Having Fun in The Bali Sun

When’s the last time you had fun in the sun? I bet it’s been a while for most of you.

I’m lucky that I live in Bali, yet it’s still been hard of late to get your daily dose of sun and fun with the beaches being closed. It doesn’t help that the word “fun” seems to be inappropriate these days.

What’s Play and Fun all about?

But wait a minute, why? Isn’t having fun, especially in the sun, a vital component to maintaining a robust immune system that can fend off viruses? YEP, it is. Ever since the early days of humanity, having fun, playing games, or sports was an integral part of daily life, helping individuals and the tribes survive.

Play and fun support a healthy immune system by reducing stress, releasing the happy hormone endorphin, and installing a general sense of balance and well-being. 

I admit I’m naughty, as I’ve been going out most days ever since the “lockdown” stuff started. I firmly believe in spending as much time as possible outdoors, in the sunshine, and getting plenty of fresh air.

Sun exposure, fresh air, walking, and exercise or hanging out in forests, parks, mountains, and so on are vital components to building excellent health. Following this strategy much supports a robust immune system which will help fend off most illness and viruses.

As long as I’m not around a bunch of people, how can I harm anyone outside? Will my walking and general movement routine make anyone sick? The answer is a definite no. However, I’m boosting my immune system, my heart health, and happiness!

These are essential things, folks, something we shouldn’t forget or take lightly. Staying home, couped up in a house or apartment, will not provide you these benefits; in fact, the reverse happens!

Having Fun in the Sun.

Back to the Fun in the Bali Sun!

So, why am I talking about Fun in the Bali sun? Last weekend my wife and I had a treat and met up with an extraordinarily lovely person in Bali. Meet Yulia Tori, Designer and Manufacturer of the most popular Indonesian golf clothing brand, Tori Golf.

Yulia is not only lovely, but she’s also a beacon of happiness and positivity, which, these days, is rather hard to come by! I asked Yulia why she’s always smiling, and her answer was, “because I can, and I always want to be happy and make others happy!”

Wow, what a fantastic attitude, I thought, as I reminded myself to make more of a daily effort to smile and be happy! I preach being positive and happy all the time and talk about the beautiful side effects such a positive attitude can have on your mental state.

However, if you’re not paying attention, you can so easily slip into looking too serious and unhappy. Just like a happy face encourages people to be happier, an unhappy or stern face can make people feel intimidated and negative.

Anyway, Yulia spends most of her time being happy on the golf course! That’s when she’s not busy designing clothes and running her business. Right now, she explained things are a bit slow due to the Corona (as they say in Bali), so she can spend a bit more time playing golf.

As you can see in these photos, Yulia doesn’t only make awesome-looking and comfortable golf clothes, she’s also got a fantastic golf swing!

On this beautiful Sunday, however, I had a different program in mind and challenged Yulia to a Primal Trek around the golf course and on the beach. She happily accepted!

Rob’s Primal Trek.

We met at the gorgeous “The Maj” Bali National Golf Course in Nusa Dua, Bali. If you play golf and haven’t been here yet, you must visit. The golf course is immaculate, and the clubhouse facilities are stunning. The Clubhouse restaurant boasts a gorgeous view over the 18th hole fairway and green. The gym is spectacular, as are the locker room facilities with steam and sauna rooms.

So, what’s my Primal Trek all about? Well, it’s all about walking, exercising, and having fun at the same time, in nature. My Primal Trek is a workout and playtime all rolled up in one. This method makes working out seem effortless as time passes quickly when you are enjoying yourself and are happy!

Imagine yourself outside, walking in nature, in a park, forest, mountains, or by a river or lake, breathing in all that fresh air, and getting that vital sun exposure. Simultaneously, you’re observing and enjoying all of the beauty around you while working out along the way, using nature’s obstacles.

There is no set routine with this. You can mix and match exercises and do as many or as little reps and sets as you wish, or feel like, That’s the beauty of this method, there is no pressure. However, you will find yourself getting more and more motivated, which leads to you wanting to do more, the natural way! Instead of sweating in a sticky and smelly gym.

What did we do that day? Take a look.

First, I always start with a fast-paced walk for about 15 minutes to get a proper warm-up. Your muscles and joints must be warm before you perform any exercise. The same goes for your heart; it’s essential to elevate your heart rate before you strength train gently. That way, your heart eases into the change of pace and is ready for you to go harder.

Then, warm up with sweeping movements, after which we go down on the ground and pump out push-ups, squats, and planks. Next, back to walking again for another 15 minutes, before dropping for the next set. All in all, we walked about 60 minutes and worked out for about 20 minutes throughout the walk.

To add to the challenge, we through in a few 100-meter beach sprints in the sand. Sprinting is hard at the best of times, but it’s triple as tricky in the sand. Sprinting is an incredibly powerful exercise to burn fat and build lean muscle simultaneously.

Please read more about the benefits of sprinting here.

Take a look:

Once you reach the end of the trek, you’ll feel like you want to go again. That’s because your mind is so elevated, and you feel free and accomplished. And that’s what having fun in the sun does to body, mind, and soul; it makes you feel well, healthy, positive, and super happy, just like Yulia Tory is all of the time.

I’m ready to do it again, Yulia, are you? 😀💪🙏

I hope this story has inspired you to go outside, go for a fast-paced walk every day, and throw in a Primal Trek every other day!

Let’s get out, let’s go into nature, let’s workout outside, enjoying the beauty surrounding us and above all, let’s be HEALTHY & HAPPY!

If you follow this advice, I can pretty much guarantee you will be healthier, way fitter, and much happier!

Thanks for reading.

Rob

Writer, Former Olympic Athlete & Certified Health Coach

“It is my mission to help people regain control of their health, by building a healthy, strong heart, body, and mind, supporting a longer life.”

rob@robshealthcrunch.com

IG: robhourmontcrunch

IG: robshealthcrunch