winter tips Archives - Page 2 of 4

January 24, 2022 By Pragati Godara 1 Comment

5 Tips To Stay Active During Winter

It’s tough to stay active in winter when you’re nice and cozy under a warm blanket. Binge eating and browsing through some series seems so much more appealing. It can be tough to get motivated when the weather blows in, but don’t give up all thoughts of staying active. A little planning can help you stay active during winter.

Tips To Stay Active During Winter

Team up with a partner: Sometimes, the hardest part of staying active is getting motivated. Consider exercising with a partner. It will keep you accountable and could give you the extra push you need. There’s the additional benefit of making friends and hanging out with like-minded people.
Exercise during your lunch break: It seems to be frustrating when it’s dark in the morning and dark when you come home from work. The solution is to workout in the middle of the day, during peak light hours. Take a long, brisk walk during lunch hours. This provides the additional benefit of getting Vitamin D from sunlight.
Indoor activities: Even if the weather is nasty, there are dozens of indoor activities to keep you moving during winter. Aside from taking stairs, we all can opt for dancing, mall walking, active housework like sweeping & vacuuming, bowling and yoga. Have some fun and stay active at the same time. Alternatively, you can join LIVE sessions by experts by subscribing for a GOQii PRO class within the GOQii App.
Take the stairs: Make small changes to your daily habits to stay active during winter. A perfect choice is taking the stairs instead of opting for an elevator or escalator. The extra movement will keep your muscles working and will help you burn fat.
Create a home gym: The moment when you don’t feel like going out for exercise, then you can easily set up a great workout area in your living room and basement. Buy some inexpensive equipment like stretch bands, stability balls and hand weights. You can also wear a heavy backpack to add intensity to your workout or do bodyweight exercises like push-ups, lunges and squats.

We hope this article helps and motivates you to stay active during winter! Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more on exercise and fitness, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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December 28, 2021 By Kusum Soni 3 Comments

Quick Tips to Reduce Joint Pains During Winter

Do you experience joint pains during winter? While common for some people, the exact nature of cold-induced joint pain is uncertain but we’ve noticed that the symptoms often worsen.

It could be that muscles, ligaments and joints just get stiffer with lower temperatures, as the human body will conserve more heat, more blood would be circulated to the heart and lungs. So when this happens, muscles and blood vessels in the arms, shoulders, knees and other joints will contract, leading to pain. Even muscles lose their range of motion.

Reasons for Joint Pains during Winter

The pain receptors become more sensitive during winter.
The drop in atmospheric pressure causes joint tissues to swell, building tension between joints, causing pain.
Increase in muscle spasms in colder temperatures also worsens the pain and stiffness in joints.
The cold causes fine blood capillaries in the joints and extremities, like fingers and toes, to shrink or contract, amplifying the pain.
Less sunlight during winters means lower vitamin D levels which leads to weakened bones and joints.

Remedies for Relief

Dress Warm: Keep yourselves, especially your feet warm. Wear two or three pairs of thin clothing instead of one pair of heavy warm clothes to conserve body heat.
Stay Active: Exercising is another way to get rid of all joint and muscle stiffness during winter time without overdoing it. Because this will improve blood circulation to your extremities and provide warmth and the necessary micronutrients to relieve pain.
Localized Heating: Use an electric heating pad, hot water bag or an electric blanket to keep yourself warm while resting or sleeping.
Warm baths: Swimming in a heated pool is great exercise and it soothes your joints. You can also get great relief from warm water or steam bath. Avoid piping hot water.
Vitamin D: is essential for bone health. Lack of it can cause body aches. This deficiency may be due to lack of exposure to sunlight. Spending some time under the sun is a great way to replenish Vitamin D and get rid of joint aches. Food sources for Vitamin D include fatty fish, cheese, egg yolk, milk, nuts and seeds, soya products, and legumes. To enable absorption of Vitamin D from food or sunlight, include magnesium rich foods like entire green leafy vegetables (which are abundant in winters), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, avocado and bananas etc.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: are anti-inflammatory and highly beneficial in reducing inflammation in joints. So include avocados, flaxseeds, walnuts and fish in your diet. You’ll also find good omega-3 in flax seeds, walnuts, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds as well.

A Quick Home Remedy

A mixture of turmeric, fenugreek/methi seeds and ginger has a positive impact on reducing joint pains and arthritis because of the anti-inflammatory properties.

Ingredients

Ginger powder – 20 gm
Methi seeds – 50 gm
Turmeric powder – 50 gm

How to have: Take half or one tablespoon in the morning, preferably on an empty stomach for wonderful results.

Enjoy winter while following the above tips, for joint pains during winter. If you face extreme discomfort in your joints, do consult a doctor for Bone and Joint health.

For more tips and remedies for winter, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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December 22, 2021 By GOQii 5 Comments

Why You Need To Consume More Water During Winter

Winter can be a dreadful experience if you don’t have the resistance to withstand cold. While searching for things to keep us warm from the outside and within, consuming water is quite low on our winter checklist. But there are many reasons why you need to consume more water during winter – one of them being that we get more dehydrated during winter.

Why Do We Feel More Dehydrated During Winter?

It’s a fact that we get more dehydrated in winter when compared to summer. This is because when the surrounding temperature drops, we cling to the heater or cover ourselves with layers of clothing to keep us warm. This artificial heat causes dehydration.

Though we do not sweat during this season, water vapor is still lost from our body through our breath. Winter can even accelerate dehydration because of the lifesaving mechanism that’s functional in our body which constricts our blood vessels in cold weather, in turn conserving heat and maintaining body temperature.

