Maybe you chanced upon sand operating in a Navy SEAL coaching video. Maybe your buddy recommends it.
Or, maybe you noticed it in motion pictures like Baywatch, the place characters (e.g., Dwayne Johnson as “Mitch” and Zac Efron as “Matt Brody”) used it as a type of bodily coaching.
Regardless of the way you first got here throughout sand operating, your curiosity is piqued.
You suppose it appears to be like cool and will provide distinctive health advantages, so you need to offer it a go.
But right here comes the all-important query: Should you?
Is operating on sand really good to your bodily health and efficiency? After all, wouldn’t the instability put injury-causing (or injury-exacerbating) stress in your joints, just like the knees and ankles? The reply is sure and no, respectively.
Find out why on this article.
#1: Less Stress on Weight-Bearing Joints (Compared to Running on a Hard Surface)
Running is a high-impact train.
According to a 2013 examine revealed within the Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, operating on a tough floor (e.g., pavement or treadmill) might put a pressure of as much as 4 occasions your physique weight in your joints.
Given operating’s repetitive nature, those that clock excessive mileages might thus accumulate vital affect stress on their joints, growing their threat of stress fractures, joint ache, and different musculoskeletal accidents.
Good information: Sand is a unbelievable shock absorber.
Like a well-cushioned operating shoe, sand supplies extra give than firmer surfaces. It shifts with each foot strike.
So, whereas your vitality switch is not as clear as with, say, concrete pavement, sand helps dissipate extra pressure from the underside of your ft. This leads to much less stress in your weight-bearing joints, out of your hips to knees to ankles, doubtlessly reducing your threat of impact-associated overuse accidents.
Research backs that up.
In a small 2017 randomized managed trial revealed within the European Journal of Sport Science, researchers discovered that members who ran on mushy sand skilled much less musculoskeletal irritation than those that ran on grass.
This discovering aligns with a 2014 examine revealed within the Journal of Sports Sciences.
To quote the examine’s coauthor, Martyn Binnie, Ph.D., a physiologist on the Western Australia Institute of Sport: “With every foot strike, there is almost four times less impact force on soft sand versus firm ground like grass.”
#2: Challenges Neglected (or Under-Activated) Muscles Used in Running
Running, particularly on the pavement or a treadmill, is a uni-planar (i.e., it happens solely in a single airplane, particularly, the sagittal airplane) train.
Individuals who solely run and don’t have interaction in multi-planar coaching—via weightlifting, training yoga, or boxing—are thus at elevated threat of muscular imbalances, which then improve the chance of accidents, together with runner’s knee and IT band syndrome.
Often, the widespread weakest hyperlinks for runners embody what’s often known as the “stabilizing muscles,” glutes, hamstrings, hips, and ankles.
Sand operating might assist with that.
How? Well, bear in mind what we stated concerning the sand shifting with each stride? This challenges your stability and forces your physique to have interaction muscle groups that aren’t as well-activated throughout runs on agency surfaces.
For occasion, a 2005 electromyography (EMG) examine revealed within the European Journal of Applied Physiology recorded increased electrical exercise (i.e., extra muscle activation) within the hamstrings and tensor fascia latae, a muscle within the lateral hip and thigh that helps management hip flexion and abduction.
Also, a more moderen 2021 examine revealed in Biomedical Engineering Online discovered that members who ran on sand reported increased glute activation than those that did not.
Hamstrings, test. Hip muscle, test. Glutes? Check, too. All that is left are ankles. Can sand operating assist with that? Yes, it may possibly.
According to a 2021 examine revealed in Frontiers in Physiology, people who ran on sand skilled a rise within the exercise of ankle dorsiflexors (i.e., varied muscle groups chargeable for flexing your foot towards the shin), just like the tibialis anterior.
It’s not simply your hamstrings, hip muscle groups, glutes, and ankles that’ll see increased activation from sand operating, both. The calves will, too.
In a 1998 examine revealed in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning, researchers discovered that runners assigned to sand operating skilled a better improve in calf circumference after a six-week endurance program than these within the “hard surface running” and “no running” teams.
And because the calf muscle performs an essential perform in driving the motion of stepping on the bottom and transferring ahead when in movement, a rise in dimension could enhance operating efficiency (and athletic efficiency, on the whole).
#3: More Efficient at Improving an Individual’s Fitness Level (Compared to “Milder” Forms of Exercise)
Because of how mushy it’s, operating on sand reduces your probability of struggling an affect harm.
