Exercising on the beach is a great way to challenge your body because sand provides an uneven and shifting surface which makes working out all the more challenging. Your body has to work harder to balance, and although you may not realize it, causes you to use more muscles and burn more calories. You may feel sore in places you didn”t even realize you were working!
Try this series of exercises for an all-over workout, no equipment necessary:
Walk Warm Up
To get started, take a walk on the beach at a rate that gets your heart pumping and your muscles warmed up. Walk for about 5 minutes, then go right into the next exercise, the Walking Lunge.
Walking Lunge
Walking lunges work major muscles in quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, abdominals, abdominal obliques and lower back by using your body weight as resistance. Stand with your shoulders back and your hands on your hips or at your sides. Step forward with your right foot, bend your knee so that your front knee is aligned over your ankle and the back knee comes close to the ground. Before your back knee touches the ground, push up with your back left leg, forcing the weight of your body forward. Repeat 10 times on each leg, 3 sets, for a total of 30 lunges per leg.
Walk
Walk for a few minutes at a rate that is a little faster than normal to keep your heart rate up, and go into your squats.
Squats
Squats primarily work hamstrings, quads, and glutes. To do them correctly, make sure your knees are out and you squatt down so that your thighs are parallel to the ground. Stand in place, feet shoulder-width apart. Lower body toward ground, keeping knees behind toes, until thighs are almost parallel to ground. As you come down, raise your arms in front of you for balance. Release to start and repeat. Repeat 10 times for 3 sets.
Walk
Walk for a few minutes at a rate that is a little faster than normal to keep your heart rate up, and go into your jumping jacks.
Jumping Jacks
Do 10 jumping jacks. March in place for 8 counts. Do 10 more jumping jacks. Repeat one more time for a total of 3 sets of 10.
Walk
Walk for a few minutes at a rate that is a little faster than normal to keep your heart rate up, and go into your push ups.
Push Up
Push ups work your pectorals, triceps, deltoids and core muscles. Doing push ups in the sand is even more difficult because you use more muscles trying to stabilize yourself in the sand. Do 3 sets of 10, or as many as you can do to the point of exhausting your muscles.
Walk
Walk for a few minutes at a rate that is a little faster than normal to keep your heart rate up, and go into your planks.
Plank
Get on hands and knees in sand. Place wrists under shoulders and if possible, lift knees off ground so body’s supported only by hands and feet. Contracting abs, hold 30 seconds. Release for a quick break and repeat 3 times.
Walk
Finish by walking back to where you started. This series of exercises will give you great all over toning. Congratulations for completing an all over body work out!