I have come to a BIG realisation. I take for granted the readily accessible gyms I have on my door step in Melbourne. We really are spoilt for choice when it comes to finding an amazing, clean and friendly place to workout. There is nothing like travel to remind you to be grateful and break the habit of being yourself. For me it has meant a BIG disruption to my normal weight training program.

To be expected, Sri Lanka’s gyms do not quite have the creature comforts of home. Fans, air conditioning, rows of well kept plates and dumbbells and machines that work every muscle in isolation. Gym spotting, so far, has been sparse. So for the little time remaining, I have decided to extend my de-load and allow myself the time to enjoy other forms of movement away from a traditional gym setting.

I liken strength and fitness to a dimmer switch that controls the intensity of a light bulb in your home. At times, it is able to be up full throttle.  While at other times it needs to be dim or off completely. One thing is for sure, the light can always come back on. Work, sick children, moving house and travel are all factors that can effect the quality and quantity of your training.

You do not need a gym to train

The reality is, you do not need a gym to get moving and to feel amazing. Sometimes all you need is 5-20 minutes of higher intensity movement to get blood circulating, to improve your mindset, burn off energy and work some unused muscles.

Here is a great ab workout I did pool side in a little town called Auragum Bay. This beach side town is located on the East coast of Sri Lanka. After travelling several hours across the country in the promise of the country’s best surf, we learnt that the surf is at its best from May-July. So instead, the day was spent lazying by the pool, eating curry and sipping coconuts.

For this workout, you do not need any equipment, except for maybe a towel or exercise mat and a water bottle. Perform the 4 exercises in each circuit 20 times, repeated twice before taking a short rest and moving on to the next circuit.

Do not forget good technique

Be mindful to press your lower back into the ground, draw the navel to the spine and using the core muscles rather than hip flexors to initiate  the movements of the legs towards the body. This program is not recommended to anyone pregnant or with separation of the Diastasis Recti.

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