Want to work out more? Then ‘HIIT’ the beach!

Quick question: Would you rather have a beach or gym day? While you know you “should” go to the gym, warm weather is fleeting in these parts, so the tide may understandably have you drifting toward the beach. But as trainers from across the East End told us,” There’s no reason you can’t combine time at the beach with a solid sweat session (or even gentle movement). In fact, fitness studios often take their classes outside and sometimes to the sand (or boardwalk or rocks, depending on the Fork).

“The very best parts of working out on the beach in the summer are the incredibly healing and energizing fresh air and the incomparable views,” said Suzette Smith, the owner and founder of Shelter Island Pilates and Barre. “The beach allows for all kinds of exercise. You just need to choose what suits you best.”

Depending on your mood, fitness level and needs, that might mean a heart-pounding high-intensity interval workout that has you feeling the burn long after your final rep or glute bridges. Trainers shared some of their favorite beach-friendly exercises to help you develop your own waterside workout.

Warm-up

Sean Fortune of Central Park Coaching, who coaches in the Hamptons each summer, frequently reminds clients to warm up. He says that full-body exercises like jumping jacks intervals will “have your entire body firing, your heart rate up and your blood circulating so you’re primed to start the workout.”

For an effective, relatively easy-to-do warm-up, Fortune recommends performing 20 jumping jacks, resting for one minute, and then repeating twice.

Glute bridges with resistance bands

Bodyweight-only workouts are perfect for remote exercise. However, Smith recommends dropping some easy-to-tote props in your beach bag, such as resistance bands, for ” a simple and challenging selection of exercises targeting arms, glutes, legs and core.”

Bridges are a low-impact way to strengthen the glute, leg and core muscles and even stretch the booty, which is excellent news for people who spend hours sitting.

1. Lie flat on your back.
2. Loop your band around so that it circles your thighs.
3. Bend your knees.
4. Slowly lift your hips off the floor by squeezing your glutes and pulling your legs against the band for extra resistance.
5. Pulse your pelvis upward as you push your thighs out.
6. Do 10 sets of 10.
   
   

Smith says you can make resistance band glute bridges more challenging by lifting the heels off the mat (or sand) and arms toward the sun-kissed sky.

Arabesque (Ballet pose)

Beach ballet? Why not. Smith says this “fundamental dancer pose” requires balance, extension and control (especially in sandy terrain). You’ll activate the glute, hamstring and core muscles as you stand on one leg with the other extended behind the body.

1. Stand on one leg with the other leg extended behind the body. The working leg is straight and pointed, forming a diagonal line with the torso.
2. Position the arms so that the supporting arm is extended forward at shoulder height and the other arm is extended back, creating a balanced and “picturesque” line. 
3. Maintain this pose for 10 counts.
4. Lift the leg.
5. Small pulse for 10 reps.
6. Switch legs and repeat.

Bodyweight squats

Beach workouts can and should be simple. Squats are a classic way to build lower-body strength without adding weight to your beach tote.

“I love this exercise because it works the entire leg and glutes while challenging the stability of your ankle and knee joints,” Fortune said.

1. Wiggle your feet into the stand to create a supportive base.
2. Position feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and pointing straight ahead.
3. Keep your chest up as you squat down, pushing your hip back.
4. Try to achieve at least a 90-degree angle with the legs.
5. Press back up through the heels of the feet.
6. Do three sets of 10 to 15 reps.

Pro tip: “Do not round the back,” Fortune says.

Front alternating lunges

Fortune stuck with the “don’t reinvent the wheel” vibe by recommending front-alternating lunges. But he says this move has a leg-up from squats for a reason: “It’s a little more dynamic, so you’re getting more of a cardio benefit,” Fortune explained. “Also, the instability of the sand stresses the muscles and connective tissue in a great way that you wouldn’t get from an ordinary stable floor…it’s surprisingly demanding and challenges your balance, so you’re also getting in a decent core workout in addition to a great leg workout.”

1. Stand tall.
2. Initiate the movement by taking a step with one leg in front of you.
3. Bend the knee.
4. Lower until the rear leg’s knee is almost touching the ground.
5. Press back up to the starting position with the extended leg.
6. Quickly repeat on the opposite side.
7. Perform three sets of 20 reps (10 on each leg).

Lateral lunges

Amber Pagano, LMT & CFSC, the owner and operator of Activated Wellness on Shelter Island, is a fan of this lunge variation that requires stability and targets leg muscles. She likes doing her beach exercises Tabata-style, performing exercises for 40 seconds and then resting for 20 seconds. She suggests trying a 20-minute workout if you can.

1. Start with feet together in a tall and upright position.
2. Step one foot out to the side. “You want to be wide enough so that when you descend and load your weight into the opposite leg, one of the legs is straight,” Pagano said.
3. Push your hips back and out to one side.
4. Bend at the knee space and hip space, keeping the opposite leg straight. “You want to think like you are doing a single-leg squat,” Pagano said.
5. Push off to the side of the foot and form a wide stance with both legs straight.
6. Step the foot in.
7. Switch sides.
8. Repeat.
9. Continue to alternate each side for 40 seconds.

