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nature

Benefits of Hiking: Revive your Mind, Body, and Soul.

by qalfit December 28, 2020

written by qalfit

Let’s be honest, we’ve all been through a lot this year and aching for that one escape from reality into the refreshing nature. Whether you want to break your boring routine, get out of your house, or want to spend some more time in nature to feel relaxed, hiking can be a great way to change things. You don’t need to be a hardcore hiker who is sweating all day to reap the benefits of hiking. In fact, you don’t even need to hit the top hiking spots in your country to enjoy it. You can hike at any place, at any elevation, and for any number of miles or kilometres.

All you need to go on a hike is very little equipment, some basic skills, and all the enthusiasm you can get! Here are a few benefits of hiking for your mind, body, and soul.

Benefits of Hiking for Your Body

1. Hiking Improves Cardiovascular Fitness

One of the important benefits of hiking is cardiovascular fitness. Even a moderate one-hour hike can burn around 400 calories while strengthening your core and lower body. It also engages your core muscles in your torso and hones your balance skills. In a way, hiking is like doing lunges over and over. It strengthens your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves while improving your cardiovascular fitness.

2. Hiking gives you an All-Round Workout

Unlike your standard exercise routines like walking, running, squatting, etc that move you either forward and backward or up and down, hiking forces you to move in every way possible. This way you strengthen your muscles and tone your whole body.

Benefits of Hiking for your Mind

1. Hiking Makes your Mind Sharper

Hiking doesn’t just make your body feel good but also keeps your brain in top shape. When you hike, blood flows to your brain, carrying oxygen and important nutrients. According to research by Harvard, this increases blood flow to the brain improves connections between neurons in the parts of the brain that is responsible for memory and cognitive function.

2. Hiking Reduces Anxiety and Depression

Hiking and connecting with nature improve mental health and well-being. Hiking has been proven to reduce stress levels, reduce anxiety, and depression by calming the mind. Hiking allows you to zone in on your breathing to a part meditative state that works as an instant mood booster.

Also Read: How to spot signs of depression and help your loved ones

Benefits of Hiking for your Soul

1. Hiking Builds Community

The utmost thing we crave now is human connection. With months locked inside our home, staring at the computer and mobile phone screen all day, we just need to be with real humans. Hiking can forge new friendships, build healthy groups, and provide social support. It is a great way to build a healthy community. This is one of the greatest benefits of hiking for your soul

2. Hiking Makes you Appreciate Life

Hiking is your chance to let yourself loose in nature, recharge, and connect with yourself. Being one with nature for even a few hours makes you appreciate nature and life. So, no matter what, at the end of the day, you’ll always return home with a renewed appreciation for mother nature and your life.

Hiking improves your overall health and wellbeing. Physically, mentally and emotionally, hiking can help you in many ways. So, if you want to revive your mind, body, and soul, try hiking and reap all the benefits of hiking.

December 28, 2020 0 comment

Lifestyle

4 fun & safe outdoor activities you can do in this lockdown

by qalfit July 16, 2020

written by qalfit

It has been more than 2 months since we isolated ourselves in our home over the potential danger of catching the coronavirus infection. Although it’s for our own safety, most of us are constantly pulled between the restless feeling of staying indoors and the fear of coronavirus infection outdoors. Now, with the ease of lockdown restrictions, we have a chance to go back outdoors and indulge in outdoor activities.

Is it ok to go out and indulge in outdoor activities now?

While activities like going to a restaurant or visiting a public place is still risky, there are so many fun & safe outdoor activities you can do in this lockdown that are acceptable to take part in whilst self-isolating. Medical experts claim that any outdoor activities are safe as long as you do it alone or with someone from your household in a place that isn’t crowded. You just need to make sure that your hands are clean, and disinfect shoes and clothes before you get inside your home.

So, if you’re running out of patience to explore and enjoy the outdoors, here are 5 fun & safe outdoor activities you can do in this lockdown.

1. Urban hiking

Nothing can give you the awesome feeling of being with nature like a good hiking trip. With the lockdown restrictions on effect, you can plan a one-day hiking trip to a safe place that is not dangerously overcrowded or you can go urban hiking. You can embrace the urban environment by adventuring through your neighbourhood, climbing stairwells, crossing intersections and wandering through the city’s obstacles of life. Make sure you follow social distancing and wash your hands if you come in contact with any object outdoors.

