FitBit Bloggers Meet

Blogger meets by Indiblogger are always fun, well organized and substantial. We eagerly look forward to such brand engagement activities because of the knowledge we are enlightened with, networking with great bloggers and take a break from hectic schedules. Post successful meets like Wordup, AmbiPur, Nokia, Dove and many more, FitBit anticipated a successful bloggers meet and joined hands with Indiblogger.

For beginners, FitBit is a San Francisco based company that makes wearable fitness bands which monitor your fitness. On 25th August, the Oberoi ballroom bustled with fitness experts, physical trainers, media and bloggers waiting for the event to begin at 11 am. Thankfully I made it in a nick of time with fellow blogger Ruchi. Show host Archana Vijaya savored all attention as she hosted the show in her smart blue dress. Importance of fitness and ways to keep fit was then introduced by Jamal Shaikh, editor Men’s Health Magazine. (He is cute :-)

Woody Scal

With Jamaal and Ruchi

FitBit Chief Revenue Officer Woody Scal then spoke about the company and the products they have launched in India. His presentation opened with a concern on growing obesity in the United States. Also, health reports have shown a trend of weight gain among many Indians, making them obese and pushing them towards various health risks, including cardiac arrest. That’s where FitBit fits in with their tagline “Discover a whole new world of fitness” where they bring a range of wearable bands. The slim wrist bands track the number of steps you take, number of active minutes, counts the calorie you burnt. Not only that, it also tracks your sleep hours, quality of sleep and wakes you up with silent alarm without disturbing your partner. You can sync your stats to your mobile, see real time progress and help you challenge your buddies to achieve fitness goals. Fitness routine turns absolutely fun with these FitBit bands.

The bands are categorized as

–Zip, One, Flex and Charge- For everyday fitness- Ranged between 4000 to 12999 (With basic features catering to daily activities like walking or light jogging, people like me who don’t do strenuous exercise)

-Charge HR- for active fitness- Priced at Rs.13,000  (Suits people who workout daily or are active in gym or running)

-Surge- for performance fitness - Priced at Rs. 20,000 (basically suits professionals or sportsmen) A detailed comparison of features is present in - https://www.fitbit.com/in/compare

Selfie with tech Guru Raiv Makhni

Post Woody’s detailed presentation, Tech Guru Rajiv Makhni took over the show. Any gadget launch is incomplete without the expert’s words. He infused energy among the audience with his wit and questions to all. Jamal and Rajiv together engaged the audience quite well. They invited two FitBit promoters on stage with their Fitbit bands asking them to workout. Real time stats was displayed on screen for us. The session was thorough fun and enjoyable. It ended with questions from audience to Woody followed by networking lunch. No Indian food in lunch disappointed many like me. We settled for cakes, spring rolls, pastries, cookies, sandwich and juice.

Photo-bombed Shwetabh

Got to meet many wonderful people during that time. Its always nice to catch up with old friends Dipali Sharma, Shwetabh Mathur,  Dr Manoj Dubey, Rahul Prabhakar, Yogita Agarwal, Judy . Photobombed Shwetabh and I promise I will do that every time! Was introduced to the lovely Dr Mandira Adhikari and Dr Preeti Chauhan. Dr. Mandira had recognized me through my photos and met me like an old friend. A good observation she has!

Had I stayed back a little longer, I would have met Shraddha Kapoor and Tiger Shroff who were invited during the press meet of FitBit in the second half. 

The Fitbit brand launch was overall exciting and the products too are of my interest. I exercise moderately every day. So I feel, the bands are a good way to keep a check on fitness level. If only they were a little discounted for the Indian market. Another limitation of the bands is they aren’t water proof. A little disappointing for swimmers here.

We happily headed home with Fitbit Tshirts, dreaming to own one band soon. The products are available on Amazon.in for now. Go find  your fit!

De stress with SPA- Year Book, Day 39

Amidst my daily exercises, yoga and healthy diet, I suddenly came across something that I had never tried before. It was an amazing Spa therapy! I had always been apprehensive about getting a spa done pertaining to the odd stories heard from many. Secondly, I never had a chance to experience wellness through spa. This one just fitted the picture so well.

Located in the main market of Delhi’s South Ex-2, Four Fountain Spa, specializes in massage and spa therapies. You can rejuvenate yourself while de-stressing and healing by the physiotherapy way. “Touch therapy” has been known and practiced in India since ages. Four Fountain Spa helps you feel de-stressed by working on the points of your body. I opted for half an hour foot-reflexology to awaken my tired legs.

The ambiance takes away half of your stress. The moment you enter the place, the soft lights, the sweet aroma, the comfortable seating arrangement and unique aesthesis, instantly have a soothing effect on you.  The friendly staff immediately attends to you, and caters to your requirements. They are not pushy, and I give them one extra point for that!

