Running On The Sand
With summer just around the corner, there are also opportunities for outdoor physical activity.
The benefits of running on a sandy beach far outweigh the benefits of just running outdoors, rather than just running on the treadmill or indoor tracks.
In addition to the good health results, there are other rather obvious positive factors as well.
In addition to the best landscapes offered by the seafront, fresh air is added and, once the training is finished, the possibility of entering the water for a bath, perfect for promoting recovery on overheated muscles.
1. Natural obstacles
The sea itself will provide you with an obstacle course, or something similar. The various obstacles, changes in the texture of the terrain and the likely absence of a straight line will act as agility training, and will work to your benefit in strengthening your legs and training your diaphragm.
You can then take advantage of the obstacles and the variety of the terrain, elements that you would find to a lesser extent running on the street (and nonexistent on the treadmill).
Save yourself the sprints for straight, smooth and flat stretches, and work different muscles: stretch your core, calf and thigh muscles through the explosive power of jumps and turns performed while avoiding obstacles.
2. The resistance of the sand
Sand is the main benefit of beach running. Whether it's wet, or soft and dry, the sand creates resistance that Olympic jumpers favor in their training. You will spend a lot more energy running on sand than on asphalt.
So if you want to run at your usual pace, you have to strain the muscles more to avoid sinking and to counteract the heavier weight: typical aspects of training on the sand. According to studies, running on sand burns 30% more calories than running on asphalt.
Given the resistance and instability characteristic of running on the beach, you will find yourself exploiting, rather than on a flat surface, those smaller muscles located around the knees and necessary to guarantee balance, strengthening them in a way not allowed by the treadmill. treadmill.
Though the unpredictability of the surface could suggest its greater danger Compared to the road or the treadmill, impact injuries appear reduced.
A study carried out by Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, revealed that when you fall on soft sand, it increases the amount of time it takes your feet to sink, reducing the impact of the knees, ankles and hips at the time of impact with the ground.
3. Run barefoot
Additional benefits can be obtained by running barefoot. Your calves will already be receiving more training thanks to the sand (with less effort than is required in weightlifting or road running).
By running barefoot, the muscles of the feet, calf and toes will be strengthened through the effort necessary to maintain balance on the sand.
The stretches of flat, wet sand are ideal for reducing the strain on ligaments and joints. If you are recovering from an injury or want to build strength in your legs, you will reap countless benefits by speeding up your pace here, before tackling the sand dunes.
disadvantages
However, there are some downsides that you should keep in mind before proceeding at full speed. Running on the sand will stretch and strain the Achilles tendon.
This is made to work harder, as more muscle action is required to propel you forward. This is good news if you want to strengthen, but not so good if you are not used to the extra effort required, especially at the beginning. To avoid an annoying Achilles tendon injury, it is recommended to train initially with sneakers, in order to provide greater support to the ankles.
In any case, many beach runners claim that barefoot running provides natural acupressure in the feet, which would otherwise continue to have calluses and blisters caused by running on the street in sneakers.
