Beach Fitness Workouts & Exercises

Hat; check. Sunglasses; check. Sun cream; check. Beach towel; check. Witch’s hats for six phase cardio circuit; check.

What? It’s the beach! All I want to do is soak up some sun and splash about in the sea. What’s all this circuit training malarkey?

Well okay, forget the witch’s hats. But think about this: the beach is the most wonderful place in the world to train. Forget gyms, parks, and living rooms. Working out barefoot in the sand is the most sensory workout you’ll ever experience.

It’s sand; use it to your advantage

There’s a tendency to think of training in sand as hard work. But isn’t that the point? Seek out deep, dry sand; the deeper, drier and looser the better. Deep sand is basically billions of tiny particles designed to make you walk like you’re on your second bottle of Scotch. And that’s fine. You’re not and everybody else is in the same predicament.

But you, as an enthusiastic exerciser, can use that enforced clumsiness and instability to your advantage in a short, sharp beach workout.

Here’s how it goes. We’ll give you two options. The first is the hardest, but both will give you a different challenging dynamic as the shifty sand refuses to offer a stable base.

Option one: Sand sprints

Draw a line in the sand, both figuratively and literally. This will be the starting point of your sprints.

Sprint 5 metres, stop/slide/fall over and jog back to the line.

Sprint ten metres, apologise to the sunbather you tripped over, job back.

Sprint 15 metres, extract yourself from the volleyball net you ran into, jog back.

Sprint 20, 25, 30, you get the picture. If you’re super fit and still have enough energy to right toppled umbrellas and upended toddlers, aim for 60 metres.

Now, if lifesavers haven’t frog marched you from the beach, repeat the whole process with one variation: jog back to the start position backwards. Not only will this work different muscles even harder, it will greatly enhance your likelihood of further beachgoer havoc.

Option two: Water workout

 If you can find a 20 metre patch of waist-deep water free of bobbing grandmothers, this is a lung-buster to match the sand sprints with, perhaps, a few less obstacles.

Do each exercise for 20 to 30 metres parallel to the beach.

Start with 3 high knee runs, progress to 3 butt kick runs, then squat jumps on the spot. Then 3 backward runs and 3 sideways shuffles, all 30 metres.

Always keep your eye out for rips and kid’s lilos/body boards to ensure you get safely back to the beach.

Interested in learning more on how to mix up your training routines or even your clients? Call us today on 1300 616 180 to speak to one of our friendly Careers Advisors about our fitness courses today!