To lose fat anywhere on the body, such as the belly, you must expend more calories than you consume. To tone your legs, you must perform repetitive movements while bearing a load. Working out on the beach can help you in both areas, by increasing the effort necessary to move you forward while introducing an element of instability to force your muscles to work harder to keep you upright.
Increased Effort
When you walk on sand, your foot sinks into it instead of bracing for the next stride like it does on concrete. With each step you take, your calves, hamstrings, quads and gluteal muscles have to work harder to achieve the roll-through that propels you forward. This action elevates your heart rate more than walking on a sidewalk, which in turn helps you burn more calories. If you pick up the pace and jog, you'll not only burn even more calories, but your leg muscles will have to work harder to perform the same action is a shorter period of time. If you run, especially in dry sand, you'll burn even more calories.
Balancing
Sand's instability contributes to muscle tone. Not only does each footstep sink, but the sand is constantly shifting out from under you. The uneven surface also contributes to an effective strengthening workout. When you encounter an unstable surface during a weight-bearing exercise, smaller supporting muscles work to help you maintain your balance. Motion in soft, dry sand can trigger muscular reactions all the way up into your core as your body fights to maintain upright posture and forward motion. When you walk through sand, you may find yourself leaning forward because staying upright requires a certain amount of muscular control. Even yoga or weight exercises performed in the sand take advantage of this phenomenon to boost the effectiveness of the workout.
Less Impact
Sand absorbs much more impact than hard surfaces, so you may be able to work out longer with less risk of injury. However, the instability and uneven terrain can also cause injury if you are not prepared. Running on dry sand right without acclimatizing to the less-than-stable terrain is likely to result in ankle sprains and muscle pulls. Starting on wet sand, which tends to be flatter and more firm, before transitioning to drier sand can help your legs muscles to become accustomed to split-second balance corrections.
Considerations
The benefit that comes from working out on the beach is from the increase in intensity. To reap the full benefits of a beach exercise, you must maintain a pace close to your pace away from the beach. The harder you work, the more fat you'll lose. The more you challenge yourself, the leaner your legs will become.
Member Comments