Based in the state of Washington, Dave Leonti is a real estate broker with Keller Williams Realty. In his free time, Dave Leonti enjoys running on the beach.
Because of the work leg muscles and tendons have to perform to remain stable on sand, running on a beach is 1.6 times harder than running on hard surfaces such as pavement. This extra work makes running on the beach a great workout to burn calories.
For a good run on the beach, pick the right shoreline. The beach should be at least a mile long, not shortened by a jetty or river mouth. The beach should also be as flat as possible.
Running on slanted surfaces burdens the feet and can lead to injury. Make sure the surface of the beach is clean, not littered with rocks, broken bottles, or broken seashells, which can cause injuries.
Wet sand from a receding tide is the best for beginning runners since the sand is firm and steady. Running on dry, soft sand is more difficult.
When your feet sink in dry sand after each step, pushing off for the next step is fatiguing. Your calves will have to work much harder to propel you forward. For this reason, experienced beach runners opt for dry sand.