But there is a flip facet to each coin; whereas sand operating represents a lower-impact train possibility in comparison with exhausting floor operating, you may discover it harder to hit the identical pace and distance. This is because of two causes (which we have briefly coated within the earlier sections):
- Less optimum vitality switch: When you run on agency floor, much less elastic vitality saved in your tendons will get absorbed (i.e., “wasted”). As talked about earlier, sand does not prolong the identical courtesy. Instead, it absorbs extra elastic vitality, forcing your physique to generate extra pressure in your muscle groups to maintain you transferring ahead.
- Increased activation of decrease limb muscle groups: Sand’s uneven and mushy nature forces your decrease limb muscle groups, from the hip-stabilizing muscle to hamstrings to calves, to work more durable.
And there you will have it: the proper recipe for a extra metabolically demanding exercise session (assuming you retain distance and pace equal to exhausting floor operating).
But how way more demanding are we speaking about? Can we quantify it? Science says sure.
Researchers in a 1998 examine revealed in The Journal of Experimental Biology discovered that operating on sand requires 1.6 occasions as a lot vitality expenditure as operating on a firmer floor. A later 2001 examine revealed in The Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport agrees. It discovered that sand operating required 1.5 to 1.6 occasions extra vitality than on a grass floor.
So, is that this elevated depth good to your bodily health? Well, sure, particularly in the event you’re utilizing sand operating to switch low-intensity workout routines (e.g., gradual jogging, stretching, and strolling).
In the most in depth examine thus far geared toward understanding the connection between common bodily exercise and an individual’s bodily health, researchers discovered that bouts of moderate-vigorous bodily exercise helped enhance a person’s cardiovascular perform and health to a considerably better extent than “milder” types of train.
According to a beforehand talked about 2014 examine evaluating the usage of sand and grass coaching surfaces throughout an eight-week conditioning program, members within the sand group skilled considerably better enhancements in Vo2 max (a measure of the utmost quantity of oxygen the physique can use throughout train) than these within the grass group.
As a outcome, the researchers concluded that substituting sand for grass coaching surfaces might considerably improve the members’ relative train depth and coaching load—subsequently resulting in superior enhancements in cardio health.
#4: May Lower Perceived Rate of Exertion
Given that sand operating forces your physique to work more durable with every step, wouldn’t all of it be … effectively, too difficult? What if you cannot maintain the tempo and distance of your common runs? What in the event you take just a few steps, and your physique goes, “nope”?
Don’t let the concern of discovering sand operating too powerful preserve you from attempting it.
Research constantly reveals that people who train open air (and sand operating is most undoubtedly open air) can obtain and preserve a better exercise depth with decrease ranges of perceived exertion than these exercising indoors.
Take this 2017 examine revealed in PLOS One, as an illustration.
The researchers divided members into three teams: one group hiked indoors for 45 minutes, one other walked on a treadmill indoors for 45 minutes, and the management group did nothing. They then had all members charge their temper, emotions, and arousal.
The outcomes? While each strolling teams skilled extra advantages than these within the management group, the outside workout routines scored the perfect on all measures.
More particularly, the mountain climbing group reported feeling extra awake, energized, attentive, and completely happy than these on the treadmill. They additionally stated they felt much less fatigued after their exercise. Basically, though the outside hikers and indoor treadmill walkers did the identical quantity of train, the previous felt that their session was simpler—mentally and bodily.
A 2014 examine revealed within the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research helps this discovering.
The researchers discovered that outside biking allowed cyclists to train at a better depth than in laboratory (i.e., indoors) biking with out an related improve in perceived exertion, regardless of comparable environmental circumstances.
So, what does this all imply for you? Answer: With sand operating, you’ll doubtless be capable of push your self more durable with out feeling out of your depth.
#5: Could Enhance Fitness Capabilities and Exercise Adherence When Done Mindfully
When you are operating on the sand, you are unlikely to maintain your earbuds or headphones plugged in. That’s since you’ll should pay attention for different runners attempting to cross you, doubtlessly harmful rising tides, and the occasional frisbee heading straight to your face.
This will increase the probability that you simply’ll train mindfully (i.e., stay current as you run)—which, in flip, advantages your bodily health by:
- Improving your psychological well being: A 2017 examine revealed in Mindfulness discovered that when mindfulness was mixed with train, members confirmed enhancements in stress, melancholy, and nervousness. Research constantly reveals that folks with higher psychological well being usually tend to keep bodily energetic.
- Improving your bodily well being: A 2015 examine revealed within the American College of Lifestyle Medicine reveals that aware health can enhance respiratory, coronary heart charge, and parasympathetic exercise, doubtlessly serving to exercisers obtain and preserve a better exercise depth.
