As soon as summer hits, there’s a flood of articles about the perfect bikini body workout, but I can do one better – why not exercise at the beach?
Yep, our favourite summer destination isn’t just for sunbaking and splashing in the waves. The beach is also the perfect place to break a sweat, as sand resistance will upgrade any strength, cardio or endurance workout.
I love exercising outdoors, and I’ve been doing these beach workout circuits for years. Let me tell you, they never get old! They’re challenging, fun, and a natural energy-booster. Best of all, they require zero equipment.
With a great mix of cardio and strength, they’re the ideal summer workout to tone up and work your entire body.
Read on to learn all my beach workout secrets!
10 Benefits of Working Out on the Beach
Wondering why you should take your training session to the beach? Exercising on sand boosts the effectiveness of strength, cardio and endurance workouts.
Here are ten reasons to exercise on the beach, according to science:
- Higher energy expenditure & calorie burn: Sand provides more resistance than other surfaces, so the same exercises take more effort. As you expend more energy, your heart rate increases faster, and you burn more calories. In a 2020 study, diabetes patients who walked on sand lost more weight than the ‘regular walking’ group.
- More toned lower legs: The increased need for stabilisation on sand engages muscles in a deeper range of motion, providing a better leg workout than on solid surfaces. A study of 51 students compared the effects of sand running and road running; results showed sand runners built more calf muscle and performed better on athletic tests.
- Improved functional fitness: Exciting research suggests stabilising during beach running or walking engages different neural and muscular pathways. Exercising on sand has been shown to improve functional ability scores in older adults and stroke and MS patients, with benefits like increased lower body strength, improved balance, and a steadier gait.
- Lower impact on joints: Sand is a shock-absorbent surface, reducing the impact on joints even during high-intensity exercise. For athletes, exercising on the beach can reduce muscle soreness and minimise next-day performance impacts after training. Reduced joint reaction forces can also make training on the beach a lower-impact option for people with arthritis.
- Natural variation in environment: Exercising on softer and drier sand will burn the most energy, while compact wet sand is less strenuous to run on. Add a sloping surface, inclined beach pathways, benches and bike paths, and you have all the ‘equipment’ you need to mix up your workout.
- Mood-boosting surroundings: We know that outdoor exercise is a mood-booster, and the uncluttered ‘blue’ beach environment is even better for mental health than ‘green’ environments. Watching and hearing ocean waves changes the frequency of our brain waves and activates our parasympathetic nervous system, decreasing stress and inducing a near-meditative state.
- Daily dose of Vitamin D: Exercising in the sun means your body will be soaking up some much-needed vitamin D, helping to maintain strong bones and a healthy immune system, among other benefits. Just remember to be sun smart as well!
- Health benefits of ocean air: The fresh ocean breeze is filled with negative air ions, which some studies suggest can improve focus, lower blood pressure, and alleviate symptoms of depression. Plus, if you suffer from hay fever or allergies, you’ll be glad to know that sea air typically has less pollen.
- Increases motivation to exercise: Did you know that people living near the beach tend to exercise more? Studies in Australia, New Zealand and the UK have all determined that coast-dwellers are more physically active. Between swimming, beach workouts, surfing, and coastal walks, there really is something for everyone!
- Free and convenient: If you’re lucky enough to live near the coast, working out on the beach is completely free! No need for expensive gym memberships or equipment, and there are no opening hours to work around, so you can always choose your ideal workout time.
Best Beach Workout Exercises
Before we dive into the circuits, here are my favourite exercises to do on the beach. I’ll break down each exercise with images, giving you all the instructions you need to tackle the circuits below.
Beach Crawl
For this exercise, start on your hands and knees with your arms and feet shoulder-width apart. Then, “crawl” forward by lifting your knees off the ground, with opposite limbs moving together (right arm & left leg, left arm & right leg). Yep, just like a baby crawling! Keep your back straight, hips low, and bum down, engaging your core.
Sprints
Sprinting on the beach is a great high-intensity cardio burst to get your heart rate up and strengthen your leg muscles. Keep your knees high, pump your arms, and focus on pushing through the resistance of the sand. To up the difficulty, try running up and down an incline, whether that’s the dunes or beach access path. Sprinting on drier sand will seriously work your leg muscles and provide a killer cardio workout.
Push-ups
Next up, push-ups! This exercise is all about upper body strength, and the sand provides an extra challenge. As you push up, the sand beneath your hands shifts, forcing your muscles to stabilise and work harder than they would on a stable surface. The result is an intensified workout for your arms, chest, and core. Plus, you get a bit of exfoliation for soft hands – it’s a win-win!
V Sit-ups
Lay down facing the ocean, extending your arms above your head. Engage your core and lift your legs to a 45-degree angle. Maintaining good posture with chin tucked, reach your arms up towards your shins. Hold for 5-10 seconds and slowly release. For a more challenging exercise, keep your legs off the ground.
