When you think of a “workout” you might picture someone lifting weights, doing yoga, or maybe running …. But have you ever considered your walk on the beach as your workout?
There are more benefits than treating yourself to some romance when you take a walk on the beach.
It soothes and restores the nervous system to be connected to nature.
In fact, recent findings have found that when you make contact with your skin – like the soles of your feet – to the earth’s surface, your body takes on some of the earth’s subtle energy. This explains the natural inclination to take walks outside when we are stressed, and why the effectiveness improves the “deeper in nature” we are.
This practice is referred to as grounding or earthing – and the beach has been identified as one of the best environments to ground yourself due to the high conductivity of the water and the tactile stimulation of its surroundings.
Strength Training
As if mental health weren’t reason enough, hard to reach muscles in our feet are better off when we go barefoot in the sand. Molding and shaping to your foot as it moves, sand provides resistance that activates the muscles in your arches to respond to the shift in the ground beneath them to keep pushing you forward.
Enhanced balance & coordination
Trust your feet au natural; they are built to play a huge role in your body’s proprioception — the ability to sense the position and movement without the assistance of sight. Not only does proprioception aid balance, but your overall agility and coordination of movement. Athletes of all kinds use this to become masters of their activity.
Free Massage
Walking along the softer drier sections of the beach and taking breaks with your feet in the water activates the venous and lymphatic circulation resulting in a release of tension from your soles.
Soft & Healthy Skin
We can’t forget about our largest organ: our skin! Walking on the beach provides a crucial step in the ultimate head-to-toe skincare routine: exfoliation!
Tips for incorporating this highly enjoyable form of exercise into your life
- Take your walks in the morning or evening to avoid sunburns & heat stroke – not to mention burning hot sand!
- Protect your skin and wear a hat and some sunscreen
- Remember water!
- Bring a friend! Everyone loves a walk on the beach and it’s a motivating way to work it into your routine.
***This is also a good tip for anyone who may struggle with their mobility and would have more peace of mind having someone there to help them out, if they need it. If walking for long periods of time isn’t available to your body at the time – take a seat and enjoy the view, and squish some sand between your fingers and toes. Everybody deserves the soothing and restorative nature of waves crashing to the shoreline.
Sources:
https://doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2021.1928034
https://www.atlanticview.com/benefits-of-walking-on-the-beach-barefoot/
https://www.earthboundless.org/blog/free-the-sole-to-free-the-soul
https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/842804
Feature Photo by Artem Beliaikin from Pexels