Getting the Most Out of Running on the Beach

Running on the beach is one of the best workouts you can give yourself. Although honestly, the feedback I've received runs about 50/50. I don't know if this is because running parallel to the water-line is more difficult (which it is) or because it works your legs harder (which it does). I know that there are those folks who don't subscribe to beach running. They complain of fallen arches and hurt knees. I feel if they took the time to run correctly on the beach their view-point would change. Fortunately there are a lot more individuals who love to run on the beach and I'm one of them. I'm telling you if you approach beach running intelligently, you will reap the benefits of a challenging workout that burns calories, increases stamina and builds muscle.

According to surfingcapital.com, the reason that running on sand is so hard is that every time you attempt to push off it, the sand gives way, requiring you to exert approximately 1.6 times the energy that would be required to maintain the same speed on solid ground. For walkers, make that 2.1 to 2.7 times for energy.

Before I turn you on to some of the "DO's" of running on the beach, let me underscore a few of the "DON'TS." I have 2 rules I always follow. You may want to consider them:

- Stay off the soft sand. Soft sand will kill you. It may be a nice challenge to try a 50 yard stretch of soft sand every now and then, but in the long run (no pun intended) the soft sand throws you off balance, puts extra strain on your hips and knees, and generally can take a pleasant experience and turn it into a painful one.

- Don't run at high tide. High tide forces you to run on softer sand and more often than not on an incline. And as I just told you above, soft sand can hurt you. And the imbalance under your feet can hurt you as well.

Instead, try this:

- Run at low tide which gives you a much firmer surface to run on.

- Whatever distance or time you run, split it in two. This gives both your feet equal time on the running surface. For example if you run 5 miles, you turnaround point is at the 2.5 miles mark. If you run for an hour the turn around point is after 30 minutes.

- Use running shoes if there are lots of shells and pebbles along the water-line, but personally I enjoy running barefoot.

- Don't overdress - unless of course you enjoy the thought of running in wet clothing. Which is not necessarily bad because wet clothing weighs more and the added weight makes you work harder and hard work is good work.

- Run in the water and not on the sand- The level of the water can impact your workout in a good way. You can read more about this by clicking here.
- Take advantage of the ocean's currents to give yourself a natural massage after your run. It's no secret that soaking in salt water is good for you.

Keep in mind that the distance you run is not nearly as important as the quality of your run. Vary your distances and keep a 3-day-a-week schedule.

Side note: want to really challenge yourself? Try dribbling a soccer ball along the water-line as you run. The ball will stop dead in its tracks the minute it hits the water which forces you to keep the ball moving just out of the water's reach!

Now get out there and start running!