Fitness at the Beach, part 2 – Sports to try on your beach holiday

If your holiday takes you to the beach this summer, there are many fun sports that you can do, both in and out of the water, to stay in shape.

If you’re off to the beach for your summer holiday, chances are you won’t be following your regular workout routine exactly. Why not take advantage of your location and try something new and fun?

Here are some sports you can do at the beach (some in the water and some on the sand) to keep in shape:

Snorkelling. Put on your diving mask, snorkel and fins and see what’s under the surface of the water. You’ll get in a good swim without even noticing. Just don’t burn your back if you lose track of the time!

SUP (stand-up paddleboarding). Standing up on a surfboard and paddling with what is essentially a long-handled canoe paddle will get you a full-body workout, improving core strength, balance and cardio fitness.

Windsurfing. If the wind is right, take up the challenge of windsurfing. You’ll feel like you’re sailing (because you are), but you have more flexibility. Experts can do spins and jumps and surf big waves.

Kite surfing. Up for an extreme sport? When kite surfing, you rely on a large power kite to propel you across the water on a surfboard (with or without foot straps) so you can ride the waves. It’s not for the faint-hearted.

Wakeboarding. When wakeboarding, as with water skiing, you’re pulled behind a boat (unless you’re in a wake park with a cable system), but the techniques are also drawn from snowboarding and surfing. This sport is all about the tricks, so calmer water is generally better.

Sea kayaking. Rent a sea kayak and explore the coastline. Whether you use a rigid, folding or sit-on-top boat, you’ll work your core and arms.

Running on the beach. Run on the wet sand by the water’s edge, or get a tougher workout by running in soft sand, which offers more resistance and is less stable. Avoid sloping beaches if you can, as running on an angled surface is harder on your knees and hips.

Beach volleyball. Officially, beach volleyball is played by two teams of two players each, on a 6 m x 8 m sand court. Unofficially, of course, you can play with as many people as you want in whatever size space makes sense, but the larger the area you have to cover, the more exercise you’ll get.

Beach tennis. Also called beach paddle ball or all-volley tennis, beach tennis combines elements of tennis and volleyball in a game that can be played either competitively or recreationally. The ball can’t bounce on the sand, so you have to move quickly to keep it in play.

Beach soccer. Football is always a good workout, and having to run on the sand adds to the challenge. Official beach soccer games are played five on five, but if you’re just playing recreationally you can conscript as many people as you want. The more the merrier!

Beach Ultimate. Beach Ultimate is a team sport in which you try to score points by catching a flying disc (aka Frisbee) in your opponents’ end zone, like in American football. When you have the disc you can throw it to a teammate in any direction but you can’t run with it. The exercise part comes when you’re trying to free yourself from your defender to make a catch, or when you’re on defence trying to block your opponents from passing or receiving.

What’s your favourite open-water or beach sport?

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