I struggle to get my head around one thing, and that’s people hitting the gym for their exercise when you have paradise on your doorstep. I’m lucky to be living in Bali, where the weather is almost always lovely, even in the rainy season. It rains every day yet, it always clears up, and you’ve got plenty of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, especially I say, for your exercise.
Yet, you’ve got many — especially young folks — making the daily gym run instead of working out on the beach, rice field tracks, or mountains. It’s effortless to do and not at all time-consuming. I met a friend for coffee just today, and she came straight from her two-hour gym session.
An hour before, I’d finished my one-hour power-walk and bodyweight session on the beach. After walking in the sun, enjoying the breeze, working out with ease and pleasure, as well as tanking up on Vitamin D, I felt great and refreshed. My friend, however, was tired, worn-looking, and seemed to be exhausted.
I held my short monologue about working out outside rather than indoors.
The Key Take-Away:
- Vitamin D
- Fresh Air
- Build Muscle with Your Body rather than Weights
- Get Energized
- Protect Joints & Muscles
I must have preached this over 1000 times by now, hoping it’ll sink in and more people will follow my advice and use the great outdoors to get fit and feel good. Some do, many don’t!
Why is this? Modern society, the internet, and inexperience.
Folks think I want to get fit and lose weight — join a gym! Wrong thinking — especially if you live in a warm climate. GO OUTSIDE and use NATURE + Your BODY as your GYM! Your body is heavy, so use your limbs to move it and see what happens!
Right, enough said, let’s get to my 4 simple movements that work your whole body in no time, effectively.
First — Walk.
Walking is (sadly) the most underrated yet best form of exercise available to us all, for free! Running, on the other hand, isn’t so great. Why?
Running will mostly elevate your heart rate too high into the anaerobic zone — and you do not burn any fat if you are anaerobic, none! Next, the high impact of running puts a lot of pressure on your ankles, knees, and lower back, over-time causing injury and arthritis.
Walking is low impact, causes zero damage, and lifts your heart rate perfectly into your aerobic fat-burning zone! Bingo, win-win. Healthy body, burn fat, with almost no effort!
My 4 Golden Movements:
Push-ups.
Push-ups are tough. Push-ups are hard, no doubt many can’t even do three, and that says it all! You’ve got to push up almost your entire body weight with your “little” arm muscles instead of your bigger leg muscles.
Keep practicing push-ups until you can do at least 50 reps (guys) and 30 (gals).
Planks.
Oh, peeps hate planks — because they are hard to do, yet they are fantastic for your core and lower back, shoulders too. You are not moving, but just contracting your core for 1 to 3 minutes! Burn baby burn!
Practice planks daily and reach at least 2 minutes per plank, times 3 to 5 reps! And watch that 6-pack shine!
Lunges.
Now, lunges are comparatively easy to do, as you’re using your biggest muscles, your legs… But, the key is to lunge at least 20 to 40 times, repeat 3 or 4 sets. Bang, your legs and butt tingle, and you’re building muscle, naturally and safely.
Aim to reach at least 30 reps per set!
Headstand.
Alright, this one isn’t easy, but everyone can master it with patience and practice. And, it’s so rewarding once you’ve got it down. Once you know how to get up and stand on your head and stay there for 5-minutes or more, you’re going to feel great. A wonderful sense of achievement having mastered this, and it’s liberating too; you taught yourself to stand on your head — plus, it’s a fantastic way to meditate and relax.
The headstand builds neck, shoulder, and core strength as well as confidence in your abilities.
Aim to stand upside-down for 5 to 10 minutes. Then you’ve got the edge over your body control!
And that, folks, is all you need to do to have a strong, lean body and feel great!
Sure, there are more great exercises, but these 4 moves really do it all and are done with ease — even if you are older or out of shape. You can learn this quickly, save time, protect your heart and joints and build muscles safely — plus feel fantastic!
I’m not asking you to believe ony me — research the internet a little, and you’ll find plenty of scientific evidence supporting what I say, plus thousands of trainers who agree!
We just know that your body is the handiest gym there is, and that the benefits of bodyweight training are well-proven. Your bodyweight workouts can take you much farther in your fitness than you might imagine — and the research backs that up.
Bodyweight workouts have been repeatedly shown to be effective and efficient when it comes to building strength, endurance, flexibility and balance. Bodyweight workouts can also help injury-proof your body and give you a break from the wear and tear of weightlifting.
Every form of exercise has its place, depending on your goals and situation. But we think bodyweight workouts are a fantastic method of training for athletes of all levels. Here’s why.”
Bodyweight Training Builds Strength
Bodyweight Training Builds Endurance
Bodyweight Training Builds Balance and Mobility
Bodyweight Training Builds Consistency and Results
Final Thoughts.
Why not work out in nature, or even in your back-yard, learn how to use your body as your gym — for free? It’s super easy to do, so let’s go!
Thanks for reading,
Rob
