When you’re planning your summertime beach getaway, sometimes you can almost feel the sand between your toes. You can almost feel the sun on your skin, the smell of salt-water air. Most people look forward to the relaxation of the beach, there is at least one major caveat though, it can be hard to find a way to keep up with your fitness goals.
Despite the geographical distance between you and your gym in Moorestown, the early morning sands of the beach provide an interesting challenge to cardio and bodyweight exercises.
Here are three workouts to keep in your beach bag.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
High intensity interval training is a challenge no matter what your fitness level is because it allows you to set your own pace. The sand adds resistance to the exercises, forcing you to work harder through each movement so whether you’re new to HIIT or a seasoned Tabata pro, it’s worthwhile to get some quick movements in on the beach. Here are three to try
- Downward Dog Push-Ups- Start in downward dog pressing your hands and feet into the sand. Slowly walk your hands out to plank and perform a push up. Walk your feet towards your hands until you are in your starting position and repeat.
- Lateral Lunges- bound from side to side never letting both feet touch the ground. Try to move forward as little as possible instead putting all of your power into moving left and right.
- Butt Kicks- Kick your heel up to your glute alternating between each leg. Make sure there isn’t anyone directly behind you or you’ll spray them with sand.
Beach Running/ Jogging
You’ve probably seen more than a few people running along the shoreline. It’s not just an excuse to people watch, running along the beach is one of the best places to get your cardio in. The added resistance under your feet makes your run or jog that much harder. Running barefoot has the added benefit of improving your balance and correcting any kinks in your natural running motion.
Beach Yoga
The restful nature of a sunrise along the shoreline provides a perfect setting for sun salutations. The sand provides a challenge to every pose, forcing you to engage your core harder on every balance pose. Try out some simple flows like downward dog-plank-cobra to get the feel for yoga in front of the water. Move on to sun salutations or some more advanced flows, for some of the best yoga practice you can get.
If you’re taking your workout to the beach be sure to listen to your body closely. The combination of the sun and the sand can take a heavy toll on your body, don’t be surprised if you can’t perform the same exercises as the one you do at our fitness centers near moorestown.