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Do you enjoy running but get sick of pounding the pavement? Add some variety to your routine and get into soft sand running. We live in an amazing country and summer truly is the best time of year. Most of us are no stranger to a jog along the water, but running on the soft sand can really freshen up your routine. And there are so many fantastic beaches on the coast, we are spoilt for choice!
Here are some tips to get started.
As enjoyable as soft sand running is, the unstable surface can be quite challenging if you’re new to it. My advice is always start with a good quality slow warm up. Another consideration to be mindful of is running on the soft side of the beach. Although sand that is closer to the water might be harder, it's typically at an angle increasing the likelihood of injury. Meanwhile, most people run barefoot on sand, although, runners are still an option. This means you'll be less reliant on your sneakers to take you further.
During the adjustment stage, regardless of how you fare on the road, you'll need to take a cautious approach as your body gets used to the different level of resistance.
For beginners, this may be a fast walk or slow jog on the hard sand for one lap of the beach or 5-10 minutes to prepare the mind and body. Then, like with any other type of running, progress accordingly. For example, add in a second or third lap on the soft sand or try a few interval sprints during or at the end.
If you're an intermediate runner who's several months into working out, the transition isn't as tedious. But it's still important to be mindful that you might not necessarily achieve the same results straight away. To avoid injury, it's important to follow a similar progression to beginners to get your body used to the different level of resistance.
If you're an exercise enthusiast who's an advanced runner, again, you want to make sure that you don't go at 100% for your first run. Like any new program, you still need to ease into it. If you're a seasoned runner, you may find sand running easier than others and this might speed up your progression to a moving at full capacity. Again be mindful of injuries when just starting out - sand running can cause injuries such as sprains, tendonitis and other muscle-related aches. If you decide to match your running speed from your concrete runs, you could put yourself at greater risk.
If you're mature and motivated, looking to take advantage of the fresh air and seaside breeze, start with walks or a very slow jog. Soft sand running will help take some of the load off your knees and joints so it's a great alternative to running on concrete. However, you now face different injury risks such as spraining a muscle due to the unevenness of the surface. If you're not a experienced runner, keep things light and listen to your body. Progress slowly once you feel comfortable with your morning beach run.
Training on soft sand has a wealth of benefits that are rarely known. For example, running on a hard surface at a speed of 10km/hr burns between 300 and 400 calories per 30 minutes of activity, depending on your weight. A 60kg person is on the lower end of the calorie burning scale and a person weighing 85kg will typically burn more. Running on sand however burns 1.6 times the number of calories than running on a hard surface. Running barefoot on the sand also gives a sense of freedom and can be hugely enjoyable.
One of the many benefits of soft sand running is leg strength. Your core, glutes, hamstrings, hips, quadriceps, calves, and ankles all get a workout. The workout is increased when running on sand – not to mention, much softer on the joints, knees, and shins. This will help you to run for years to come.
For those of you who want a challenge, sand hills make the ultimate hill sprint tracks – and there are plenty on offer in Australia. But the real test in any training is to set yourself a true goal. There are few tougher than the superb soft sand races available, such as the Bondi Barefoot Bolt (in May) and the Manly Soft Sand Classic (in June).
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