Check Out These 6 Beach Workout Moves

The best exercises for a beach workout

One of the best things about summer is spending all day at the beach! And if you’re looking to mix up your exercise routine, the beach is a great place to work out because the sand makes it more difficult for your feet and legs to stabilize easily. This means your entire body has to work harder as you perform different strength exercises. Want to develop your own beach workout? Check out these six moves that’ll help build muscle and increase mobility.

1. Sprints

Sprints work your lower body muscles, including the calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps. To sprint across the beach, position your body to be engaged and slightly leaning forward. Use your arms to propel your body forward. Lift your front knee and straighten your back leg fully with each stride. Then, drive your back leg into the sand and take small, quick steps forward that gradually increase to larger strides.

2. Squat jumps

Squat jumps work your glutes, hip flexors, quadriceps, abs, calves, and hamstrings. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and cross your arms on your hips. Bend your knees and lower your hips while keeping a straight back. Once you feel the stretch in your quadriceps, pause for a count and then jump by driving through your heels and pushing yourself off the ground with your quads. Be sure to land as gently as possible on the balls of your feet. Need a low-impact option? Simply raise yourself up onto your tip-toes instead of jumping.

3. Shoulder tap planks

Shoulder tap planks engage your entire core and help to build shoulder muscles as they work to stabilize you. To begin this exercise, get into a plank push-up position with your body in a straight line. Maintain an engaged core and keep your hips level as you bring your right arm to touch your left shoulder before placing it back on the ground. Repeat with your other arm. Do a set of repetitions.

4. Walking lunges

Walking lunges are an excellent lower body exercise that works your calves, quadriceps, glutes, and hip flexors. Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on your hips. Then step forward with a large stride and keep your alternate food behind you. Lower your body to the ground by bending your knee. Keep a straight back and engaged core. Continue lowering until your back knee is almost touching the ground and your front leg is bent at 90 degrees. Push through your heel so that your front leg is extended while bringing your back leg in a large stride out in front of you. Repeat the motion.

5. Crab walk

This exercise mostly works your glutes, hip flexors, shoulders, and abs. To start, sit on the ground with your knees bent, your feet flat in front of you, and your hands behind with your fingers facing forward. Lift your hips and keep them up the whole time. Move forward by walking your right foot and left hand forward, and then switch. Keep alternating back and forth, keeping your hips up.

6. Tuck jumps

Tuck jumps work your hamstrings, quadriceps, abs, glutes, and hip flexors. Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart while keeping your chest high. Hinge your hips and bend your knees while lowering yourself a few inches to the ground. Then push yourself into the air in a jump and bring your knees toward your chest. Land on both feet, making sure there is a slight bend in your knees, before beginning the next jump.