Crossbody mountain climbers

Another one from Pagano, crossbody mountain climbers work the entire body and provide a cardio boost.

1. Begin in a long-arm plank position with wrists in line with the shoulders. Drop the hips so that the pelvis and ribs are aligned. 
2. Imagine you’re at a vineyard and “cork-screw” your hands into the ground. (Lock your elbows in towards the midline so that the pressure in the hands is more on the thumb side,” Pagano explained.)
3. Start to bring your knee in and across your midline towards your opposite elbow, keeping your shin bone parallel to the ground the entire time.  
4. Extend the leg back into the start position.
5. Switch legs.
6. Repeat by alternating legs for 40 seconds.

If available, Pagano says people can simplify the move by elevating their hands on a park bench.  

Squat jumps with or without mini bands

Like Smith, Daria Klipp, CPT, a personal trainer and group fitness instructor at Riverhead’s Maximus Health + Fitness, loves resistance bands as a lightweight prop that adds a hefty challenge to a workout. However, they’re not necessary for this move that combines cardio and strength.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Your arms should also be bent, and your hands should be in front of your shoulders.
2. Descend as you push your weight back into your heels and tailbone like you are sitting in a chair. Keep your chest upright and avoid collapsing the knees inward.
3. Jump, propelling yourself off the ground and extending the legs so the feet are a few inches off the ground.
4. Land softly on the balls of your feet. “Control your landing by going through your foot, from toe to heel, and back into a squat position,” Klipp said.
5. Do four sets of 20 to 25 reps.

“For modification, do not leave the ground, place the weight into the balls of the feet and press off the ground,” Klipp said.

Pilates Hundreds

Andrea Fornarola, CPT, of Elements loves this Pilates move for building core strength in the sand. She recommends avoiding common mistakes, like overextending your back and not pulling in your abdominal muscles.

1. Lie on the mat with your back flat.
2. Draw the legs to a tabletop pose, knees aligned with the hips, keeping the neck and shoulders off the mat. 
3. Draw your chin to your chest.
4. Extend the arms out long from the shoulders, reaching past the hips.
5. Pull the arms down, inhaling and exhaling for five counts.
6. Repeat 10 sets of 10 reps.

Push-ups

Many trainers recommended the classic push-up. In fact, Fortune loves alternating lunge sets with sand push-up ones. Color East Hampton’s Elisa Carney, CPT, a fan, too.

“When you perform a push-up on the sand, you have to exert more than if you were pushing up off a hard floor,” Carney said.

1. Lie face down in the sand (mouth closed, obviously) with your hands just wider than your shoulders and elbows at a 45-degree angle relative to your torso. 
2. Extend your arms to push your body off the sand. “You want to tighten your abs and glutes to ensure your body is moving as one piece: The chest, torso and thighs rise together,” Carney said.
3. Once in the high plank position, lower your body back toward the sand.
4. Stop just before hitting the ground.
5. Push back up.
6. Repeat 10 times for three sets.

“If a push-up is too difficult, you can modify the exercise by leaving your knees on the sand when pushing yourself up,” Carney said.

Squat to knee tuck

No equipment? No problem. This squat jump alternative is a favorite of certified personal trainer and nutrition coach Liv Figueroa.

“Even with no equipment, you can still elevate the heart rate and tone the muscles using your own body weight,” said Figueroa, who is leading group fitness and personal training sessions on weekends at Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill in August.

1. Begin with your hips back and the weight in the heels. Keep the chest open and core tight.
2. On the way up from each squat, lift one knee towards the chest using the core.
3. Alternate sides.
4. Complete three sets of 10 reps each.

Take a walk

While all of the aforementioned moves can all be effective don’t discount the effects of simply walking.

“Walking is my No. 1 favorite, do-anywhere beach workout,” said Robyn Gaillard, a yoga expert with Mind Body Connection Consultation & Care, whose private client base extends out East. “You can always find time for a short or long walk, alone or with company. It gets you moving in the outdoor elements and keeps the mind and body strong.”

Gaillard suggests using hand weights or a weighted backpack to progress your walk, which can also assist with endurance. She suggests carving out half an hour or more multiple times weekly for a brisk walk, noting that the benefits are mental (thanks, endorphins) and physical.

“Focus on the rhythm of your breath and breathe into and out of your nose,” Gaillard said.

Tips for beach workouts

With some practical tips, you can get the most out of your workout and increase your chances of feeling the right kind of burn only.

1. Avoid peak heat. Morning and sunset hours are best, Smith said (for Insta-worthy vistas, too).
2. Wear the right shoes. Flip-flops are a no-go. “Even though you are on the beach, sneakers with ankle support are recommended,” Klipp said. “The ground is much softer on the sand, and you can put yourself at risk of injury without proper footwear.”
3. Watch for storms. Summer showers and thunderstorms aren’t reserved for Florida. Fortune suggests keeping an eye on the forecast and taking a workout indoors in poor weather.
4. Hydrate. Even when you don’t think you’re thirsty. Fortune suggests bringing at least one full water bottle.
5. SPF is your friend.  The same rules apply to sunscreen, whether you’re lying in the sand or working out in it. “Do not forget to wear sunscreen during beach activities,” Figueroa said.