Summer Fitness by the Sea: Beach Exercises to Keep You in Shape

The beach is one of the first places that comes to mind when thinking about summer. If you want to use the beach to work out this summer but aren’t sure what to do, we got you! 

In this beach workout, we will leverage the beach’s unique traits into a fun workout. No, we won’t be making dumbbells filled with sand, but we will take advantage of the space and sand in other creative ways!

All the exercises for this beach workout will be plyometric, involving explosive movements with one’s body weight rather than externally applied resistance. One of the unique advantages that most beaches offer is sand. Sand plyometric exercises have increased performance markers such as sprint speed and vertical jump (3). Furthermore, training in the sand compared to grass increases the intensity of the exercises, leading to more significant cardiorespiratory fitness gains (1).

All of these exercises will be done for 3 rounds! 

Power Skips (20 per side / 20 seconds) 

Skipping is a great cardiovascular exercise that requires coordination and timing to swing the opposite arm and leg correctly. It doesn’t have to be limited to the forward direction but can also be done backward, sidewards, and with a knee flaring out to the side. Skipping will work the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and power development. 

Instructions

1. Start by slowly lifting your opposing hand and knee in place. Alternate between sides each time.

2. As you lift your knee, hop on the other leg.

3. Imagine you are “punching the sky” and building up speed.

4. Choose which direction to go. Try starting forward. 

Broad Jumps (10 / 30 seconds)

The broad jump is another dynamic, full-body movement that involves coordinating the upper and lower body to create the most power. It requires the ability to create force in the horizontal direction to jump the farthest distance away from the standing position (4).

Instructions

1. Start by standing up tall and raising your arms overhead.

2. Rapidly squat down while simultaneously throwing your arms down along your sides.

3. Rapidly squat up while simultaneously throwing your arms up overhead, allowing your body’s momentum to make you jump forward.

4. Land in a deep squat position. 

Walking Lunges (10 per side / 20 seconds)

Walking lunges are a unilateral exercise that works all of the muscles of the lower body and can be performed at any tempo. They can be performed slowly or explosively by adding a powerful reciprocal arm swing. Walking lunges are great for activating the gluteus medius, which helps prevent the hip from dropping to the side when in single-leg positions (5).

Instructions

1. Take a large step forward with one foot, placing most of the weight on the forward foot.

2. Lower your body by dropping your rear knee toward the ground.

3. Maintain your front knee over your foot and your back heel straight up and off the ground.

4. Drive your front leg into the ground to bring yourself back to standing, and then bring your foot from the back to the front.

Skater Jump Squats (10 per side / 20 seconds)

Skater jump squats are unilateral lower-body exercises done side to side, which is valuable because most exercises are done forward and backward or up and down. They are similar to a Curtsy lunge, except the transition between sides is more explosive and moves the body side to side to a greater degree. 

Instructions

1. From a standing position, jump laterally onto the same leg in the direction you jumped while extending the opposite leg behind.

2. As you land, immediately transition into a partial single-leg squat.

3. Leap powerfully to the opposite side and repeat

Single Leg RDL Skips (10 per side / 20 seconds)

Single-leg RDL skips are the same exercise as a single-leg RDL but with an explosive upwards phase from the non-weight-bearing knee and opposite arm. They add a fun challenge and explosive element to the already balance-challenging exercise. They mainly work the glutes and hamstrings (6).

Instructions

1. From a standing position, hinge at the hips and simultaneously sweep the non-weight-bearing leg behind you, moving it in unison with the torso.

2. Drive the non-weight-bearing knee and opposite arm toward the sky on the upward phase.

Push-Ups (Until failure)

Push-ups are a classic upper-body exercise that will always remain relevant. They work the push muscles: pecs, deltoids, and triceps. Due to their easily modifiable nature, nearly every individual has a push-up variation they can do (2). Try incorporating a bench or boardwalk wall to elevate the arms or legs to change their intensity.

Instructions

1. Begin in a plank position with your hands in line with your chest.

2. Lower your entire body toward the ground.

3. Point your elbows behind you during the exercise and maintain the plank position.

Plank Sand Pull Throughs (Until failure) 

Plank sand pull-throughs are a take on the dumbbell plank pull-through. Since there are no dumbbells at the beach, you can pull your hand laterally through the sand to apply some resistance to your core. This dynamic single-arm plank variation is excellent at increasing core and shoulder stability.

Instructions

1. Begin in a plank position. 

2. Reach one hand across your body and dig it into the sand.

3. With your palm down, pull your hand through the sand back toward your body

4. Alternate sides while maintaining a plank position.

Bear Crawls (20 per side / 20 seconds)

Bear crawls are a fantastic dynamic core exercise that involves shoulder and core stabilization and coordination. There are many variations, including forward, backward, and side-to-side.

Instructions

1. Begin with your shoulders over your wrists and hips over your knees.

2. Lift your knees off the ground a couple of inches, but keep your back parallel to the floor.

3. Propel yourself with the opposite hand and foot with as little hip sway as possible.

Sources

1. Binnie MJ, Dawson B, Arnot MA, Pinnington H, Landers G, Peeling P. Effect of sand versus grass training surfaces during an 8-week pre-season conditioning programme in team sport athletes. J Sports Sci. 2014;32(11):1001-12. 

2. Dhahbi W, Chaabene H, Chaouachi A, Padulo J, G Behm D, Cochrane J, Burnett A, Chamari K. Kinetic analysis of push-up exercises: a systematic review with practical recommendations. Sports Biomech. 2022 Jan;21(1):1-40. 

3. Hammami M, Bragazzi NL, Hermassi S, Gaamouri N, Aouadi R, Shephard RJ, Chelly MS. The effect of a sand surface on physical performance responses of junior male handball players to plyometric training. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2020 Apr 25;12:26. 

4. Pérez-Castilla A, García-Ramos A, Janicijevic D, Miras-Moreno S, De la Cruz JC, Rojas FJ, Cepero M. Unilateral or Bilateral Standing Broad Jumps: Which Jump Type Provides Inter-Limb Asymmetries with a Higher Reliability? J Sports Sci Med. 2021 Mar 22;20(2):317-327.

5. Stastny P, Lehnert M, Zaatar AM, Svoboda Z, Xaverova Z. Does the Dumbbell-Carrying Position Change the Muscle Activity in Split Squats and Walking Lunges? J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Nov;29(11):3177-87. 

6. Van Hooren B, Vanwanseele B, van Rossom S, Teratsias P, Willems P, Drost M, Meijer K. Muscle forces and fascicle behavior during three hamstring exercises. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2022 Jun;32(6):997-1012.