Yes, but it is important to know the challenges and potential injuries experienced by some beach runners. Vasiliev told Life Science magazine:
"Running on the beach is definitely a good thing." This is definitely different from running on the sidewalk, one or more runways with soft surfaces. [Photo: 20 17 Best Beach in America]
For beginners, sand can be a challenge because its surface is uneven and it keeps moving under your feet. Vasiliev said: "When you push forward, you will lose some thrust as the sand moves." So, you can't push yourself forward like on the runway or sidewalk.
But this imbalance has one advantage: it gives your body extra exercise and forces you to use less muscles when running on hard ground. For example, after running on the beach, your feet, ankles, abdominal core muscles, muscles around your lower back and buttocks may feel more sore and tired than usual. "This is only because the beach surface is constantly moving and changing step by step," Vasily said.
You may also feel pain, because the beach tends to tilt to the surface of the water. Vasilyev said that if you want to run long distances on the beach, you may notice that one side of your body-including your ankle, leg or knee-may feel pain because you put more pressure on the slope.
Some beach runners choose to run barefoot. However, if you are not used to running barefoot, Vasiliev suggests that you start slowly and don't run long distances first. This is because barefoot running and running with shoes use different muscles. The important thing is to strengthen these muscles and adapt to your feet.
In addition, because sand wears away, "running barefoot is easy to produce blisters," Vasily said. If you want to run barefoot, fine, but relax.
Despite these challenges, running on the beach is a wise choice for athletes. According to a summary of sand training published in the Journal of Sports Science on 20 13, running on the sand can reduce the impact on the body during high-intensity training because it has "high shock absorption". This may lead to "less muscle damage and less pain", the researchers wrote in the comments. In another study published in the European Journal of Sports Science on 20 17, the researchers found that myoglobin (a protein that can be used as a sign of muscle inflammation) in women's blood decreased more than sand after running on the grass. The researchers said that this discovery shows that running on soft ground (such as sand) can reduce muscle damage.
This is an original article about life science.