Tips for Running at the Beach

Running at the beach is a full-body workout that activates all of the muscles in your body. Below, we'll share a few tips to keep you from getting tired too quickly.

Running at the beach involves running on a different terrain than most runners are used to. As such, your body might not be prepared to handle the same intensity and duration. So, if you’d like to start running at the beach, the first thing you should remember is to avoid overexerting yourself. Still, we’ve prepared a list of the best tips to keep you from getting tired too quickly. We’re sure you’ll find them useful!

Of course, the beach isn’t the easiest surface to run on. Sand is a soft, natural, and irregular surface that strengthens your muscles, tendons, and ligaments more than others. As if that weren’t enough, running at the beach also lets you build your endurance. Also, we have to mention the motivation and amazement you’ll feel from running beside the water while enjoying the scenery, breeze, and the sound of the waves.

The best tips for running at the beach

We’ve made a list of helpful tips to keep you going for longer when you’re running at the beach. Happy reading!

1.- A good warm-up

Our first tip is that you should warm-up well. Indeed, running at the beach makes your leg muscles work much harder. As such, it’s crucial to enjoy a dynamic, full-body warm-up, with a particular focus on your legs.

As with any other sport, warming up is essential. But in this case, it’s even more important so you can reduce the risk of injury. In fact, a study has shown that the body works 10 percent harder on sand than on other surfaces such as grass.

2.- Choose your path

Once you’ve warmed up, you can start running your first miles on a new surface. Keep in mind that running on wet sand is ideal since it won’t require as much effort as soft sand, which has a soft and irregular surface.

If you decide to run on soft sand, it’s important that you find the path where other runners have run before you. Further, you’ll no doubt see how much more intense this workout is. So, pace yourself and don’t worry if you go a little slower than normal since the sand will target your muscles more.

3.- Proper hydration

Running at the beach exposes you to the sun. That’s why, if you go for a run you should use a good sunscreen and stay hydrated.

As a result, you’ll avoid becoming dehydrated as well as preventing heat-related conditions. As such, make sure you have enough water with you. Make sure you identify water sources near you during your run or carry some money to buy bottled water.

4.- Wear running shoes

Finally, you should wear running shoes during your first runs. Firstly, running shoes will help protect your feet from any debris on the shore. In terms of performance, it will give your ankles more support and stability before you try running in your bare feet.

In addition, a good pair of athletic shoes will provide your ankles with stability and overall support for your feet. Running barefoot on a new type of terrain can lead to injury. As such, we recommend you become familiar with running at the beach before removing your shoes. Also, try to run on the hardest sand before moving on to softer sand. Then, if you really want to run barefoot to increase the strength of your feet, you should begin with short runs.

Finally, if you’d like to run at the beach, you should increase the pace gradually. This will give the smaller muscles in your feet a chance to become familiar with working harder than usual. Also, don’t forget to take a day off between sessions to recover until you feel ready to go at it again.