Shrinking blood vessels increase blood pressure, making our kidneys produce more urine which means less blood to fill in the veins and arteries and frequent visits to the loo, hence, increasing the risk of dehydration. Dehydration causes muscle fatigue, cramps, loss of coordination and even a stroke. A dehydrated body is easily prone to flu and winter cold.

Basically, during winters we refrain from having enough water. With the days being short, it makes us exercise less and our food intake grows. When our body is well hydrated, its efficiency to break down fat for energy increases so that we have better control of our appetite.

The other concern is that of water retention due to the body not being well hydrated during winter. This takes place when our body starts feeling the scarcity of water and it starts holding back water leading to water retention.

How do I know if I am dehydrated? – Thirst is our body’s way of saying “I am on the verge of dehydration”. You can even be watchful of how clear or light colored your urine is. If it is dark, hydrate immediately.

How Do I Consume More Water During Winter?

Drink Warm Water: 90% of the excuses that we give for not having water in winter is that it makes us feel cold. The best solution here is to drink lukewarm water, which would not only soothe your throat but will also replenish your water stores while boosting your metabolism
Balance Tea and Coffee With Water: Caffeine and alcohol are diuretics (they cause us to lose more water through urine), so try to have a glass of water before having your evening tea/coffee. Have another glass after a few mins of after having your tea/coffee This way, we can replenish our body’s water store.
Include Water Based Food In Your Menu: Vegetables and fruits are naturally rich in water, which also provide vital minerals and vitamins. Soups are the best way to go! Try this Chilli Bean Soup to keep you warm: https://goqii.com/blog/chilli-bean-soup/
Drink Water Throughout Your Exercise: Make it a point to have water before, during and after your exercise. Due to the cold climate, there are very fewer chances of sweating too much or feeling too thirsty, mind it your body needs it!
Make Water Interesting: Many find drinking plain water very boring. If you are one of them, then you can add natural flavors to water (not free calories though) by adding some fruits or herbs which give the water some mild taste and make it delicious to sip on.

In conclusion, I would say be it summer, monsoon or winter, our body remains same through the year. So keep sipping and always stay hydrated! If you have difficulty keeping track of your water intake, you can log and track your daily water intake via the GOQii App as well as set reminders to drink water.

We hope this article helps you consume more water. For more on staying healthy during winter, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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December 7, 2021 By Priyanka Mangla 3 Comments

8 Diet and Lifestyle Tips For The Winter Season

This year’s winters are a little different than the rest. The usual chills of the season combined with the threat of COVID-19 can throw anyone into relentless panic. If you’re feeling a slight bit of anxiety every time you sneeze, cough or get a cold due to the change in weather, you’re not alone! All influenza like illnesses are not COVID-19 but some could be. So to prevent this situation, following all the necessary precautions such as wearing a mask, maintaining social distance and avoiding crowded spaces are paramount. To add to this, and further secure your immunity, here are some diet and lifestyle tips to help you keep the chills away!

Lifestyle Tips for a Healthier You

Healthy Diet: Sir Robert McCarrison, one of the best known nutritionists says, “The right kind of food is the most important single factor in the promotion of health; and the wrong kind of food is the most important single factor in the promotion of disease.” There is an elaborate healing mechanism within the body, but it can perform its function only if it is abundantly supplied with all the essential nutritional factors. There are certain dishes which are winter specific in our country. We all relish them and besides being delicious, they serve a special purpose to keep us warm. Let’s start with our favorite, Gajar ka halwa which we all love. It is winter specific because we get the best seasonal carrots during this time. Next comes sarson ka saag. The saag is not just a flavoursome package but also a whole bunch of nutrition. Then we have gond ka ladoo (made from gum resin). This contains nuts and seeds too. It will keep you super warm. We have our own snack this time with nuts and jaggery chikki. A chikki a day is sure to keep the winter chills away! While we enjoy these, let’s not forget portion size.
Regular exercise: will keep you warm with a good circulation of blood. During winter, due to contraction of muscles to preserve energy, which is a natural phenomenon, many elderly folks suffer from joint pains and stiffness. To avoid that, it is best to continue doing light exercises. One can start off with a brisk walk for 15-20 minutes. People with a heart ailment or high blood pressure should avoid going out very early in the morning because of low oxygen levels.
Water: We tend to forget drinking water in winters as we don’t feel thirsty. But you know, water is the carrier of nutrients in our body and helps in detoxification. So make sure you load up on at least 2-3liters of water a day.
Hygiene: Next comes the hygiene! Regular bathing is essential to keep the skin healthy and nourished. Wash your hands after coming back from somewhere, before cooking or eating food.
Skin: Most of us suffer from dry, cracked skin during winter and we get tired applying lotions and oils throughout the day. I have a very useful tip for you to avoid this. Apply coconut oil or any other moisturizer immediately after bathing as during this time your skin is moist enough to absorb the oil and you will feel the softness throughout the day. You can also try these simple winter skincare tips: https://goqii.com/blog/8-simple-and-effective-winter-skincare-tips/
Sleep: Good, restful, quality sleep helps in boosting our immunity by repairing the wear and tear of the body and mind. For an adult, 6-9 hours of sleep is required and for the aged ones, 5-7 hours.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D deficiency is on a rise in Indians despite the fact that we are blessed with the sunshine throughout the year. People prefer to stay indoors. Vitamin D not only keeps the bones healthy but also regulates our mood. You would have heard about Seasonal Affective Disorder, more prevalent in the western countries as they are devoid of sunlight. So, what are you waiting for? Go and get some sunshine!
Clothing: Wear warm, woollen clothing to protect yourself from the cold.

And that’s it! These lifestyle tips are simple to follow and will keep you warm during this cold season. We hope this article helps you. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below! For more winter tips, check out Healthy Reads or ask your GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

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