Vacation season has arrived, and with it the classic trip to the beach. What used to be merely a place to unwind is now increasingly seen as one of the best spots to train and keep the body active. That is why more people are choosing to rise early to take a stroll along the shoreline or to run for a while on the sand. However, what many consider a relaxing stroll or a workout to strengthen the legs can become a source of overexertion, discomfort, and even injuries if it isn’t done with care.
Fitness experts agree on a fundamental maxim: the key to a good beach walk does not lie in the speed at which you walk, but in maintaining an appropriate intensity and extending the exercise for a sufficient duration.
The big mistake on day one: your foot isn’t prepared
Your foot spends almost the entire year tucked away in shoes and used to walking on hard, flat surfaces. Therefore, going out to stroll in flip-flops or even barefoot on the sand with intensity can overly burden the muscles of your legs from the start. This is warned by Marcos Flórez, trainer and director of Estarenforma: “It’s a mistake to think your foot is ready from day one to walk barefoot on the beach.” launching into long distances without easing in is the main reason that, the next day, you wake up with pain in the sole of the foot, tight calves, or stiffness in the ankles.
Is wet sand or dry sand better?
Not all beach areas require the same effort or offer the same benefits to our body. To begin the first days of vacation, wet and firm sand is the best option because, although it feels firmer, it remains much softer on the feet than city pavement and allows your muscles to gradually get used to it without suffering. When walking in this zone, remember to split the path: half your steps to one side and the other half to the other to compensate for the incline that the shoreline typically has and to prevent one leg from doing more work than the other.
Dry sand, on the other hand, is a completely different matter: being so soft, the foot sinks and shifts to the sides, which forces you to exert extra effort to avoid losing balance, helping to strengthen the stability of your ankles and calves.
Can you walk inside the water?
If you’re looking for the most complete and gentle option for your body, walking in the water is the best decision. As the water covers you higher, up to the knees or the hips, you notice that you weigh less and that your joints suffer less impact from striking the ground, making this exercise perfect for people with back discomfort, overweight, or osteoarthritis. At the same time, the water slows your movement and forces you to exert more, so your muscles and your heart work hard even if you go more slowly. This means that your body is working intensely and healthily, almost without you feeling a real effort, which is ideal for staying active.
Is it better to run or walk?
In a recent interview granted to THE OBJECTIVE, trainer Radu Ene explained that walking on wet sand is a great option because it reduces the impact on joints compared to asphalt. However, he cautions that you must be very careful when running, as the instability of the shoreline demands extra effort from the tendons and muscles, which can lead to ankle injuries or Achilles tendon issues if the body is not accustomed. Therefore, his main advice is to take it slowly: always start by walking or alternate very short stretches of light running to see how the body responds before increasing the intensity.
