Although Minnesota doesn’t border an ocean, we are the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and that means there are plenty of bodies of water for us to visit and enjoy. Sometimes we like taking our workout near these lakes, and their views offer a more scenic picture than anything you could get on a treadmill. Oftentimes there are paths around these areas, but sometimes we want to take our workout closer to the water by running on the sand or beach.
Running on the sand or beach is enjoyable, but it can also put your feet and ankles at risk for injuries. Below, we share some tips for how you can avoid running injuries on sand or while running at the beach.
Preventing Running Injuries At The Beach
Here are some tips to keep in mind in order to help avoid running injuries on sand or at the beach.
1. Start Slow – If you normally go for a three mile run, don’t expect to pound out the same distance on the sand. Even wet and firm sand has much more give than hard ground, so it’s going to cause your muscles and your whole body to work a lot harder in order to go the same distance. Don’t expect to run like normal in terms of distance when on the sand. Start small and slowly build your distance up.
2. Start Hard – If you’re just transitioning to an off-track running routine, start on surfaces that are closer in feel to natural hard ground. What we mean by this is start your runs on the wet and hard sand. This will help make the transition easier and give your lower body muscles more time to get used to the harder movements. Don’t start running on the soft sand, at least not for any long distances, as this is a good way to injure your calf muscles and develop overuse injuries.
3. Find A Flat Surface – When running on sand or the natural ground, try your best to find a flat surface to run on. If the beach pitches slightly, it means one leg isn’t going to be extending as much as the other with each step. This can lead to a whole host of problems if you regularly run on an uneven surface. To avoid hip, knee and ankle problems, run on a flat sandy surface if you’re going to run on the beach.
4. Consider Shoes – Part of the reason you choose to run on the beach is to feel the sand beneath your toes. This feels great up until you step on a sharp rock or pebble and cut your foot open. Even if it’s a very clean beach without a lot of rocks, consider investing in a pair of sand running shoes to protect your feet from glass or other sharp objects.
5. Stay Hydrated – This is less of a problem for us Minnesotans compared to beach runners in Florida or California, but make sure that you are drinking enough water and staying hydrated. As we mentioned above, running on sand is going to cause you to work harder, which means you’ll be losing fluids at a faster rate. Stay hydrated to help avoid muscle cramps and other dehydration-related injuries.
6. If Something Hurts, Stop – Finally, if something just doesn’t feel right during your run, cut it short or see if it feels better on hard ground. Trying to push through an injury can lead to more significant problems that require medical intervention. If you continually deal with these problems, talk about your injuries and symptoms with a foot specialist like Dr. Silverman.
