basis to avoid complications in the future.

We hope this article helps you make a shift to a healthier lifestyle and manage diabetes effectively! Leave your thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on managing Diabetes, check out Healthy Reads.

For further guidance and motivation by certified experts, join the GOQii Diabetes Care program. It’s India’s only diabetes program that is driven by Smart Science and Personal Coaching to improve Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), Postprandial Blood Sugar (PP), and reduce HbA1c levels. You can subscribe here.

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10 Ways To Eliminate Bad Habits & Embrace Good Ones This Diwali

eliminate bad habits this DiwaliIt’s that month of the year when festivities start. We have just finished with Dusshera, an important Hindu festival, and now we are gearing ourselves for the Festival of Lights. Deepawali is celebrated on the occasion of gaining success over the bad (Ravana) and the returning of goodness. Bad Qualities could be the 10 heads of Ravana namely:

  1. Kama vasana (Lust)
  2. Krodha (Anger)
  3. Moha (Attachment)
  4. Lobha (Greed)
  5. Mada (Pride)
  6. Matsara (Jealousy)
  7. Swartha (Selfishness)
  8. Anyaaya (Injustice)
  9. Amanavta (Cruelty)
  10. Ahankara (Ego)

If we can eliminate the above bad qualities within ourselves, then we, in all likelihood, would end up being better human beings. Today, we have modern day demons in our life, which are making it unhealthy and lead us towards a bad and shorter life. This Diwali, let’s get rid of the modern day and olden days demons together!

10 Modern Day Bad Habits We Need To Eliminate This Diwali 

1. Smoking
I do not think I need to explain what smoking is? Smoking is responsible for several diseases, such as cancer, long-term (chronic) respiratory diseases, and heart disease, as well as premature death. You can read how smoking affects your health in the following articles:

2. Alcohol and drugs
Today, most of us are used to late night parties-  be it an office party, a birthday party, a marriage anniversary or the likes. One of the most common beverage in parties is ALCOHOL! In any celebration, you’ll find a number of alcoholic beverages that flow like water and we tend to consume them without much thought. This leads to a number of health complications. These complications have been talked about at length in this article on the Effects of Alcohol on your Health.

3. Stress
Stress is one of the most understated evils of our time hiding under the veils of office work, relationships and other everyday affairs. You can name any lifestyle diseases and one of the reasons behind it, in most cases, is stress. Stress can also lead to weight gain! Keeping stress under control will not only help you stay calm and relaxed but also helps you keep your weight under control and lifestyle diseases at bay! So manage your stress well!

4. Unhealthy Eating Habits
We are well aware that we need to form good eating habits to stay healthy but do we really follow them? Its only after we have put on excess weight that we try to manage our diet or follow some sort of diet plan to reduce weight. Instead of doing that, isn’t it better to eat healthy before things go wrong? While you’re forming healthy eating habits, make sure that you are also aware of the habits that are destroying your health and correct them.

5. Laziness
There is no dearth of excuses to avoid exercises and make ourselves lazy. One does not realize that laziness leads us to a sedentary lifestyle and eventually to a shorter life. You don’t even need to do any strenuous exercises or hit the gym daily. Just basic walking, taking the elevator instead of stairs and moving as much as you can will help you stay healthy. The core idea is to keep yourself active and off the couch. If you still think you’re bogged down by chores and do not have time, you can turn your daily chores into workouts!

6. Denial (about our health – physical or mental)
Another dangerous demon is denial. People will go to any extent to not find out about their health. Most are generally ok not getting a health check up done. This can be quite dangerous. Getting regular health check-ups is imperative because many health conditions can be resolved if detected early.

7. Sleep
For a better health, you need sound sleep of about 6 to 8 hours. If you spend the whole night finishing your pending tasks or binge watching a show, then you are certainly walking into a health hazard waiting to happen. There are too many health related irregularities which are caused by lack of sleep. But, if you have a proper sleep, you can get rid of all your issues. If you find it difficult to fall asleep, try these breathing techniques or follow these tips for better sleep.

8. Environment
While celebrating Diwali, we all try to burst crackers that pollute the environment. If you breathe in such an environment, it will only affect your health. After Diwali, the pollution still persists and can affect the heart and brain. People with existing heart or lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart disease, or ischemic heart disease are at increased risk of admission to hospitals based on the severity of an already existing problem. Given these issues, it would be nice if we use eco friendly ways of celebrating Diwali.

