5 Best Exercises To Do On The Beach—Without Equipment, Trainer Says

One of the absolute best locations to work out is right on the beach. Being by the salty, cool water and the warm sand gives you an instant mood boost (not to mention a solid dose of vitamin D), and it breaks up the monotony of working out at home or in a gym. If you're looking for some inspiration, we've rounded up the five best beach exercises you can do without equipment, which we'll get into below. (Plus, spring and summer vacations away are almost here, and you'll likely want to keep up a solid routine!)

Switch up your fitness situation by checking out the best beach exercises you'll likely want to add to a regular routine. You can get a great sweat session in by simply using your body weight. And the great thing is, performing bodyweight movements on the beach and in the sand gives you an extra challenge because of the terrain.

With the weather getting warmer again, I recommend heading to the beach for a bodyweight workout. Here are five of the best beach exercises you can do without equipment. Check them out below, and next, read The 6 Best Exercises for Strong and Toned Arms in 2022, Trainer Says.

Sand Runs

If you're used to running on the ground, a great way to challenge your body is to run on the sand instead. Running in the sand gives your feet extra resistance, and it forces your legs to work harder. Start by jogging a short distance, such as ¼ mile, then go into a brisk walk, and repeat again.

Bear Crawls

The bear crawl is an amazing bodyweight exercise which can build your quads, shoulders, core strength, and endurance. By doing this move on the sand, it's even more challenging.

To perform the bear crawl, get into all fours with your shoulders in line with your wrists and hips in line with your knees. While keeping your chest tall and core tight, take one hand, and move it forward along with the opposite leg (ex: left hand, right leg). Once you've moved forward, perform the same motion with the other side. As you continue to move, keep your back straight and core tight. Find a short distance to build up your coordination and endurance, and then work your way up.

Walking Lunges

Keep your chest tall and core tight, and take a long stride forward with one leg. Firmly plant the heel, then lower yourself under control until your back knee touches the ground. Drive through the heel of the front leg, and step through with the other. Alternate both legs down and back, and aim for 10 reps on each side.

Burpees

Begin the movement by getting into a pushup position with your shoulders in line with your wrists and feet stacked. Perform a pushup by lowering yourself down until your chest touches the ground, then pushing yourself back up. Then, spring your feet forward toward your body, stand up tall, and finish the movement with a jump. Land soft, and get back into a pushup position before performing another rep. Aim for sets of 8 to 10 reps to start.

Crab Walks

crab walk exercise on beach — Shutterstock

Begin this exercise by sitting down on the sand with your arms shoulder-width and straight, wrists rotated out, and feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping your core tight, lift your hips up off the sand, and begin walking down by lifting one arm and the opposite leg (ex: left hand, right leg), then repeat on the other side. Aim for 10 to 20 yards.