Sand Training

As summer approaches, one of the best places to exercise is the beach. Not only do you get a beautiful view, but working out on the sand also allows for a challenge due to sand plyometrics. Sand plyometrics has been proven to increase performance in regards to strength. A study by Arazi, Mohammadi and Asadi (2014) was conducted on 14 men comparing the effects of plyometric training on sand versus land surfaces. Both groups showed significant improvements in the vertical jump and standing long jump test. Another study by Binnie et al., (2014) comparing the effects of sand versus grass training on ten elite athletes demonstrated that there were significantly higher heart rates present and rating of perceived exertion in the sand training sessions. There were also no differences in their post exercise performance, no indication of further muscle damage, and rates of inflammation were similar between each surface. The results suggest that performing conditioning sessions on sand rather than grass can result in a greater physiological response without adding any additional damage to the performance during the next day. To conclude, both studies demonstrate that sand training can offer a higher energy cost and lower impact-training stimulus when compared to a firmer training venue such as grass. If you’re hoping to get more out of your workouts or training sessions, try it out at your next session!If you have any pain during exercises, or are unsure about what you are doing, please consult your local physiotherapist before continuing.