9. Sweets and Immunity
Most sweets contain refined sugar, which directly impacts our immunity. Sweets are quite pleasurable to eat, but eating too many can negatively impact your health. Sweets often lack beneficial nutrients and are full of detrimental ones, including saturated fat, sugars and artificial sugars. Excessive sweet consumption can increase the risk of Diabetes, Crohn’s Disease and lead to tooth decay. Additionally, it can also reduce HDL cholesterol and bone strength. While you might not be able to avoid sweets, eat them in moderation and be smart about it!

10. Unsafe Sex
And the last demon on our list is unsafe sex! We are a nation that’s very uncomfortable talking about sex and this has led to the state where a lot of people are ignorant about safe sex. Unsafe sex can lead to Sexual Transmitted Diseases like HIV/AIDS or unwanted pregnancies. Always remember that you must use a condom. If you don’t have one at that particular time, use other forms of contraceptives, but remember that other forms of contraceptives do not guard against STDs. Prevention is better than cure!

So we hope you take stock of these modern day demons and eliminate bad habits this Diwali! If you need help conquering these demons, you can always find an ally in our team of experts waiting to guide and motivate you to live a healthier lifestyle. You can start by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

Wish you all a happy, healthy and safe Diwali!

#BeTheForce

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Sleep Deprivation Linked To High Calorie Food Choices

Sleep Deprivation Linked To High Calorie Food ChoicesThere is more science supporting the fact that getting a good night’s rest is best for your health. A new study published in the journal Food Product Design, by Author Colin Chapman, MSc, of Uppsala University says that people who were deprived of one night’s sleep purchased more calories and grams of food in a mock supermarket the following day. Sleep deprivation leads to increased blood levels of ghrelin, a hormone that increases hunger. However, there was no correlation between individual ghrelin levels and food purchasing, suggesting that other mechanisms such as impulsive decision making may be more responsible for increased purchasing.

What Did The Study Find?

The Uppsala University of Sweden is the oldest university of the Nordic countries and offers courses in Science and Technology, Medicine, Humanity and Social Sciences. Researchers at Uppsala University investigated whether sleep deprivation may impair or alter an individual’s food purchasing choices based on its established tendency to impair higher-level thinking and to increase hunger.

They hypothesised that sleep deprivation’s impact on hunger and decision making would make for the ‘perfect storm’ with regard to shopping and food purchasing – leaving individuals hungrier and less capable of employing self-control and higher level decision making processes to avoid making impulsive, calorie-driven purchases.

On the morning after one night of total sleep deprivation, as well as after one night of sleep, the researchers gave 14 normal-weight men a fixed budget (approximately $50). The men were instructed to purchase as much as they could out of a possible 40 items, including 20 high-caloric foods and 20 low-caloric foods. The prices of the high-caloric foods were then varied to determine if total sleep deprivation affects the flexibility of food purchasing. Before the task, participants received a standardised breakfast to minimise the effect of Hunger on their purchases.

Sleep-deprived men purchased significantly more calories (+9%) and grams (+18%) of food than they did after one night of sleep. The researchers also measured blood levels of ghrelin, finding that the hormone’s concentration was higher after total sleep deprivation; however, this increase did not correlate with food purchasing behavior.

Their finding provides a strong rationale for suggesting that patients with concerns regarding caloric intake and weight gain should maintain a healthy and normal sleep schedule.

Is There A Link Between Sleep Deprivation and Weight Gain? 

Findings from a study published in the journal Nature Communications found that losing sleep can make you more likely to crave junk food rather than healthy food. Other studies have linked poor sleeping habits to increased appetites.

Results from the study show that sleep deprivation significantly decreased activity in appetitive evaluation regions within the brain during food desirability choices, combined with increased activity in the amygdala. This change in brain activity is further associated with an increase in the desire for weight gain promoting high-calorie foods following sleep deprivation.

Based on the study above, it is evident that one needs a good night of rest. What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

If you have trouble sleeping, speak to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

Here’s how our GOQii Coach helped a player overcome insomnia. For tips on how to sleep well, check out Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general awareness and educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised medical guidance or concerns related to your health.

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