With the local weather FINALLY warming up many of you will be turning your minds to the beach and thinking, is my body beach ready?
The good news is that the beach is actually a great place to work out, at here at The Body Camp in both Ibiza and Mallorca we have reintroduced our wildly popular “Baywatch Beach” workout to classic 80’s/90’s dance tracks.
Here are 8 reasons why you need to hit the beach – or visit The Body Camp in 2019!
1.Encouraging new fun movement patterns!
Exercising on sand instead of grass or a hard surface encourages different muscles to fire and function within the body, the legs and the core. When exercising on sand the human body has to deal with the uneven and soft sandy surface which challenges many different muscle groups. Movements such as skipping, sprinting, push-ups on sand, bodyweight exercises like planks, bear crawling and even crab walking for the more advanced are all fantastic for toning up and fitting into that bikini and mankini (men!)
2. A great break from footwear!
Plantar fasciitis is a problem for many people and most footwear, in general, restricts the feet in many ways – especially over use of high heels in my experience! A big factor with footwear to think about also is “earthing” the body and connecting to the earth’s core when this is possible. There is plenty of research to suggest that daily barefoot walking or exercising, especially at the beach is good for the mind and soul.
3. Gets you out of the local gym!
Spending your precious time in another building (a box) after a day at work (another box) is okay – if that’s your only choice available. When you are outside the box – walking, running, exercising and challenging yourself on the beach, the five senses are activated and encouraged to be developed. Not to mention the fresh air and the opportunity to jump into to the sea and cool down after!
4. Develops core stabilizing muscles in the body!
Using the beach for bodyweight exercises on the sand instead of the treadmill or machines in the gym will require the body to adapt in many different and fun ways. Due to the unstable surface, the weaker core muscles are now activated because of the sand and this reduces potential injuries, strengthens the skeletal system and increases bone density in a low impact way!
5. Maximal oxygen uptake improves (you improve breathing!)
In a recent study, two groups of fitness classes took part in an experiment. The first group took part in a sandy beach workout for eight weeks, twice a week. The second group took part in two classes a week
on a grass surface. After 8 weeks the results came in – the fitness group who exercised at the beach improved their maximal oxygen uptake by 10%. That’s 10% higher than the group who exercised on grass!
6. Less impact and stress on the body!
Due to the softness of the sand, the body is not impacted as much as the firm ground normally used in other challenging workouts. This leads to less muscle damage and subsequent soreness. You can also fall down, dive around, have fun and not worry about hurting yourself!
7. Burn more fat!
There’s no doubt exercising on the sand burns more fat because of the intensity involved in the movement of the body across the beach. Being outside at the beach and not indoors also greatly increases the temperature of the body and tests its ability to adapt to the outside environment – not the case at a cosy, air-conditioned gym!
8. It’s fun – especially with 80’s tunes!
Exercising to 80’s music on the beach in the sun is one of life greatest pleasures, for example, burpees for four minutes in the sand to “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins” is wonderful – why deny yourself!?!!!
Rick Parcell
Master Strategic Intervention Coach
