Summer has officially started, holidays are coming up and finally everyone can unleash their desire to be outdoors. The beach becomes the ideal place to unwind, tan and have fun. The question is: How to keep in shape on holidays without too much effort? Non-sports could be the answer.
Holidays at the beach: a sea of well-being for mind and body.
Everyone feels reinvigorated after a holiday at the beach. It is always recommended particularly for children, old people and people who suffer from physical illnesses or need some time to rest their mind. Why is proximity to the sea so healthy? Here are the main reasons:
- Near the sea the air is rich in iodine, which stimulates the thyroid and the metabolism and is ideal to alleviate illnesses resulting from anxiety, rinitis and allergies. Strolling along the seashore in the early morning, in particular, allows people to breathe and absorb a large quantity of healthy mineral salts: iodine, but also zinc, magnesium and potassium.
- Sunlight (with the necessary precautions and sunscreen) is a natural antidepressant and stimulates the production of vitamin D, which is important, above all, forwomen’s bones, because it helps with proper absorption of calcium.
- Salt water helps with blood flow and reduces the swelling in the arms and legs. The mineral salts dissolved in salt water have a positive effect also on the skin.
- Sand softens the impact of the feet when running and increases exertion during sporting activities, developing leg and glute muscles (as Beach Volley athletes know very well). In addition, while strolling along the water’s edge, sand produces a healthy foot massage.
- The outdoors is perfect for restoring mood and endorphins which, in turn, positively influence a regular metabolism.
The most pleasant and relaxing activities to keep in shape even on holidays: non-sports at the beach.
There are many different ways, some of which are really unexpected, to keep in shape on the seashore, and which don’t necessarily require intense physical activity with too much effort.
JUMPING OVER THE WAVES
Jumping over the waves is one of the most fun activities to do at the beach, not to mention that it is ideal for using all the main muscles of the lower body, improving speed, reactivity and strength. If you take into account that jumping the waves burns an average consumption of 300 kcal per hour, why aren’t you running immediately to the sea?
STROLLING ALONG THE BEACH
A stroll along the water’s edge is the easiest activity to do at the beach and it is ideal for enjoying long talks with friends or a moment of relaxation for the mind. It also helps to increase the intensity of a suntan ( after carefully applying an appropriate layer of sunscreen).
Walking barefoot on sand is very useful. Anyone can enjoy the natural massage of the water, which removes tiredness and heaviness from the legs, but not only. Being on the seashore is healthy for mood, because it reduces stress and increases relaxation. In addition, walking on the sand is harder than walking on the pavement, so it helps with burning calories, getting back in shape and toning leg and glute muscles.
Those who want to make their activity more energetic, can alternate strolling on the sand by water’s edge with walking in the water up to the waist: in this way, the strenghtening of gluteus muscles is increased and the transition from hot to cold helps with lymph flow.
FRISBEE
Creativity, ability and athletic skill are the main ingredients: you don’t need to be a sporting expert, the secret formula is fun.
Frisbee, an activity sometimes underrated, involves the use of shoulders and arms and improves the coordination between hand and eye. With this sport you use 175 calories every hour which increases if you jump and run to catch the disc.
There is also a Freestyle variation, which is a spectacular and creative activity. In this version, a strong rotation is given to the frisbee so the disc can be held in balance with a finger and then used for acrobatic feats with the help of rest of the body.
PLAYING WITH THE DOG
On holidays, playing with your four-legged friend is also a valuable way to do training and make both human beings and trusty pets feel better.
Enjoying 30 minutes of fun time with your dog, you burn up to 125 kcal. Throwing the ball and having fun together with Fido, at the beach, becomes a big recipe for well-being and vitality!
BUILDING SANDCASTLES
Rediscovering your childlike nature by building sandcastles helps people to dream, but also to tone their body especially if they do it quite far from the sea.
Indeed, transporting water into small buckets is surely an efficient way to tone legs and arms, helping at the same time heart and muscles, which must work to keep the water in balance and avoid it leaking from the container when walking on the sand.
ROLLER SKATING ON THE SEASHORE
Seaside resorts are very often characterised by tree-lined long streets: perfect places to do a bit of roller skating!
Moving around with rollerblades, while absorbing large quantities of iodine and listening to your favourite music, is a good piece of advice to follow every evening. You will come back to town with tanned glutes and legs and in perfect shape!
The benefit of waves and seaweed: a real tonic and an opportunity to create a do-it-yourself anti-cellulite pack.
After doing a lot of sport, or rather doing fun and healty non-sport, the sea becomes an ideal source of mental and muscular relaxation. To fully enjoy the natural benefit of salt water, anyone can lie on the water’s edge and let themselves be rocked by the waves. The massage with the wet sand, in addition, produces a soft scrub effect which makes the skin soft and smooth.
An other little piece of advice for women: a great idea, if the sea permits, is gathering seaweed. Once dried, you can grind and mix it with white clay and some coffee powder. The result, applied over glutes, legs and arms, works as an effective do-it-yourself anti-cellulite pack.
