Walking on the beach has become one of the summer’s standout workouts. It’s easy to do, accessible, and even a fun way to enjoy the views, the breeze, and more. However, something that seems so simple and harmless isn’t what it appears. To make sure this habit doesn’t end in a knee, hip, or back injury, experts are clear: you can’t walk the same at 40 as at 60, nor does walking on the soft sand have the same impact as walking on the shore.
According to several experts, when it comes to walking along the beach, choosing between the dry sand or the wet sand depends on what your body needs and your fitness level. If you decide to walk on the dry sand, you will exert much more effort and burn more calories, since the ground is soft, your foot sinks, and the muscles of the legs, the glutes, and the abdomen have to work much harder to maintain balance; the downside is that this extra effort also increases the risk of sprains, pulls, or back pain. By contrast, the wet sand at the shore is a firm, compact surface and much safer for protecting your joints from impact, with the benefit that, if you walk with water at ankle height, you will activate circulation and relieve swelling in the legs. That said, you must watch the slope of the shoreline, because walking sideways for long periods forces one leg to work harder than the other and can lead to hip discomfort; to avoid it, the best trick is to walk half the stroll in one direction and the other half in the opposite direction to balance the effort of your body.
How to walk on the beach according to your age
On the other hand, Claudia Díaz, a personal trainer and head coach & CEO of CDA Perform, in an interview with InStyle, highlighted that at forty years old, priorities begin to shift and the most common mistake is getting too motivated by this, starting to walk barefoot on the dry sand for long stretches from day one. At this stage, the most important thing is to learn to listen to your body; that’s why the ideal is to walk between 25 and 40 minutes a day, combining the wet and firm sand with short stretches of dry sand to give the exercise a little extra intensity, provided you don’t have any injuries.
Regarding the 50s, Claudia says the biggest mistake is not adapting the walk to your real physical condition, especially if the rest of the year you spend sitting at a desk. Here the priority isn’t to push yourself to the limit to prove you have great endurance, but to progress gradually, so it’s recommended to walk from 20 to 35 minutes at first, always choosing the firm sand at the edge and reserving the dry sand only for very occasional moments; a good trick is to alternate a few minutes at a normal pace with short spells walking faster, but always at a pace that allows you to speak without gasping.
Finally, starting at 60 years, or if you suffer from back and joint pain, you must exercise even more caution, because the beach is an uneven terrain that demands a lot of balance and strength. Your main goal should be safety to avoid falls or strains, so the best is to walk only 15 to 30 minutes on the wet sand and as flat as possible, avoiding the shoreline slopes and splitting the walk into short blocks, such as 10 minutes, a rest, and then a bit more.
Warm Up Properly
To prepare your body and protect your joints before walking on the beach, trainer Claudia Díaz suggests a simple five-minute warm-up on firm ground: the first minute is for a gentle walk to ease in; the second for slow ankle circles; the third to raise the heels, activating the calves and the feet; the fourth to gently balance the legs; and the fifth to start walking on the sand in a very gradual way. In this routine, the orthopedist José Nebot adds the importance of performing specific stretches beforehand, especially for the calves, the sole, the hips, and the lower back to prevent pulls. Meanwhile, podiatrist Neus Moya reminds us that we spend almost the whole year wearing rigid shoes, so we shouldn’t begin holidays with very long walks all at once, but rather observe first how the foot reacts to this warm-up. Finally, psychologist María Calle emphasizes that this preparatory moment is not only physical, but also mental: listening to the sea and taking a deep breath while you warm up helps you disconnect from routine, reduce stress, and immediately improve your mood.
