Author: Team Earthify

Traditionally, we climbed on the scale, jotted our weight, in other words, manually tracked calories.

Now tracking our steps, workout, calories, sleep, heart rate, stress to name a few has become effortless, fun & even fashionable.

Recent transformations in the fitness industry have opened a plethora of possibilities. Listing down a few:

Medicine – One of the rules medical practitioners are taught is to not trust the patient. The availability of activity tracking data comes handy for the medical fraternity, which they can refer for the patient anytime.

Gamification – Proactive fitness regime builds on motivation. Competing with others as a group or individually nourishes this motivation thirst well. Apps like Fitbit, Fotso etc are spearheading the same.

The gamification of health, it’s social competition has started a movement. The social aspect has initiated a community & harbingered a  social inspirational value & peer support.

Discipline – With technology comes addiction for it 🙂 Like it’s said diamond cuts diamond – tech tools like Pomodoro, activity planners aid us to take breaks at the right/planned intervals & have better daily routines.

Convenience – We could do more relevant exercise at time/place of choice. Thanks to apps like Nike+, Zova, Strava…Technology has made it easy & more personalized. With real-time data customers can see ongoing  & real progress – whether its weight or times on specific sports

Teaming-up – One of the major challenges for a new amateur team sports person in town is… Where to find the teammates? the sports centers would have teams already & who would play with me? With apps like Meetup and Playo it’s easy to find sports partners & keep oneself occupied in playing.

For certain, fixed implants at birth in our bloodstream are coming up to make this tracking even more seamless. This should begin with the more affluent via medical recommendations like the stem cell.

The term ‘wearables’ shall certainly change soon. To what is left to us.

This is not an attempt to bumfuzzle you with highfalutin fitness theories for office 🙂

Like many others, I had been trying to remain fit. However in the midst of office pressure I was losing shape. And this was happening at an alarming pace.

It was definitely stressing me out. Didn’t like looking at the mirror, the candid photographs were best to be avoided.

Last winter, I went on an all-boys trip to Auli. We were playing around – pushing, dodging each other for most of the time. There were regular treks. Not a single day where we sat throughout the day for long durations.

On return, I definitely felt fitter & was brooding about how I could maintain this relative fitness.

I spend around 10-12 hours at office. Gym – no time… Run – when?…play – with whom?

Office – Could I make it my fitness center? And I gave it a try… Here are some changes that turned out to be fruitful.

1. Begin with basics & get into a fitness mode – take stairs, do standing meetings, take breaks often…
2. Minimize al desko – pick your own coffee, don’t use intercom – go & talk to the team, stand & work at times
3. Team up with likeminded fitness scholars & do exercises at regular intervals ~12 noon & ~4 PM or both. 10-15 min each, suited me. Be playful, contest among each other, try different things collaboratively & slowly stretch your limits. It’s great fun rotating the captain cap daily.
4. Involve HR & insist if they could gamify it. Organize a different fitness event weekly – like run the stairs, dance, yoga… Get some fitness equipment. Give points to those attending the self-driven fitness sessions daily & put up a scoreboard. Distribute badges to the winners each month 🙂
5. Connect beyond office – could go for a run or sport as a team some evening…Say once a week – could help as a team outing & bonding session. Team marathon runs are great fun too 🙂

Results:

• None of us have a six pack or a two pack. But we don’t have flab either 🙂
• The fitness slots at office are usually the happiest moments of the day 🙂
• There is better bonding with the team (works even better for teetotallers)

I insist, if you have experienced anything similar – do share in the comments.

Stay Hungry. Stay Fit – & create a pack like this 🙂

References:

http://www.health.com/fitness/office-exercises

Delhi was choking. Breathing on the roads was not just difficult, it was hazardous. We landed in what was possibly the years worst smog. In our 31/33 years of existence , we had not seen a sight like this.

Having shifted from Pune, this was a living nightmare. My partner and I discussed these points before moving to Delhi. We knew that pollution and the extreme Delhi weather will be a cause of concern, but we were now in the middle of it and it was a hundred times worse than what we imagined.

It was a scene from one of those doomsday movies. Smoke all around, people moving in masks, schools shutting, children locked up at home, coarse coughing. We instantly regretted our decision of shifting to Delhi. What a contrast this was. From the calm, serene, balanced Pune vibe we were suddenly transported to this dark environment.

In the next couple of days the situation came back to normal, however its effects were still seen and felt.

This got us thinking.  What kind of ecosystem are we leaving behind for the next generation?  If we don’t act now, there might not be a tomorrow, or a healthy tomorrow in which nature, humans and others sentient beings can thrive and flourish peacefully.

We were suddenly thinking about it all. What are the kinds of food we eat these days? Where are the vegetables coming from? Are they genetically modified? What about the air we breathe? Is it safe for children? The products we use, how many of them have carcinogens? How can we lead a more aware life? How do we propagate about mindfulness? How do we tap the real potential of wellness that India has to offer? Can Ayurveda really solve all our problems? What about Naturopathy? Will Vipassana help us in clearing our thoughts in silence?

Earthify is an attempt to answer these questions and more. To have an open outlook towards learning from nature, embracing it in all its might. Living mindfully, bringing awareness into how we eat, speak, breathe and talk. Trying to achieve a sense of calm even while living amidst chaos and stress. A greener future, a more balanced life, a foray into the wonderful world of wellness and health.

Namaste.