With summertime in full swing, many families are hitting the beach. Instead of sitting on the beach chair all day, though, why not grab your kids and move around?
Exercising on sand is, according to one study, more effective and even better for your body than a firm surface.
So, in honor of sunny days and warm temperatures, take your fitness outdoors and feel the right kind of burn—plus, you can cool off in the water after. Below are some yoga poses that are fun and will flex your muscles.
Chihuahua Performs Yoga Poses Exactly In Sync With Owner
Airplane Pose:
Lift your leg at a 45 degree angle and point and flex your toe like a propeller (to make it more challenging, rotate your foot in a circle mimicking the propeller). While working on balance, lean side to side with your arms out like the wings of plane flying over the ocean.
Palm Trees:
When we think about the beach and ocean, our minds often drift to a vacation spot- our favorite vacation spot is Hawaii where palm trees grow. Pretend to be a palm tree by standing on one foot, bringing your right foot alongside your left calf. Bring your hands to your side and hold for five deep breaths. To make this pose more challenging, bring your arms out in a Y shape over your head. To make it even more difficult, close your eyes!
Crab:
Slowly bend your knees and put your hands behind you on the floor making a table. As your feet and hands push your body up, use your imagination and crawl around the beach pretending you’re a crab. To make this more challenging, lift one leg at a time towards the sky.
Sandcastle:
With your legs shoulder with apart, slowly bend down until your hands reach the floor. Try to keep your knees straight as you bend. Once you reach the floor, walk with your hands out in front of you.
Seagull:
Bend your leg and lift in front of you at a 90 degree angle. Flutter your arms up and down as you balance on one foot.
Sand Shark:
Hold a plank pose, tightening your core and rocking your body side to side. Lift one leg off the ground, pretending to swim along the shallow water with your fin. Switch legs to strengthen both sides of the body. To make the exercise more challenging, attempt to lift your arms up over your head, alternating between arms and legs.
Flying Turtle:
Start in a superhero pose with arms and legs lifted. By bringing our arms back so our fingertips are reaching for our toes, we’ve changed the pose to strengthen not only the core, but the shoulders and back. From here, kids are encouraged to tickle their toes, working on their flexibility. In order to effectively make this pose more powerful, we work our way back into plank pose, jumping our feet into our hands….
….and finally end with a Starfish Jump: jump up in the air with your arms and legs!
Ethel Baumberg is a fitness professional and co-founder of FLYAROO Fitness. She holds an MPH in health education and behavioral sciences and a BA in psychology with a concentration in childhood development.