Jyoti, the therapy expert, showed me the way to the massage room. The room had a row of neatly arranged sofa and comfortable stools covered with towels. The Buddha statues and bonsai plants immediately got my attention. 

                            

Jyoti cleaned my feet with a warm wet towel and tapped my feet with her fingers. She touched and stimulated the important points of my feet one by one. I came to know that every finger of our foot has a nerve that has a direct effect on our lungs, heart, kidneys and eyes. She pulled each finger of the toe gently and moved her fingers pressing the nerves. She massaged aromatic oil on my legs and made sure to arouse the sleeping muscles and veins.


 Jyoti moved my toe 360 degree and ran her fingers on my toe. Her magical hands were just perfect. The pressure on the points released all my stress gradually. I started feeling light and fell asleep for some time. The effect of the soft music in the room added to the enchantment. I woke up from my short slumber after she ended the foot reflexology.

I could not stop myself from asking where she had learnt the therapy art and I was surprised to know Four Fountain Spa has an institute in Pune. That’s where Jyoti was trained and is successfully leading her career from the past two years. Massage and spa therapy is a part of many physiotherapy treatments.  I was too tempted to go for a body massage at that time, but could not, because of less time in hand.

I was offered complimentary green tea after the session. The staff also gifted an aromatic balm to rub on forehead and sole to ensure good sleep. Loved that!

Four Fountain Spa is located in many places across India. They have a huge variety of therapies and massage sessions which is done with the aid of natural oil and healing ingredients. The packages are really economical. Click on the website for details- http://www.thefourfountainsspa.in/

Do try spa and massage at least once, which releases stress and invigorates you instantly. I added this to my YHB from now!

Back ache? Health Book- Day 37

Recap- Yesterday was Dhanuraasan (The bow pose). Read the full post here- http://bit.ly/1gOoAiG

Today is a simpler one, named Bhujangaasan or the Cobra Pose. This is a back bend that stretches muscles on the front of the torso and strengthens your arms and shoulders. This is also a part of the sun salutation (Surya Namaskaar) sequence.

Step 1- Lie face down on the floor on yoga mat with your palms flat, placed beneath your shoulders. The tops of your feet should be flat on the floor.

Step 2- Spread your hands on the floor under your shoulders and brush your elbows against your rib cage. Close your eyes and inhale slowly. Feel the stability in your pelvis, thighs and tops of your feet.  Exhale gradually before opening your eyes.

Step 3- As you inhale, steadily straighten your arms and lift your chest from the floor. Do not fully straighten them as if may feel uncomfortable. Extend through and deepen your stretch to create an even arc in your back.

Step 4- Push your upper body off the floor and straighten your arms as much as is comfortable while keeping your hips, legs and feet planted on the mat. Tilt your chin upward and lift your chest toward the ceiling. Press your tailbone towards your pubis and lift your pubis toward your navel, narrowing your hips. Keep your shoulders broad, but relaxed, with the blades low on your back.

The amazing benefits of this aasana- 

• Stretches muscles in the shoulders, chest and abdominal cavity.
• Reduces stiffness of the lower back, Strengthens the spine
• Strengthens the arms and shoulders, increases flexibility
• Improves menstrual irregularities
• Firms and tones the buttocks
• Invigorates the heart
• Improves circulation of blood and oxygen, especially throughout the spinal and pelvic regions
• Improves digestion

Tongue tales- Health book Day 31

Ashamed to stick your tongue out because it is white? Or do have bad breath? Both the problems are related to each other. A white tongue not only looks abnormal, but if left untreated, it’s a strong indication of a bad breath problem.

Tongue cleaning or tongue scraping is a process that the majority of people  don’t do on a daily basis. Yet, it’s one of the most important steps you can take to keep your breath clean and fresh!

Lets follow this healthy activity-

STEP 1: Start at the base of your tongue.Place a tongue cleaner/scraper flush against your tongue’s surface and sweep from the back to the front.

STEP 2: Once the surface debris from your white tongue has been removed, apply a small amount of toothpaste to the head of your tongue cleaner or toothbrush.

STEP 3: Gently coat the surface of your tongue  with the toothpaste as far as possible at the base of the tongue. This allows the toothpaste to penetrate below the surface of your tongue and neutralize the bacterial infection. There are more bacteria in the rear of your tongue than in the front!

STEP 4: Once your tongue is coated, allow the toothpaste to stay on the surface of your tongue as long as you can. If you begin to cough, or you gag just spit whenever you think you should.

Use a tongue cleaner daily to remove the debris from your tongue. Gargle with warm water before sleeping. 
Following this routine daily gives you the most benefit possible in cleaning a white tongue. This routine will help prevent white tongue, keep your breath fresh, and help you to maintain the normal, healthy, pink color that everyone would like to have.

