Create Your Own Beach Exercise Program

You can burn belly fat and build lean muscle with varied beach workouts

Beach exercise is pretty free-flowing. Although beach running is an excellent way to burn belly fat, beach workouts are more fun, and productive, when they include exercise to build lean muscle.


Here on the Florida Gulf Beaches, we try to get several workouts per week on our beautiful coastline.

Running is a given, but in order to get a full-body workout, and continue building lean muscle tissue, you need to be a bit more creative.

The easiest thing we have found is to divide up our body into sections: (1) Back/Shoulders (2) Chest (3) Abdominals, and (4) Legs.

We attempt to pair one or two exercises with each section, between sessions of interval work.

Some Realities of Beach Exercise

Beach workouts require a you to be realistic in your experience and they also require a bit of planning.

* Expect to get wet and sandy.

* Your shoes will be wet and squishy.

* Humidity makes you sweat profusely.

* Sand sticks easily to sunscreen.

* Dried saltwater can feel crusty.

* Sunglasses are helpful, even at dawn.

* Sand and water make your shoes heavier.

* You will always be running on an uneven surface.

* ALWAYS bring a small cooler and water bottles.

* It is good to tuck a hand towel into your waistband.

* Take care of your car keys. Do not lose them in the sand.

* We rarely do traditional abdominal crunches. They get you way to sandy.

* Try to pick a beach that has restroom facilities and outdoor showers. Many have neither.

A lot of this discomfort is easily overcome by simple acceptance and just changing your attitude. It also helps if you workout with several friends who are sharing the experience (misery???)

A Beach Exercise Sample Workout

Since our exercise equipment is limited, the easiest way to change workouts is through the length or timed speed of the intervals we run.

We do a variety of different push-ups between intervals.

There is an old set of monkey bars we use for pull-ups and hanging abdominal work. The biggest drawback to it is the slipperiness from the sweat and sand on our hands. You have to be real careful and stay focused on your grip.

Warm Up 10 minutes stretching calves and hamstrings.

Easy Run 5-6 minute slow jog down the beach.

First Interval 6x200 meters on 2:30 - Hold :42 secs

Chest 10-12 push-ups after each 200.

Second Interval 2x400 meters at a hard pace. Rest 2:00.

Back/Shoulders/Legs 4x5 Pull-Ups/10 Prisoner Squats in between

Abdominals 3x5-8 Hanging Knee Raises. Hard if hands are real sweaty.

Easy Run About 800 meters - Slog along, like a 2nd warm-up.

Final Interval 6x75 meters in very soft sand - :45 sec rest.

Warm Down Run Easy 400 meters up to showers.

Elevated Max Push Ups Elevate feet on park bench. Do as many push-ups as possible. Shower.

This is just an example of a beach exercise session we have done. You may have much more equipment near you. All of us wish there was a set of dip bars, like in Miami or Ft. Lauderdale...but we doubt the Treasure Island beaches will ever get a set.

We wish you good luck in your beach workouts to burn belly fat and build lean muscle...and stay injury-free.


Go to Treasure Island BeachTrail page from Beach Exercise page


Go to Florida Beaches home from Beach Exercise page