Suzie with client John

Soft sand running is harder than it sounds and I use it as a great cross training tool for my clients.  Not only will it smooth and tone your legs and  your bottom, it’s wonderful for the ankles and really challenges the finer muscles of your lower joints, such as your knees and hips! Running in soft sand can also improve your balance.

I’m often asked shoes or no shoes- your call. If you’re a competitive runner, I recommend trying with shoes first.   You’ll note that your stride will shorten or lengthen depending if it’s hard pack or if the sand is really soft.  You will also notice that it takes a little bit longer to run in sand. This is expected. It’s a great mental shift and changes it up for your brain too.

I’ve had people tell me, that running in sand can improve your time. It’s almost twice the amount of effort out, so one might expect a faster pace transitioning back to the pavement.

Get used to both.  However, for postural reasons and also the pure enjoyment of running on sand, barefoot is fun too. It’s also been known to help prevent plantar fasciitis (a painful condition of the foot that is often caused by a bony spur that projects from the underside of the heel) Soft sand running really helps strengthen the arches.

If you’ve never run in sand before, here are few tips before you start:

Stretch your legs before and after, especially your calve muscles.

You don’t get the bounce like you do when you strike the pavement, you SINK into the sand and it’s more work. You need to pick up the knees and drive, especially in the dunes.  Especially here on Maui, watch for large chunks of coral or other debris. Scan as you run.

Shift your body forward, and push off your toes more, get on the balls of your feet.

Shorten your stride. This will help reduce the possibility of a groin pull.

Take it slow, for you’ll notice that your calf muscles may be pretty tight the next day. To avoid shin splints often caused by running on uneven surfaces, make sure you are cross training all the muscles of your legs. Swimming is an excellent choice, also an elliptical trainer is good too.

Hydrate well and increase your distance slowly.

See you at the beach!

Suzie