Do you live by a coast or access to a nice and sunny beach? Getting out in the sun and enjoying yourself is essential to leading a long lasting and happy life. Some people like myself like to mix their workouts up occasionally so today, instead of hitting the gym and lifting weights, lets go over 6 ways you can bring your workout to the beach!
Sand Sprints
Running is a great cardiovascular exercise but did you know you can burn even more calories by running in the sand? The sifting of the sand between your toes ensures that your leg muscles are compensating for not having a flat service and can give you an even better workout. To start, warm up by running up and down the beach slowly to get the blood pumping into your muscles. When you are ready, create a line in the sand and pace off a hundred or so meters. You should be aiming for sprinting for about 10-20 seconds. Keep your rest periods as short as possible if you really want to work on your explosive power. I would say anywhere from 10-20 seconds rest as well. The lower the better! Do this for 5-10 sets and before you know it, your stamina will increase.
Keep in mind that these sprints are going to be a lot harder than sprinting on a concrete surface. It is recommended that you do this barefoot and not in shoes as running on the sand barefoot also works more muscles in your arch support and calves. Just make sure that you are striking with a flat foot and not heel first!
Beach Ball Toe Taps
Remember back in school where you had to do toe taps on a bench or platform? This is a great way to increase your cardio performance and get the burn going in your quads. When doing this in the sand, it makes it even more difficult and really gives you a great overall workout.
Simply place the beach ball on the ground and alternate tapping each toe to the top of the ball. This will work your quads and get your heart pumping hard if you do it correctly. Try to do a full 60 seconds before you take a rest. Keep your rest periods under 20 seconds and repeat this for 5 sets.
Moving Towel Pushups
We all know how to do a pushup! Or at least I hope everyone knows how. If you are willing to step it up a notch and really get your pecs involved, then moving towel pushups are one of the exercises you do not want to miss. This one is easy and only requires that you have a towel.
Simply place the towel down on the sand. Get down in the pushup position with 1 hand to the left of the towel in the sand, and the other hand directly in the middle of the towel. You will then want to do a push up by lowering your body all the way down, and all the way up. When you are up, swing your leg and arm to the middle of the towel while the oposite side of your body goes into the sand. Continue this push up motion back and forth like you are crab walking sideways. This will work your arms, your chest and really burn your abs as you are constantly in the plank position. Do this for as many reps as you can handle. Aim for at least 10!
Beach Ball Supermans
Remember that beach ball that we just used for toe taps? Time to break it back out again and work your entire body. This is a simple exercise. Simply place the ball on the ground, and lay on it with your stomach. From here, you will want to extend your legs backwards off the ground and your arms straight in front of your head aligning with your ears. This will work your lower back as well as your abs. It will also really help to increase your balance as all the muscles in your body need to work together to not fall off the ball!
Water Jog
Watter jogging is the perfect exercise as you get close to ending your workout. Simply go down to the waters edge and start jogging in the few inches of water that are lapping up at the shore. This will help keep your nice and cool in the sun but also gives your feet some extra resistance. This extra resistance makes you work a little harder than you normally would and gives you the perfect workout! Make sure to watch where you are running so you do not step on any sharp shells or trip over any weeds that may be in the water. Keep stylish out there!
Bodyboarding
After you are done with working out on land and taking a jog at the edge of the water, it is time you jump in and enjoy yourself! You can continue to work out by picking a few of the ocean activities. I personally prefer body boarding as it does not require you have great balance like surfing. Simply grab your body board, throw on a pair of bodyboarding fins, and jump in. While holding your board, kick your legs to propel yourself through the water. This is a great workout as the constant resistance from the water on the fins really gives you a terrific burn. If you do not have any fins or bodyboard, find out what you need by visiting FinBin.
Wrapping It Up
If you live close to the water or are just on a beach for a vacation, you can get in, or stay in shape year round by following a few of these exercises. Pick the ones that sound the most fun to you and combine them for a great cardio workout in the sun!
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