Lunges
Lunges are great for shaping and toning your legs, even on a flat, stable surface. Now, add in the unstable surface of the sand, and you’ve got yourself an upgraded, full-body workout!
When you perform a lunge on the beach, your core must engage to maintain stability, and your leg muscles work even harder to push up from the soft, shifting sand. Trust me, your glutes will feel the burn!
Side Lunges
Side lunges switch up the direction of your movement to add variety and target different muscle groups. Work your inner thighs and glutes by stepping out to the side instead of forward, keeping your feet parallel and your weight in your heels. Side lunges are even better in the sand – really engage your thighs by keeping that leg straight and dragging sand towards your other foot until in a standing position.
Tricep Dips
Tricep dips are fantastic for shaping and toning those arms, and you don’t need specialised equipment to reap the benefits. Find a bench or ledge on the beach, place your hands shoulder-width apart behind you with fingertips facing forward, and bend your elbows to lower yourself down. Push yourself back up using only your triceps, keeping your back close to the bench/ledge.
Planks
Planks are an absolute must in any full-body workout circuit. Holding a plank is amazing for working your entire core – and doing them on the beach takes it up a notch. The instability of the sand means your core has to work even harder to keep your body stable. Plus, I bet you’ll forget about the burn when you’re gazing out at the ocean view! Hold for 30 seconds to a minute, or as long as you can maintain proper form.
Walking & Jogging
Why is this separate from sprints? As speed increases, energy expenditure on a sandy surface becomes more and more similar to grass, negating some of that extra burn. At slower speeds, the calorie-burning benefits of beach training have the most impact!
Essential Beach Workout Tips
Before you get started, here are a few key points for setting up your workout on the beach:
- Go barefoot if possible: This gives your ankles a workout. If you are prone to ankle issues, though, wear your runners.
- Sunscreen is a must: Slather it on the face from the cheeks down so it doesn’t go into your eyes when you sweat.
- Stay hydrated: Make sure you have a water bottle and towel with you.
- Scope out the area: It’s always good to do a quick walk around the area you will be training. This helps avoid nasty surprises (from broken glass and bluebottles to dog doo-doo).
Full-Body Beach Workout Program
Now, onto the main event – the workout circuits.
There are three circuits in total, focusing on different muscle groups and incorporating both cardio and strength exercises. Details of each exercise (with pictures) are found above, so consult them to see the technique.
Warm Up
Start with a 5-minute power walk up the beach, then a 5-minute jog back to the starting point.
Circuit 1
Mark out a 20-metre distance – use your towel, draw a line in the sand or even use some seaweed.
- Beach Crawl for 20 metres – from one line to the other
- 10 Push-ups
- 10 V Sit-ups
- Sprint back to the beginning
Each time you get to the push-ups and V sit-ups, reduce your reps by one. Continue for 10 rounds until you get down to 1.
Circuit 2
Using the same 20-metre distance.
- Lunge Walk from one end to the other
- 10 Side Lunges
- Sprint back to the beginning
Repeat 5 rounds.
Circuit 3
Find a part of the beach that inclines and mark out 20 metres
- Sprint up the incline
- 20 Tricep Dips
- Jog back to the beginning and hold Plank for 30 seconds
Repeat 5 rounds.
Cool Down
Finish with a 5-minute power walk and a stretch of all the major muscles. Maybe even go for a swim if you are up for it, and the conditions are good!
After a high-intensity workout, it’s important to cool down properly, so don’t rush this step. Take advantage of the beautiful beach surroundings for a meditation break or a slow yoga session. The combination of fresh salty air, waves rolling in the background, and stunning natural surroundings will leave you feeling fabulous!
Key Takeaways
There are loads of great reasons to take your workout to the beach. Not only does the sand provide increased resistance and deeper engagement for your muscle groups, but it’s also a fantastic mood booster.
Any location offering a full-body workout without equipment (or a gym membership) is a win in my books. But there are lots of other ways we can make the most of nature’s gym this summer.
Think back to all the ways you enjoyed the beach as a kid. I bet you were running around like crazy the entire time! So, next time you’re heading out for a beach BBQ, consider how you can get active (instead of sitting around with a beer in hand).
Bring a frisbee, footy or beach cricket set and get the whole family having fun! Even running and jumping in the waves with your little ones is surprisingly good exercise.
If you’re lucky enough to live near the ocean, don’t take it for granted! And if you’re visiting on vacation, try to incorporate some high-energy activities into your relaxation schedule, too.
Let’s get back to really enjoying the great outdoors this summer!
More Home Workout Ideas
Here are a few more gym-free workout plans you’ll love:
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