Beach instead of gym

  • 2010-07-21

If you do not want to just lie on a towel like a lazybones and you are ready to spend time on the beach with a benefit for your health and body shape, you should try to perform a number of simple exercises for aqua-aerobics. This kind of load burns a lot of calories. Even if you just actively balance with your hands, staying afloat, you can get rid of 11 kilocalories per minute - the same amount is burnt when jogging. In addition, the resistance of water allows working out the muscles more deeply.

Running in water
You do not need a pool for these simple and very effective exercises - they can be performed in any water. All muscle groups are involved. They can be done between other exercises or, for example, you can run a little before training. Starting position: stand up in an upright posture, stomach in, the water is up to the chest. Run for one or two minutes. Then you should relax and later on repeat the exercise.
If you prefer the sea with its sandy bottom, in addition to training the muscles, you also exercise the prevention of flatfoot. This exercise, same as just walking barefoot, trains the muscles of the feet.

Exercises for arms, back, chest, abdominal muscles, buttocks and ankles
1. Go into the water deep enough so that the feet do not touch the bottom. Stand in the following position: the hands are bent in elbows, palms face down, then strain your abdominal muscles and lift your right leg straight forward, the toe is stretched out. Pull down the left leg and stretch the toe.
You should stay afloat, balancing only with your hands, for 5 seconds. Then quickly change the position of the legs and once again hold the body in an upright position for 5 seconds. You should keep your balance in water like this for 30 seconds, alternately changing legs.
A piece of advice: to keep your legs straight, strain the muscles of buttocks and thighs.

For the second exercise you will need an inflatable beach ball (the larger the ball, the higher the load).
2. Go into the water up to the chest, take the position of lying down, hold the ball in your hands outstretched before you, straighten your legs, and put your feet together.
Not bending your arms, quickly pull the ball down under the chest and lead it to the thighs. When the ball reaches the hips, bend your elbows and return it to the surface to its initial position. Continue this exercise for 30 seconds.
A piece of advice: to train your muscles most efficiently, keep your arms and legs fully straightened, and the abdominal muscles - tense.

3. Go into the water up to your chest. Balancing the body with your arms, lift your feet off the bottom and raise them so that your torso and legs form a wide letter V. The head and toes should remain above the water.
Maintaining the position of the torso and legs, perform a circular motion with your hands, trying to move forward. Continue for 30 seconds.
A piece of advice:  if your toes are beginning to sink into the water, make the angle between the body and legs a little wider and strain the abdominal muscles.

4. Lie down on your back, the face stays above water, legs are stretched out and do not rise above the surface, the shoulders are submerged in water, arms help to maintain the balance. Raise the shoulders, without changing the position of the legs. Breathe out. Lower your shoulders to the initial position. Breathe in.
Important: Try not to bend your legs while doing the exercise. If you can’t do this, ask someone to hold you under your back. This exercise is especially useful for those who can’t swim very well as it helps to feel your body in the water.

5. Standing chest-high in water, jump up, rotating around your axis 360 degrees. Hands should help to rotate. You should do 4 rotations in one direction and 4 in the other. You can rotate alternately to one and to the other side.

As these aqua-aerobics exercises are performed during holidays, you should not overstrain and tire yourself with gymnastics. Do not try to exercise for a long period of time. Divide your training into several stages and do them in the water at your pleasure.

On the beach you can play volleyball or throw a Frisbee with a partner. Do not wait until the plate flies into your hands. If you run after it before the catch, you can spend 300 calories per hour.
Well, if you are not into sports at all or you have contraindications to the exercises mentioned above, then you can simply walk along the shore.

It is considered that walking on water is an ancient water procedure. It has no contraindications. It can be practiced at different ages and with any diseases.

Such walks strengthen the immune system, activate the thermal and tactile receptors of the skin on the feet. All signals received from external irritants (sand, water, stones and various pins), pass through the nervous system to the hypothalamus - the “control center” of the brain. It helps to enhance the secretion of hormones and can stimulate the immune system. Furthermore, there are projections of most internal organs in the soles, and there is a separate science about those reflexogenic points. Influence upon the reflexogenic areas of the feet leads to stimulation of blood flow to the organs. As a result, most of the organs receive more oxygen and nutrients than usually and can get rid of the decay products faster.

The greatest effect is from walking barefoot on the edge of the sea. Pebbles and sand activate the majority of reflex points on the feet. Cold seawater has a positive effect on your body. Walking on wet sand is quite difficult, therefore, almost all the muscles get physical exercise (legs, buttocks, stomach). Scientists and doctors have calculated that a saturate walk on wet sand for an hour is equal (by the number of calories burned.) to a 30-minute workout on a stationary bicycle.

After the exercises you can eat vegetables and fruits. The main thing is to drink more fluids. Dry red wine is also not forbidden.

You should rest actively, and then when you return home you will look not only refreshed, but slimmer as well.