Missed the gym? Health book- Day 30

Following a daily gym routine is not easy. However when you get used to it, then missing a day is not easy either!  I have had loads of work in office and hence been returning home quite late from past two days. I regret missing out on my exercise schedule like this. For those who face this on and off ,here are few easy tips to follow and move towards a healthier you.

-Take the stairs. Avoid getting onto elevators or lifts. Some physical activity will keep your heart healthy.

-Walk- Walk some distance and walk briskly. The days I miss my exercise regime, I brisk walk from the main road till home. Almost a kilometer. At least that satisfies me that I did some physical movement! Jokes apart, this activity keeps your blood circulation in good form, tones your legs muscles and controls body weight.

-Stretch- Take short breaks from your work between your schedule to stretch your arms and legs. This awakens your sleeping inactive muscles and regulates the right amount of oxygen in your body. Stretching also relieves you of stress and tension besides shaking off the slumber from your eyes.

-Sweep the floor- This is the best exercise for home that gives you twin benefits. Cleans your house and burns calories too! The best way to do it is mopping the floor while bent on your knees. This shapes your lower abdomen and keeps your calorie count under control.

-Don't shy away from office sports- Participate in sports day or team games whenever you get a chance to. Sports is the best alternative to gym. I am not talking about carom or video games please!

 

-Dance it away- During the Diwali party in my office, I knew that I would miss my gym routine that day. I stepped on the dance floor and danced away my calories! Sounds cool isn't it? Do the same in wedding and parties when you know that you wont be able to exercise! Dancing will improve digestion, burn calories, warm up all muscles of the body and makes you look friendly & confident! That's a tried and tested method :-)

Be healthy be happy! Follow one healthy activity each day and make a positive difference in your life!

Ladies' Special

It’s a common place for students and working professionals. It’s a common place for Ladies to bind together. It’s a place to take refuge in each other’s comfort. It’s a place where the ladies shed their frustrations and kilos. 

Surprised? It’s my neighborhood ladies’ Gym, The Gym Fitness Factory. I am not a frequent visitor, nor do I hit the gym, however at times I drop in to collect the house key from my sister or take shelter from the rain.

A small place equipped with basic gym machines, only for ladies.  Steppers, swiss balls, treadmill and other machines whose names I am unaware of , are always occupied with ladies working out on them. FM radio playing in the background makes the gym a lively vibrant place accompanied by the chatting of the fairer sex. “I gained 2 kgs after consuming chocolates” sighed Arti while working out on the tread mill whereas Prerna’s happiness knew no bounds to see the weighing machine measuring her weight two kilos less.

The instructor Raju, popularly addressed as “Bhaiyya”, irrespective of the age of the ladies, in the gym is a friend-philosopher-guide for all. They can confide in him and believe him blindfolded. The diet chart becomes no less than LOC which they follow strictly, more than their religion. When nobody has time to listen to the stories of their fluctuating weight or a tempting dish which they resisted, its Bhaiyaa who lends his patient ears to the repeated emotions. Friendly advice, sweet motivation and a warm smile is what he showers like an angel. Bhaiyya definitely commands the place along with their respect.

Dr. Rekha, a practicing doctor in AIIIMS, Juhi, a college student, Mrs. Sharma, a mother of two kids, Nina, an engineer, Smita, an aspiring model and my sister Preeti, are few regular visitors of the Gym. Different age groups, different professions, different races, all dissolve in one mission- Loose weight and keep fit. The common mission binds them together. Nobody mocks at those are overweight, nobody laughs at those whose clothes are always bought oversize, its care and concern for each other hence giving them a much needed mental support.

This ladies gym is not a modern expensive  airconditioned gym, but definitely its class apart. After a hard day in college or work, the ladies socialize in this fitness factory. They vent out, speak their heart out and most important, share the experience of their bravery. Yeah, their stories of how bravely did they avoid ice cream at someone’s birthday or pitied themselves watching others hog Golgappa’s. Ladies in the factory do not have blood relations, but share a common goal, have a close support of each other. I found all eyes staring at me, once I had entered the gym to meet my sister for some work. I could sense the perplexed looks on their faces about my questionable presence there, since there was no extra fat which I had to lose. Amidst the eyes following me, slowly I grabbed a seat in the corner of the bench waiting for Preeti to finish her abs. Bhaiyya was busy helping Geetanjali, another plum lady, to do her sit ups. Preeti made me sit at Bhaiyya’s place and I played a fitness instructor for the first time. I enjoyed helping her do her sit ups and realized how much do these ladies go through each day! The social taboo of being tagged as Obese or “Tuntun” is actually tormentous. Social acceptance becomes a big issue for them which chases them in their nightmares too. Preeti ‘s goal is to keep fit rather than loose weight (She is not fat, by the way), which the ladies should follow.

The fitness factory is a religion, a mission, a common platform, a thread closely tying individuals towards the pain they share, the social acceptance and the social taboos.