Exercise Boredom? Hit the Beach!

Busy Bodies
Health and Fitness
Kelly Gonzalez

Deadline Date: July 25, 2008
Published: July 30, 2008

Exercise Boredom? Hit the Beach!

Tired of your usual routine? Looking for a hot new place to exercise? Just venture east and stop right before your sneakers get wet. You just entered the best fitness center around. There are no sign up fees, monthly dues, or waiting in line. The facility is fully equipped with running routes, outdoor sports and recreation, swimming, strength training, yoga and meditation, and even tanning.

It’s easy to fit in fitness when you’re at the beach, because exercise is disguised as fun. Running in sand and swimming in the ocean is more difficult than running on asphalt or swimming laps in a pool, but mentally it may seem easier, because it is more enjoyable. It’s all about attitude.

Working out on the beach can add variety to your exercise routine and enhance your training. If you’re interested in improving your running, beach running is an excellent supplement. Running on a softer surface like sand is a great way to give your joints and muscles a break from the jarring asphalt, and can be easier on the body, especially for a beginning runner.

It is easiest to run on the more compact hard sand during low tide. During high tide the beach tends to form a slant and running on an angle can be hard on your knees and ankles. Check the local tide charts to find the most opportune time to run.
Running in soft sand provides a greater challenge, but in return a greater calorie burn. If you’ve never tried to run in soft sand you may be reminded of your first experience for the next few days. Your legs, especially your calves may be tight for a day or two, but over time you will adapt and gain more strength and endurance. Like any form of exercise it’s important to start slow and build up. Try to run intervals on hard sand for 5-10 minutes and run soft sand for 2-4 minutes and gradually increase your time in the soft sand to add more intensity to your workout.

When walking up sand dunes you may feel your quads and glutes working harder. The short incline is the perfect lower body toner. To improve your leg turnover and power try running up the dunes. Start by running up the dune for about 30-50 yards at 75-90% effort. Complete 2-3 sets of 3 repetitions with a 90 second break in between repetitions and a 3 minute break between sets.

You can either run on the beach wearing supportive running shoes or going barefoot. I recommend wearing shoes, especially if running on hard sand during low tide if you have back, knee, or ankle problems. Running barefoot can take some getting used to, but has proven to be beneficial in improving balance, coordination, strength, and preventing injury. Barefoot running strengthens your feet, calves, and hip flexors, which allow you to generate more power and hence run faster and longer. If you’re training for road races I recommend adding barefoot running in the sand to your program to improve your racing times and prevent injury.

Just as sand adds resistance to your running, the current can provide resistance when swimming, thus scorching more calories in less time, and I find it to be a lot more enjoyable than staring at a line on the bottom of a pool.
Before you enter the ocean to swim you should feel confident in your swimming abilities. It is wise to practice your stroke and build endurance in a pool before trying to go for a swim workout in the ocean. The ocean is unpredictable and requires precaution. Always swim when a lifeguard is on duty and be sure to stay within their view. Swimming in the ocean can be relaxing as you flow with the current with an easy stroke or for a more intense workout swim against the current for resistance.

A common misconception is that you must have machines, weights, and equipment to strength train, but using your own body weight is an excellent alternative. Body weight exercises like squats, push-ups, lunges, and sit-ups are the perfect form of resistance training on the beach. These exercises can be done in a circuit fashion to target all the major muscle groups of the body.

Switching up your workout and adding variety allows you to break through plateaus and receive greater results, because your body is forced to adjust. The idea of a beach workout is to get creative. There’s so much at your disposal that you can’t find in a gym.

A great exercise location is only minutes away. Try it for yourself today.