What to Know About a Beach Workout

While you’re on vacation, living at the beach, or just loving the feeling of the sand on your feet, switching up the normal routine and working out on the beach will challenge your physical and mental fitness. At the beach, elemental changes test your agility, stability, and fitness level because of the uneven surfaces and outdoors exposure. 

So, whether you are thinking of a morning jog on the beach or perhaps throwing a ball back and forth on the sand, exercise on the beach with its sandy surfaces has benefits and risks.

Why Work Out on the Beach?

High-intensity interval training or high-level activity training is challenging regardless of your fitness level because you can set your own pace. The sand adds resistance to the exercises you choose, which makes you work harder to achieve each movement.   

Beach Workout Ideas

Here are a few exercise ideas to add to your beach workout. 

Spiderman crawl: Start in the plank position and lower your body into the sand. At the same time, reach forward and to the side with your left hand and bring your right knee towards your right hand. Keep your hips low and your abdominal muscles tightened. Repeat on the opposite side of the body and keep “walking” to a predetermined mark and come back.

Beach yoga: The natural surroundings during a sunrise at the beach are a good place for a relaxing workout. When you are practicing yoga, the sand gives a challenge with every pose. This forces you to tighten your core more intensely with every balanced pose. You should first try some simple moves like downward dog to get used to the sand and waterfront. Move on to a few sun salutations and more advanced movements. Yoga movements are some of the best beach exercises you can get.

Push-up Shoulders-ups: Begin once again in a plank with the hands more than shoulder-width apart. Lower your body down into a pushup and then go back to the plank position. Raise your hips and lower your chin to view your feet. Lower the top of your head towards the sand while your legs and torso are still stiff. Push back via your shoulders until your arms are mostly straight. Try to do this at least 10 times before moving on. 

Beach running/jogging: Often, people can be seen running along the shoreline. Running on the beach is a great place to get your cardio workout. The additional resistance under your feet makes your jog or run much more difficult. Running barefoot gives the additional benefit of increasing balance and adding structure to your natural running motion. 

Cross-under planks: Start in an upright plank position with your hands under your shoulders. Your legs should be straight and your torso tightened. Bring your right leg under your body to the lefthand side by twisting your core. Keep the leg straight with your foot flexed. Perform 10 repetitions. This would be a good time to transition into a frog jump.

Frog jump: Start in a low squatting position. Bring both of your arms backward and jump forward while swinging your arms back. Land lightly, catch your balance, and then do it again. Use this exercise to move from one end of a premarked distance to the other.

Beach Workout Equipment

If you choose to move your regular in-house routine to the beach, your equipment will be the same.

• Cycling – your bicycle
• Core training – your free weights
• Swimming laps – life vest, if needed
• Surfing – surfboard 
• Running – supportive shoe gear if not barefoot
• Beach ball – volleyball
• No equipment is needed for aerobics

Beach Workout Routine

If you decide to start beach workouts, measure beginning and ending points by pacing 20 steps. With each round, increase the distance. Even though you are on the beach, you have to properly warm up and cool down. Your focus should be placed on the ankles, calves, and feet. These are your stabilizing muscles when exercising on the sand. Your warm-up can mean doing each exercise in a slow, controlled motion or to use dynamic movements to warm your muscles and up your heart rate. 

When doing your workout, do each exercise to complete your round. Try to do at least 3 or 4 rounds. Try to add a water break in between each round. It is important to stay hydrated during, before, and after a beach workout. 

Your schedule should go as follows: 

• Drink 500 to 600 mL (17 to 20oz) two hours prior to exercise
• Drink 200 to 300mL (7 to 10oz) every 10-20 minutes during your beach exercise
• Drink 450 to 675mL (16 to 24oz) to replace what moisture is lost depending on sweat rate

Benefits of Working Out on the Beach

Exercising on the sand is not just about sunlight and wind. The sand constantly moves under your feet, and it causes your calves, arches, and ankles to work harder and can burn extra calories when you move. A potential benefit of working out on the beach is the stabilization of other lower extremity joints.  

The Downside of Working Out on the Beach

Enjoying the rolling waves of the ocean and exercising on the sand does have a potential risk level. Sand is a solid surface, but it does not have the identical stability and consistency as other surfaces. It is uneven and sometimes unstable. The surface can cause injury. For those who do not usually exercise, moving aggressively during your workout can lead to getting hurt. If this concerns you, perhaps try walking on the wet sand for your workout. 

If you do pursue a full workout, pay close attention to your body. The combination of the sand movement and the heat of the sun can be a bit much on the body. Do not be surprised if you cannot work out at your usual level. Start small and work your level of endurance up.