Workout ideas for your beach vacation

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/02/2020 (2271 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

No equipment? No problem!

I’ve been lucky enough to spend the last couple of weeks in sunny Mexico. At first, I missed the gym, I checked out a few local gyms to see if I could find a place that had barbells or kettlebells. I did, but it turns out I’ve gotten better workouts on the beach than in the gym.

If you are one of the lucky few who get to skip town at some point during the long Canadian winter, you might be looking for some ideas on how to stay in shape on your beach vacation. Why not take advantage of this time to get some exercise outdoors? Here are a few of my favourite beach workouts, no equipment required.

Swimming, squats, and push-ups. I like to set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes and alternate between doing sets of 10 squats and 10 pushups on the beach, then running out into the water and swimming out as far as I feel comfortable. Come back in to shore and repeat until the timer goes off.

Alternatively, give yourself a goal, such as five rounds. You might start at a good clip, but running out into the water is exhausting, so I find that it helps to walk back to shore as active rest before my next round of squats.

Running and walking. Long walks on the beach are such a relaxing way to stay in shape while on vacation, but sometimes I want to get my heart rate up and sweat a bit more. To perform high intensity intervals on the beach, I might sprint all out for about fifteen seconds, then walk and recover for about a minute. I love doing these barefoot in the sand. It offers a unique challenge and being barefoot is great for improving balance and strengthening the feet and ankles.

The last thing I like to practise on the beach is my hand balancing or gymnastics. I’ve been working on my cartwheels and handstands and I find that the sandy beach is extremely forgiving. I can practise without worrying about falling on my head. The worst thing that can happen is some sand in my hair. For this type of practice, I might alternate kicking up to a handstand or working on my cartwheel for 10 reps with some stretching or abdominal exercises. Even if you’re not quite ready to work on full handstands yet, you can modify for your level or work on other balance drills that are appropriate for you.

As with any new workout routine, make sure you’ve been cleared by your doctor, and always take time to stretch, and properly warm-up and cool down with each workout.

Tania Tetrault Vrga is owner and head trainer at CrossFit Winnipeg. Send questions to her at www.crossfitwinnipeg.com.