2. Outdoor picnic.

One reason why your chance of infection is lower outside is, it’s easier to maintain social distance outdoors and the virus has to navigate humidity, wind and heat to jump between people. This is why picnicking is a perfectly safe activity to do in this lockdown. Pack some food, go to a place that’s far away from the concrete jungle and enjoy nature. It is important to spread out and face the same direction (opposite to the wind) while picnicking.

3. Create a Nature collection

This is a great outdoor activity for everyone who would like to explore nature. Take your children with you and get out to a local green space and explore the trees and plans there. Pick some natural items like twigs and leaves that your children can touch and describe. This would be a great opportunity for them to appreciate nature and learn new words at the same time.

4. Bird watching

Birdwatching is one of the best things you could do in this lockdown. With less human interruption and less pollution for the past 2 months, there are more birds in the sky now. Even the birds that shy away from humans are suddenly showing up in the cities. This is probably one of the few gifts that this lockdown bestowed upon us. Some even say that we would never get another chance like this to watch the birds. All you need to do is to grab your binoculars and get out!

Maintaining social distancing is the most important thing you can do when you enjoy outdoors. We know that it’s frustrating to be at home all the time, but you have to keep in mind that it’s still not 100% safe out there. So, be extra mindful and try out these 5 fun & safe outdoor activities in this lockdown.

July 16, 2020 0 comment

Lifestyle

5 tips to do outdoor workouts safely right now

by qalfit July 14, 2020

written by qalfit

Let’s be honest. You’ve had your fun working out at home with your creative at-home workouts. But deep down you always missed the burst of fresh air, sunshine, and thrill of outdoor workouts. Now, as some cities begin to reopen parks and allow outdoor exercise, you might be all excited to workout outside. Here are a few tips to do outdoor workouts safely right now.

1. Maintain safe distance

Much like you’ve been advised to do outdoors, maintain at least 6 feet of space between you and the nearest person. Even if others don’t respect the social distance you’re trying to create, you need to be extra careful. If you find yourself in a workout spot with packed people, find a new spot, and remember that maintaining a safe distance is important all the time!

2. Disinfect your gear

Your workout gears might be carrying more germs than you think. So, even if you are not coming in contact with other people or touching anything outside, regularly disinfect your gears. Always carry a sanitizer and use it on your shoes, gloves, helmets, glasses, and bags. This safeguards you and your family safe when you return home after your outdoor workouts.

3. Create your own space

Health experts recommend working out at home because home is a safe place that you always keep clean. So, while working out outdoors, if you can create your own space and keep it clean, you are adding another layer of protection from catching any infection. You can bring a yoga mat and create your own workout space. This way you can maintain a better and cleaner space overall.

4. Keep your workout groups small

Working out with your friends or workout buddies is fine as long as the workout group is small and you keep social distancing in mind. Working out in large groups increases the risk of catching an infection, especially if you’re doing an activity where you’re getting sweaty or breathing heavily.

5. Wear a mask

Whether you’re working out at your home or outdoors, one of the biggest questions is whether you need to wear a face mask. We know that wearing a mask during a workout can be uncomfortable especially during intense exercise, but if you want to workout safely outdoors, wear a mask all the time!

Read more: The perfect playlist for workout

Everyone wants to go outside and exercise, but it is important that you do it safely. So, use these tips to do outdoor workouts safely and enjoy the outdoors during these trying times.

July 14, 2020 0 comment

Lifestyle

How to maintain your social life while stuck at home?

by qalfit July 4, 2020

written by qalfit

To help prevent the spread of the virus and to flatten the curve, public health officials and scientists are recommending we stay away from a large group of people. For many people, this coronavirus quarantine period has turned out to be a much-need break from their regular life. But on the flip side, postponed weddings, cancelled birthday parties, and rescheduled get-togethers with our loved ones have really made us pretty upset. This new self-isolation is making people feel lonely, frustrated, and disconnected from the world and their social life.

But, being stuck at home doesn’t mean that you have to put your social life on hold. There are a lot of ways to maintain your social life while practising self-isolation. Here are a few ways you could use to maintain your social life while stuck at home.

1. Have virtual reunions

Remember the friends whom you’ve told that you would stay in touch with? Well, now is the time! Even before the coronavirus lockdown, a lot of us were too lazy or busy to stay in touch with our friends. But with the lockdown in place and a lot of time on our hands now, we can use this time to have virtual reunions with our old friends. This will bring much-needed joy into our lives this quarantine period.

