That view is reason enough to ditch the gym.
I live in a small beach town. I surf, write, and train other people that came here for the saltwater, waves, and scenery. There are a few gyms, but equipment and space are limited, and I prefer to take workouts outside as much as possible. It’s better for our brains and bodies. So I collected some lightweight, portable gear that enables us to achieve our fitness goals without driving a car or going to a gym.
Here are the best portable tools to bring to the park or beach. One or all of these items is everything you’ll ever need to make your outdoor workout complete:
1) Nothing – You don’t need anything. Size, strength, endurance, flexibility and mobility can be achieved on the beach without shoes or bags or money or any other stuff that takes up space. The list of bodyweight exercises one can incorporate in a beach routine fills books, blogs, and days of downloadable videos; but many benefits of exercising on the beach come from baring some skin, getting dirty, and breathing deeply. So try something new! Crawl, roll, improvise, flow and enjoy the scenery.
2) TRX – This may be the most versatile of the portable weapons included in my outdoor workout quiver. I carry one in my luggage or backpack at all times. With a little ingenuity, it can be fastened safely to any pole, tree, swing set, or cross beam. It’s an amazing tool for full body HIIT workouts, strength training, warm-ups and stretching. If I am more inclined to relax and take in the view, I use it to work on mobility or practice yoga moves. The TRX website and YouTube channel offer excellent content to inspire and coach you. Proper form is important, so pay attention to technique or find a TRX certified coach (like Nick Holt, Jon Mangogna and me).
3) Ultimate Sandbags – These bad boys come in 4 sizes, with maximum weights ranging from 20-150lbs. The bags are durable and well-designed, with multiple handle positions to maximize training possibilities. They’re also really versatile, and hard to beat for oceanside strength training. You can make them heavy, and moving 100 pounds of sand is harder than moving the same amount of iron. But what makes these bags the kings of functional outdoor exercise is the simple fact that they are so light and portable when empty. Their bladders can be filled with pebbles, sand or water at the beach. The unstable nature of the contents is what makes “Dynamic Variable Resistance Training” so effective and unique. No two reps of any exercise are exactly the same, and the unstable, unpredictable nature makes workouts more challenging for body and brain. I use USBs for a ton of exercises, including my favorite deadlift variation.
4) Portable Kettlebells –When these arrived in the mail, I wondered how I could swing a flimsy-handled purse with sand in it and why I would want to. I thought they were stupid. If they’d added any weight or filled more space in my luggage, I might have left them behind. I’m glad I didn’t. They’re a bit awkward, and they shift and sway in odd ways compared to iron bells, but that ‘s the point. It’s the odd balancing points, new ways in which we are made to move, and the stabilizing muscles we are forced to use that make these kettlebell sandbags valuable tools. And it’s easy to adjust the weight. PKBs come in 3 sizes, with a maximum 45 pounds of sand or pebbles. Great for rows, carries, and a lot of exercises you would do with dumbbells or kettlebells.
5) TRX Rip Trainer – It’s easy to carry if you are walking, but a bit awkward in a backpack if you are biking to the beach. I love the Rip Trainer for the variety of rotational and anti-rotational moves it allows us to practice with both slow, controlled movements and explosive, functional moves that make hearts pound and muscles fatigue. Rip moves are a staple of HIIT routines, and I use them with beginners to create subtle asymmetrical force while pulling, pressing, lunging and hinging too. The asymmetrical force trains clients to engage their entire core in order to prevent rotation, a habit that will promote stability and help prevent injury. The Rip Trainer bands come in a variety of resistance strengths. I very rarely use the light or medium bands. Start with the “HEAVY” and figure out what else you need.
Pro tip: You can carry multiple PKBs, a “Core” USB, TRX, TRX Rip Trainer and a plastic shovel inside an empty “Strength” USB.
Brian Giebel is a Certified Personal Trainer and freelance writer in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, where he can regularly be found crawling and rolling on the beach. A visually impaired surfer, he is fascinated by and focused on the healing powers of nature and movement. He posts original content, research and articles on Facebook at BRAIN BODY BOOST.
