Happy & Healthy

5 X RUNNING AT THE BEACH

Picture this, you bring your running shoes along on your holiday (I always do) and there’s a beach somewhere close by, then a jog at the beach is the ultimate workout. Bye bye spaghetti carbonara or dame blanche from the night before. There are a couple of rules though before you start. Or better yet: tips, because running on the beach is not easy. But it is killlller body- and killlllller conditioning- proof.

1. Either go really early in the morning or late in the evening. Avoid the sun. When you run with the sun out you’ll be way too warm and you can get a sunstroke (not fun). Plus, it’ll be less crowded at the beach too.

2. Make sure to wear plenty of sunscreen. Doesn’t matter whether or not the sun is out. It’s easy to get a sunburn anywhere close to the water.

3. Don’t set the bar too high. It’s not like you have to run 5K right away. Running on the beach is a lot harder than on a road. And if you want to limit your sore muscles, then I’d advise you to build it up.

4. Try to find a part of the beach that’s ‘flatter’. Even if it’s not too big of an area, just run back and forth about five times. Avoid bump and rocks. You don’t want to end up with any sprained ankles on your holiday.

5. Something else you might want to consider trying is running barefoot. The workout is a little harder, but the feeling it gives is very comforting. Challenge yourself.

Christine Rotenberg