Running on the beach provides a beautiful backdrop for your workout, but it also challenges your body in a different way than running on solid ground. To make your training more effective, it’s important to be aware of both the benefits and the risks. Here are three major upsides of running on the beach.
It Builds Strength and Stabilizes Muscles
Running on the beach is harder compared to running on the pavement because the muscles of your legs and feet have to work harder. Plus, the uneven surface makes you engage your stabilizing and core muscles too. This makes beach runs more efficient too.
It Helps You Improve Your Running Technique
Because sand is soft, it gives way when you push off to take the next step. This means that some of the elastic energy that is usually transferred to that next step is lost. In order to be able to run powerfully on the sand, your body must learn and develop a smooth-running technique with a stable push-off.
Increases Calorie Burn
As we said, beach running makes the muscle groups involved in the run work harder than usual, which requires more energy. That makes it a super-efficient calorie burner!