- Strengthening your dedication to your exercise routine: According to a 2010 examine revealed in Behavior Research and Therapy, exercisers with increased mindfulness scores had been higher capable of keep in step with their train plans. Another 2009 examine revealed in Appetite discovered that those that utilized mindfulness meditation practices to their each day or weekly routine had a a lot increased stage of bodily train and basic motion than those that did not observe mindfulness.
- Increasing your satisfaction ranges (with the exercise session): A 2016 examine revealed within the Journal of Health Psychology discovered that folks have elevated ranges of satisfaction when engaged in aware health, particularly in the event that they’ve beforehand had a tricky time making train a behavior. A giant physique of proof hyperlinks optimistic emotions throughout train—like enjoyment and satisfaction—with improved bodily exercise adherence.
What to Know Before Your First Run on the Sand
Excited to hit the sand? Don’t discover the closest seaside simply but; listed here are just a few suggestions to remember earlier than you head out to your first sandy run.
Stay Away If You Have a History of Knee, Ankle, or Hip Injury
Sand operating provides many distinctive health advantages. That stated, it’s not for everybody.
If you will have a historical past of knee, ankle, or hip harm, it might not be a good suggestion so that you can run on sand as a result of it’ll demand extra out of these areas—and, in flip, doubtlessly irritate previous accidents—than with exhausting floor operating.
Still need to give sand operating a go nonetheless? Consider consulting a podiatrist or bodily therapist earlier than beginning; they’re going to have the required experience to evaluate if sand operating is an efficient match for you.
Ease into me
As with beginning any new train routine, ease into sand operating to attenuate soreness and scale back harm threat.Always heat up and pay additional consideration to your posterior chain muscle groups, just like the calves, hamstrings, and glutes. Since sand is more durable to run on, it’s possible you’ll want to go slower than you suppose you need to earlier than growing time and depth to equivalents of your exhausting floor runs (or your objective runs).
Also, begin on moist, agency sand. You’ll discover it a lot simpler to run on than mushy and dry sand.
Once your physique will get accustomed to operating on moist sand, slowly add one- or two-minute intervals on the softer sand, returning to the moist sand in between. Then, regularly improve your period on dry sand.
Shoes or Barefoot?
Ultimately, this comes down to private desire and the place you’re operating.
If you suppose you’ll be staying near the water, it’ll be finest to put on sneakers to guard your ft from crushed seashells or small rocks.
On the opposite hand, in the event you’re operating on mushy, dry sand, it’s possible you’ll want to go barefoot so the sand does not fill your sneakers and weigh you down. That stated, attempt to not head out for a long-distance run the primary time you ditch your sneakers.
Supportive sneakers act as ankle stabilizers—and supply elevated heel and arch assist that your ft are used to.
So, begin with brief runs (e.g., quarter-hour or so) to construct energy in your ankles. And, after all, damaged glass and seashells aren’t solely discovered on moist sand, so all the time preserve a lookout for them, nonetheless.
Always Do an “Out-and-Back”
Even probably the most stage seashores have some slant to them.
And operating on an angled floor can place extra stress in your knees and hips, particularly on the facet nearer to the water, growing your threat of accidents.
To even out this pure imbalance, run each instructions on the seaside (i.e., do an out-and-back).
Avoid the Warmest Part of the Day
Try to keep away from operating between 10 am and a pair of pm, when the solar rays are at their strongest. (Yes, this is applicable even throughout winter!)
To additional lower your threat of burns, sun-induced untimely pores and skin getting older, and pores and skin most cancers, sunscreen can also be a good suggestion. For reference, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends that everybody use sunscreen that provides broad-spectrum safety, SPF 30 or increased, and water resistance (particularly essential because you’ll get near water).
Oh, and this is one other tip: Ensure you hydrate correctly by having loads of water accessible earlier than, throughout, and after your sand runs.
Main Takeaways
From providing a extra joint-friendly exercise to concentrating on widespread lagging muscle teams to bettering adherence to a exercise routine, sand operating can present many distinctive bodily health advantages (particularly when in comparison with exhausting floor operating or “milder” types of train).
However, it is essential to do not forget that it could not swimsuit everybody.
Those with present or a historical past of hip, knee, and ankle accidents could want to seek the advice of a podiatrist or bodily therapist for recommendation.
And in the event you’re giving sand operating a go, preserve the following tips in thoughts: Start gradual to regularly construct up your tolerance, all the time run in each instructions alongside the seaside (to make up for the uneven slope), and keep away from operating when the solar rays are at their strongest.
Finally, sneakers are all the time a good suggestion until you’re assured you received’t slice your ft on damaged glass, seashells, or different sharp objects—and your ankles are robust sufficient to (shortly) adapt to the elevated calls for of sand operating.
