The Best Sports to Play on the Beach
Summer is right around the corner and with it, its heat. Now’s the time to get out and exercise on the beach. Attention all summer-lovers: in today’s post, read about the best sports to play on the beach. You’ll probably want to try more than one!
Just because you’re on vacation in sun city doesn’t mean you have to stop exercising. Summer is actually a great time to get active and have a blast at the same time.
But keep in mind that a sandy beach hardly ever offers a smooth, even playing ground. Thus, playing barefoot will help keep your balance and reduce the risk of injury. In any case, be careful.
The best beach sports
The best beach sports take place in the water or on land, but always under the sun. So, always make sure you use sun protection. Here are some of the best options!
1. Surfing
If there’s one beach sport to rule them all, it’s surfing. Both sport and lifestyle, surfing consists of gliding across waves on a surfboard.
Only a handful of people will get the hang of surfing in their first sessions. These lucky few can move on to build basic skills and a huge passion for the sport.
Surfing is dynamic and non-exclusive, inviting both adults and children to try. If you want to try surfing, rent your equipment and look for a qualified instructor.
2. Beach sports: soccer
Beach soccer is next on our list and instead of on a field, all the action happens on a sandy beach. Teams of five players face off on a field that’s slightly smaller than a conventional field.
Players focus a great deal on aerial skills, passes, and techniques. All of these factors make for exciting matches.
If you want to improve your soccer skills, beach soccer is a great option. Controlling, defending and shooting a ball is harder on a beach, which equals great practice.
Luckily, beach soccer players use a smaller ball which makes the game a little easier while maximizing the fun and entertainment for onlookers.
3. Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball is another great way to exercise while having fun.
Getting a good volley going is fun and relaxing. Among other benefits, beach volleyball is great for working on reflexes, hand-eye coordination, and leg speed.
Unlike conventional volleyball, two teams of two face off in beach volleyball and play two sets of 21 points.
The sandy terrain is hard to play on, requiring players to have a technique in addition to breaking a sweat. On the sand, you’ll also see some crazy spins and awesome plays.
4. Paddle surf, surprise!
For our readers who love hanging out in the water, paddle surf can be a great choice. Paddle surf consists of standing on a board and paddling. By standing on the board, you’ll work out muscles that you didn’t even know you had.
Aside from the cool feeling of gliding over the water, this sport will also help you build endurance and improve your heart rate. At the same time, it can strengthen your arms and back muscles.
There are so many sports that you can play during the summer while keeping in shape. Now that you know some of the best beach sports, pick your favorite and gather the equipment that you need to be ready when summer comes.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Tilp, M., & Rindler, M. (2013). Landing techniques in beach volleyball. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 12(3), 447–453.
- Waydia, S. E., & Woodacre, T. (2016). Paddle-boarding: Fun, new sport or an accidentwaiting to happen? Trauma Monthly, 21(3). https://doi.org/10.5812/traumamon.19299
- Leite, W. S. S. (2016). Physiological Demands In Football, Futsal and Beach Soccer: A Brief Review. European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science, 2(6). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.205160