This Workout's a Beach! - 5 Tips for Working Out on the Sand

It’s summertime, and for me personally, I love to do as much as possible outside—work, dine and exercise all included!

If you happen to live near a body of water—a lake or ocean for example—the idea of working out on the water is quite romantic. What better inspiration than water and waves? But if you decide to move your workout to the beach, there are a few things you should know!

Here are five tips for taking your workout to the beach. Trust me, working out on sand is not the same as dry land!

1) Warm up your knees and ankles — Do you have any previous knee or ankle injuries? If so, be sure to warm those areas up properly before you start moving. Do a quick warmup in place before attempting to run or do anything else on the sand. The sand has lots of give, and if you’re not expecting it, your joints could be in for a surprise.

2) Move slowly before speeding up — If you’re not used to moving on the sand, you want to take your warmup slowly. Jogging, butt kicks, high knees, these moves should be walked out before you try to add speed to see how you react to unstable conditions. Speaking of which…

3) Balance: the struggle is real — You might think that the sand is more forgiving for balance, but you’re wrong. With the sand always shifting around you, holding your balance can be difficult! This is especially true if you’re doing yoga or any sort of sustained poses. So be prepared to take it easy, especially if it’s your first time.

4) Wet vs dry sand? — Wet sand is definitely more stable than dry sand, but wet sand has its own considerations. Are you working out with equipment? Expect it to get dirty! The wet sand can cake on your stuff, and you’ll either need to wipe it down thoroughly on the beach or wait until it dries off to get it clean. Which leads me to…

5) The sand - it gets EVERYWHERE! — Whether wet or dry, expect to either spend a lot of time cleaning your gear cleaning your car or home after you track sand into it. If you want to minimize the amount of sand on your equipment—especially a workout mat—bring towels and place them underneath your workout space. You’ll track sand onto it for sure, but it can help keep everything else relatively clean. Throw all of your towels in the laundry and call it a day!

So now that you know what to expect, get out there and enjoy! The beach awaits you!