Five HIIT Exercises for Beach Lovers
It makes sense that to hone your beach body, you might choose to hit the beach for a HIIT session. One of the main advantages is that the sand provides natural resistance to help tighten and tone your body, plus of course there are the free benefits of fresh air and sunshine! Here’s a sample circuit of our favourite HIIT exercises for those who love to get active in the sun, surf and sand.
Firstly, what is HIIT?
If you haven’t yet experienced the fast-paced world of High Intensity Interval Training, its name is fairly self-explanatory. The training method consists of short bursts of anaerobic activity with brief recovery periods, which boosts your metabolism for hours after your workout. Studies have shown that two or three HIIT sessions per week can burn more fat AND build more muscle than equivalent standard cardio exercise.
Now, let’s get started on our HIIT sample workout. Start with 10 alternating lunges and 10 squats to warm up, then complete four rounds of the following exercises with 30 second rests in between each round.
Inchworm push-ups
It may not sound glamorous, but the inchworm push-up is mighty effective. Bend down and place your hands on the sand, walk your hands down to a plank position and do one push-up, then walk your feet forward to meet your hands. An alternative (or addition) is the down dog push-up, which starts in downward dog position, moves out to a plank and push-up and brings your hands back into the first position.
Skater hops
Skater hops are ideal for targeting quadriceps. Start with your weight on your left foot in an almost crouch position then jump to your right and lift the leg off the sand, using your arms as counterweights (as if you’re skating or skiing). A left and right jump counts as one rep and remember – the lower, the better.
Crab reach
Start sitting on the sand with your palms and feet flat in the sand. Lift your left hand and reach up as far as possible as you face outward, allowing your hip to twist up and form a straight line along your torso and thighs. Then bring your hand down and repeat on the other side to complete one rep. After four rounds of these, your glutes will thank you.
Shuttle sprints
Get your heart rate pumping and your legs burning. Spread two towels or markers about 25 steps apart then sprint from one to the other, keeping your pace intense and steady. 10 lengths count as one round.
High-knee runs
Several rounds of this exercise will have your metabolism kicked into high gear and provide a refreshing end to your workout. Run out into the water until it is at least chest-height. Perform 30 high-knee runs, then wade back to your starting position on the beach to complete the rep.
Have you checked out our HIIT training program at Freshwater Beach yet? We have six week courses available, hitting the sand on Wednesdays at 6am and Saturdays at 8am. To register, call us now on 9938 2584 or fill out your details on our small group training page. We’ll see you out there!