Read more: 5 effective tips to reduce stress

2. Host a house party!

A party? Now? Yes! You can now host virtual game nights and fun parties while stuck at home. The Houseparty app is basically made for the era of social distancing. It is created with a focus on ‘Shared experience’. You can hang out virtually with your friends where you can chat one-to-one, have a group chat, and even play games and quizzes with one another. Basically, all you need is a smartphone and an internet connection to have a party anytime anywhere!

3. Take up an activity together

At this time, it is tremendously important to keep yourself engaged and in touch with others. Anything and everything that keeps you engaged is good! You can take online dance classes, live online fitness classes, cooking classes or can even play online games with your friends like PUBG and Ludo. So, take up an activity together with your friends or family and keep a healthy social life.

4. Celebrate everything!

Being stuck at home on important days like birthdays and anniversaries is one of the worst feelings that you could endure. But, sitting at home and feeling sad would only make it worse. This is why you need to celebrate everything with your family and friends. Whether it’s your birthday or anniversary or your pet’s birthday, invite people to video call and celebrate it!

5. Stay connected.

Honestly, no pandemic or social-isolation is going to suddenly change people to constantly engage socially. But during times like these, it is important not to feel lonely and disconnected. So, even when you’re not actively chatting with your friends or family on a video call, keep the screen on. This gives you a feeling that someone you love is always connected with you.

The past few months have been a challenge for most people across the world. From once having a thriving social life to being stuck at home, sudden social isolation has hit us hard. So, keep these things in mind to maintain our social life while stuck at home.

July 4, 2020 0 comment

Fitness

Benefits of walking: 4 common walking myths you need to stop believing

by qalfit June 17, 2020

written by qalfit

According to the CDC (Centre for Disease Control), USA, Walking is the most popular physical activity in the world to get your heart rates up. It is reported that 6 out of 10 adults walk at least 10 minutes a week. Unlike other types of exercise, walking just needs a good pair of shoes and motivation to get moving. Unfortunately, despite the benefits of walking, and with more than 145 million adults including walking as a part of their fitness lifestyle, it doesn’t always get the respect it deserves. However, there are some serious misconceptions and myths present around walking. So, before you think walking isn’t just worth your time, take a look at these 5 common walking myths that you need to stop believing right now.

Myth 1: Walking is for people who can’t run

One of the most common myths about walking is that walking is just a routine for people who can’t run or workout daily. This is a completely false statement. Walking is a good exercise for everyone who likes to improve their fitness and heart health. There is no evidence that suggests running is better than walking. In fact, it has been found that people who walk regularly reduced cholesterol levels, stress levels, and prevented the onset of diabetes and heart diseases effectively than runners.

Read more: House walking!

Myth 2: You need to hit 10,000 per day to reap the benefits of walking

So, you’ve just started walking and your fellow walkers are asking about your step count and your fitness tracker is buzzing you to hit 10,000 steps- We’ve all been there. Even though walking 10,000 steps per day is associated with lower blood pressure and improved heart health, all that matters is the effort you put in it. The ‘10,000 steps holy grail’ is just an arbitrary target.

Myth 3: Walking doesn’t help you lose weight

This is one of the biggest myths you’ll hear about walking and despite what people say, walking works does help you lose weight! Of course, a daily walk in your neighbourhood with your pet isn’t going to move the needle on the scale. You need high-intensity walks and moderately paced walks to burn those extra fats. You can even include HIIT (High-intensity interval training) into your walking workout can help you lose weight.

Myth 4: Walking must be a workout, always

Although intense walking has some eye-catching benefits, you can ignore the benefits of taking a leisure stroll. Regardless of your distance or speed, walking regularly has loads of health benefits ranging from reduced anxiety and a healthy heart. Health experts even suggest that taking a single walk can improve your mood. So, instead of always looking walking as a workout, just enjoy the moment!

Read more: 5 shocking weight loss myths

In today’s society, where most of us spend more than 12 hours on the office chair or couch, any movement is better than none, and walking is a great exercise to get you moving. You can do it anytime, anywhere and it’s a great way to improve your cardio endurance. But, be sure not to fall for these common walking myths.

June 17, 2020 0 comment

Fitness

Unlock the health benefits of Vitamin D & Sunlight in this lockdown

by qalfit May 27, 2020

written by qalfit

As the coronavirus pandemic spreads rapidly, people are focusing more on strengthening their immune system and improving their overall health in meaningful ways. There are many effective strategies like regular exercise, good sleep, and healthy eating to promote your health and strengthen the immune system. But health experts say that even simple sunlight can provide you with many health benefits. From good sleep to improved immunity, here are some of the health benefits of Sunlight and Vitamin D.

