How to Run on Sand

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

Rate: (7 Ratings)

Lean forward and run toe-in to move with maximum efficiency on the sand.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Men's And Women's Swimwear
Running Shoes
Sun Visors
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Runner's Watches

Step1

Get a feel for the difference between hard-pack sand and soft-pack sand. The hard pack is usually the darker, wet sand close to the water. The soft pack is usually lighter and higher up on the beach.

Step2

Run on the soft sand by landing toe first and digging your toes into the sand.

Step3

Lean forward as you run, so that it almost feels like you're going to fall over right before you kick your toe in.

Step4

Run on the hard pack the same as the soft pack, but lessen your toe-in kick.

Tips & Warnings

Run on the flat part of the beach. Running on a slope is bad for your spine and could easily cause a hurt knee or ankle.
It's important to stretch well before and after running on the beach - the way your heel can sink into the sand puts more pressure on the Achilles' tendon and it can get pretty sore.
Be careful running toe-in on rocky beaches.
If you have any condition that could impair or limit your ability to engage in physical activity, please consult a physician before attempting this activity.

Comments

Anonymous said

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on 1/4/2006 To enable your Achilles tendon and calf muscles not to fatigue to much during a long run on sand alternate, between hard and soft. Run near the waters edge (hard sand) for a recovery then push yourself through the soft sand (higher up on beach) on the way back. Elbow motion through the soft sand is very important as it maintains balance and rhythm, which allows you to glide through the soft sand easier.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Shorten your stride while running. This will allow you to land on the sand in a flat-footed manner. The more evenly distributed your weight is, the less you are going to sink into the sand, which means less resistance. It also helps a lot to look for harder-packed sand. For example, run in tire tracks or other people's footprints.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Who wants to wear SHOES when they run on the beach? It makes sense if there's nowhere else to run, and you need exercise, but I prefer to frolic and skip and leap for joy barefoot! On the other hand, I like to do everything barefoot...

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 It's usually best to run in comfy running shoes if you are sprinting or running for a very long distance on hard-packed sand. But, running on soft sand in shoes is only for the well-trained athlete.

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