Beach Workouts for Your Vacation

Look, a beach vacation is no excuse to allow your workout regime to lapse for a week or two. There are several reasons for this…if you stop exercising for more than a week it will be that much more difficult to get started back up again, if you ever do. I tend to relate exercise to Newton’s laws of motion in which the greatest mathematician who ever lived said something about bodies in motion remaining in motion while bodies at rest remain at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. I realize that ole Isaac was probably not referring to human bodies when he developed these laws back in the 17^th century. However, they are applicable none-the-less.

The longer we remain sedentary, only doing the bare minimum amount of movement to get through our day, the more difficult it is to get that sedentary body back in motion. The outside forces required to act upon that body at rest in order to get it in motion must become greater and greater as time goes by, even while on vacation. Therefore, it will benefit you greatly to remain active on your beach vacation, especially when you get back home.

The most obvious and popular beach workout is to simply go for a walk along the shore. Just be sure to walk with a purpose rather than wandering around for a few minutes and calling it a day. As with most endeavors, it helps to set goals, such as walking for 30 minutes, turning around and walking back. Or walking to a destination in the distance, such as a pier, Ferris wheel or light house. You might also work a bit of jogging into your walks, such as jogging for two minutes, walking for four. Walking at sunrise is, by far, the best time of day. Watching the sun rise over the ocean (East Coast) or hills (West Coast) never fails to impress and the cooler temps will help as well.

If you’re so inclined and if the conditions permit (no rip tides, etc.) an early morning swim can also serve to keep your body in motion. If swimming isn’t your thing, simply walking or jogging in the surf, say at thigh to waist level, can provide a resistance workout while also breaking the monotony of walking on the shore.

Beach yoga at sunrise is also an awesome experience, especially if it’s done with a group. Simply throw down a yoga mat and have at it. The unstable surface of the sand beneath your hands and feet will provide you with an excellent core workout.

Here are a few group activities that can also provide you with some needed exercise while hanging at the beach:

• Beach volleyball is a great way to work up a sweat and the fewer the players, the more sweat you’ll work up. The best part? When you need a break, simply cool off on the water.And if you can play like this, you might have a place on the US team.
  
• Spike ball is another great beach group activity. You’ll be surprised how much you move while playing what most people consider to be a relatively easy sport.
• Whiffle ball with the kids is a wonderful way to bond and get some exercise simultaneously. The sand makes it exceptionally easy to lay out the diamond, an added bonus.
• Tossing the frisbee is a tried and true beach favorite. Have the person you’re throwing with throw long which forces you to chase it down…if you can.
• Body and skim boarding are extremely fun ways to get a workout. Better yet, if you’ve always wanted to learn to surf, there’s no better time than the present.

As my mother was fond of saying, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” and this aphorism certainly applies to exercising during a beach vacation. If you have the willpower, you’ll find a way to work exercise into your vacation. Oh yeah, and don’t forget about those laws of motion, which apply no matter your location.