By: Kusnanto (WWF-Indonesia)

"Priiitt... Prittt... Priit.."

The sound of three whistles broke the early morning silence atop Menami. At six in the morning, the routine of the expedition participants - without exception, is to exercise. Both researchers and Menami crew will fill the deck and move together according to command and count in rotation.

Morning exercises are needed as a warm-up for divers, to reduce the risk of cramps while underwater. With morning exercises, we have more time to prepare our equipment early. We also get used to waking up early and starting the day with enthusiasm. If we are lucky, we can also enjoy the sunrise while sipping tea or coffee.

"#XPDCALORFLOTIM, lebe bae!" - a chant we almost never miss after gymnastics.
Exercise makes the mood more positive, obviously. Moreover, there's always something to joke about and something to laugh about in between stretching our muscles. Gymnastics with ship conditions that are sometimes rocked by small waves, the sensation is quite exciting.

Once, we had the rare opportunity to do gymnastics on the dock - while docked in Maritaing Village, East Alor. It turned out to be a different feeling, no need to worry about falling and holding on, especially in the movement of lifting one leg.

Personally, I really enjoyed the morning gymnastics and blowing the whistle three times. Gymnastics makes me happy, and can even lift various burdens of the mind. The balance of body and mind due to exercise - that's what we are looking for. An unbalanced body will cause metabolic disorders, which makes a person more susceptible to various diseases.

Hopefully, after the expedition, we can maintain the habit of regular exercise in our respective cities later on. Yes, not?