Beach Running: The Ultimate Calorie Blasting Workout

Vacation often means, sun, sand and a few too many hours relaxing near a table of drinks and eats.

But of course you’re a runner and you’ve seen some many photos of people {crazy one’s like me last week} running on the beach…it looks fun.

It is fun and seriously hard!

Easy is just about the only way to go when you hit the beach for a longer run. According to an article in Experimental Biology “running on sand requires 1.6 times more energy expenditure than does running on a hard surface”.

In layman’s terms that means it is harder and burns more calories! Who doesn’t want their run to burn a few more calories, especially while on vacation?! But of course all that extra effort means we need to know a few things to prevent injury and serious muscle soreness.People frequently asked me about beach running during our time in Miami, so here are a few reason to hit the beach for a run and a few tips to make it more enjoyable.

“Another benefit is it forces you to run on feel so you’re not relying on a watch or obsessing about particular paces.” says Benita Williams a 2014 World Champion

Why beach run?

• The view <<obvious right?!
• It’s like running with ankle weights
• Building strength in small unused muscles
• It’s a strength workout
• Chance to improve your stride
• Reduces impact stress of running on joints
• Faster running later!
• Free post run bath – the salt and cold are perfect for recovery!

“There’s more drag on your feet as you’re doing that training, so when you’re in an environment where there’s not that drag, your legs will not fatigue as easily, ” according to Dr. R. Amadeus Mason, a team physician for USA Track and Field.

Baywatch Babe Time?

The first question is should you try for the Baywatch look running barefoot in your swimsuit? Or play it safe by sticking to your regular gear?

If you’ve been curious to test out barefoot running, the beach is one of the best places to do it. The surface is soft, you can take it easy by enjoying the view, and with the right surface there is nothing to puncture your foot. Plus you get to avoid that whole weird sand in my running shoe feel!

However if you’re doing a longer run, start with your shoes and only do the last 15-20 minutes without shoes to ensure you don’t overtax new muscles. Even in your shoes the sand will require an additional amount of stability from your core to your knees to your ankles.

Quickie or Long Haul?

Just as those who are transitioning to barefoot running are cautioned not to over do it, the same can be said for beach running.

If you’re lucky enough to find a hard packed beach you can do a fairly long run without any extreme soreness the following day. However the loose sand will work small muscles in your knees and ankles that are often unneeded in road running.

Do we want to use those muscles? Yes.
Do we want to be so sore you risk injury? No.

For a loose sand run where you’ve not spent much time on trails, keep it short and easy.

DOMS {delayed onset of muscle soreness} creator or endurance enhancer?

Deciding what type of workout you want will impact how you use the sand. If you’re looking for a recovery run, then plan to go at a pace slower than normal focusing on just stabilizing your body in the uneven surface.

If you’re looking for a more intense session, stay away from focusing on speed and instead use the softer sand as a resistance workout. Just like running hills this will build more power in your legs.

It’s also the perfect time to throw in running drills like skips and jumps because it will cushion your landing and force you to contract your abs for stabilization.

Heading to the #beach for vacation? Checkout these beach running tips! Click To Tweet

Buddy up to your beach

A few extra minutes of scoping out the area can make big difference in your workout. It will help you decide on shoes, route and added opportunities for working out.Tide: Checkout the tides in advance to find out when low tide arrives because that will provide you with the best hard packed surface for running.

Slope: Additionally it may provide more of a flat area to run on as opposed to a slanted run which just like a slanted road can aggravate injuries.

Shells: If a quick walk of the beach shows lots of shells or rough surfaces, it may answer the barefoot question for you!

Wind: If you hit the beach on strong wind day like we did remember to start running IN to the wind. It’s going to slow you down adding more resistance {strength training} to your workout. You want to do this when you have the most energy, so that wind can help propel you on the way back!

Waves: Create a little interval workout by dashing down to the water and then getting out before the waves come back!

Of course beach running also usually means you’ll be tacking some HUMIDITY on to the run, so checkout these tips for running straight through those sweat drenching days. And of course while I want you to get your run on…it is vacation and we all need to learn to relax without the guilt!

Are you a beach runner???

What’s your best ever beach run?  My most memorable beach run will always be the morning of our wedding!

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