The Holiday Workout: Barefoot Beach Running

A great way to keep your fitness up whilst on holiday is barefoot running along the beach. Barefoot running is great for your posture and running on sand is proven to improve the strength in your legs and feet as well as your joints.

Benefits of running on the beach

1. Running outside exposes your skin to more vitamin D. Vitamin D helps to promote healthy bones and improves our body's ability to absorb calcium.

2. The sand’s unstable nature means it takes far more work to run on than a tarmac road or pavement. Research in The Journal of Experimental Biology found that running on sand requires 1.6 times more energy than running on a hard surface. Your sandy sprints will also challenge your balance by working on an unstable surface.

3. Running barefoot also improves your body's natural movement pattern, as you get sensory feedback through the ground, which can lead to better technique and posture.

4. Being on holiday is all about experiencing a new place. Get out there and check out the view of your destination. Running barefoot along the beach is sure to have a better view than a treadmill back home.

Tips for running on holiday

The later on in the day you leave it, the warmer the sand gets and hot sand can burn the soles of your feet, which is why we recommend a morning jog whilst the sand has been left to cool overnight.

Run close to the shoreline so if your feet get too hot, you can dip your toes in the sea to cool off if you need to.