Sunlight, Vitamin D, and immunity:

Vitamin D is a crucial ingredient for maintaining our overall health and unfortunately, our body can’t make Vitamin D on its own. Although you can take vitamin D as a standalone supplement, the best way to ensure maximum vitamin D intake is through exposure to sunlight. When natural sunlight hits the skin, it triggers the body’s production of vitamin D that improves muscle strength, boosts brain function, and protects the body against inflammation. Vitamin D is also directly linked with immunity. It can modulate your body’s immune responses. A recent study at NCBI found that Deficiency in vitamin D is associated with increased autoimmunity as well as increased susceptibility to infection. Thus, sunlight is crucial for the production of vitamin D that boosts your immunity. Vitamin D is a crucial ingredient for maintaining our overall health and unfortunately, our body can’t make Vitamin D on its own. Although you can take vitamin D as a standalone supplement, the best way to ensure maximum vitamin D intake is through exposure to sunlight.

When natural sunlight hits the skin, it triggers the body’s production of vitamin D that improves muscle strength, boosts brain function, and protects the body against inflammation. Vitamin D is also directly linked with immunity. It can modulate your body’s immune responses. A recent study at NCBI found that Deficiency in vitamin D is associated with increased autoimmunity as well as increased susceptibility to infection. Thus, sunlight is crucial for the production of vitamin D that boosts your immunity.

Additional health benefits of Sunlight and Vitamin D:

The right balance of sunshine can benefit our health in numerous ways. Here are some important health benefits of sunlight and vitamin D.

Higher Bone density:

We all know that we need to take an adequate amount of calcium to maintain healthy bones. But your body needs vitamin D to absorb the calcium that you consume. According to a recent study at NCBI, without a sufficient amount of vitamin D, your body won’t be able to absorb calcium efficiently. Thus, taking an adequate amount of vitamin D will improve your bone strength and density.

Lower blood pressure:

When your body is subjected to sunlight, a chemical compound called nitric oxide is released into the blood vessels. It is one of the most important molecules for blood vessel health. It relaxes the inner muscles of your blood vessels and increases the blood flow. Thus, it helps lower blood pressure.

Happy mood:

According to a study at NCBI, sunshine, serotonin, and skin, sunlight can prompt a surge of hormones like serotonin and endorphins into your blood that are associated with better mood and energy. Also, getting more exposed to the sun during the day boosts the production of the sleep hormone, melatonin. This way you can have a better mood all day and have a good sleep all night.

Health experts say that you only need about 10-20 minutes of sunlight per day to get your daily dose of vitamin D. By adding a little sunshine to your life, you can unlock the numerous health benefits of sunlight and vitamin D. Go get some sunshine!

May 27, 2020 0 comment

Lifestyle

Delhi election 2020: Can Kejriwal do something about the collective death sentence on Delhi?

by qalfit February 16, 2020

written by qalfit

“A death sentence on Delhi?!” “The nation’s capital under attack?!!”- If you’re shocked enough to see the twitter trends about Delhi, save yourself the hassle. We are talking about Delhi air pollution, which we are facing for a few years and stand of Kejriwal on Delhi pollution.

Currently, everyone in Delhi is smoking 50 cigarettes a day, not in the form of actual cigarettes, but just by breathing Delhi’s air. With Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) going down every day, it has become impossible to breathe clean air in Delhi. And this is not an occasional affair, the air pollution issue in Delhi has been there for quite a few years with 2019 seeing the worst phase of Delhi’s air pollution.

The recent Delhi election 2020 result showcased kejriwal’s party winning by a huge margin against the central ruling party. But, will be Kejriwal’s stand on Delhi’s air pollution issue?

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While Arvind Kejriwal’s government did put some efforts in the past to curb the air pollution level, Delhi’s air quality is still declining day by day. Few measures taken by Kejriwal’s government include,

Odd-even scheme for vehicles.
Pollution masks
Community Diwali laser show
Tree challenge
Dust Control and
Hotspot control.

But these methods have only given negligible results considering the scale of air pollution in Delhi.

As Kejriwal is re-elected as Delhi’s CM yet again, the people of Delhi are expecting at least a statement or a tweet from Kejriwal on his stand on Delhi’s air pollution. While he promised a few things to improve the air pollution situation in his election campaigns, we still don’t know if he has further huge plans for correcting this situation.

But, why wait for politicians to change while you can be the change? Moreover, not only the politicians of India but also the people of Delhi have learned to live with a mask on the face- the pollution mask.

Read our article on 5 Home tips for oily skin

February 16, 2020 0 comment