Sun's Out, Guns Out: 10 Workouts To Try On The Beach That Are Intense AF

God knows I love to swim, and splash, and lay out on the beach, and I'd spend pretty much every hour of the summer in the sand if I could.

That said, another thing I really love to do at the beach is exercise my ass off.

Surprised? Me too.

Not only are you able to enjoy nature's greatest majesty (aka the deep blue sea), but since any kind of movement is automatically harder to do in the sand, even simple reps of three or four exercises can make you feel pretty great, pretty fast. 

Here are a few ways to get sweaty in the sand this summer and amp up your fitness game.

1. Warm It Up

Give your heart a nice start with a five-minute jog, or depending on the condition of the water, perhaps a little swim.

Even a simple set of 10 jumping jacks in the water will get your blood seriously pumping.

Plus, water is the best kind of resistance.

2. All Fast And Agile And Stuff

People use little cones for this, but if you don't have those on hand, you can actually use rocks, shells, or whatever else may be laying around in your beach bag.

Set them up in a line, and weave in and out with quick feet, moving as fast as you can.

Cardio finally got fun, amirite?

3. Walk The Plank

If soft sand makes your joints feel taxed, try looking for an area that's a bit wetter and more taut for support.

Try a forearm plank for one to two minutes, working the arms and core, and then a push-up variation that works best for you, alternating planks with three sets of 10.

Be sure to break briefly in between each set.

4. Make Like A Crab

Hey, you're at the beach, so you may as well, right?

This baby gets your heart beating real good, and it'll leave your legs and arms feeling fiery AF.

Unless that's the sun beating down on you, of course. Remember to wear sunscreen!

5. Turn It Over, Dog

As you can see, I think being a human is kind of overrated.

When you'r done being a crab, flip it over into a downward dog, and walk on all fours.

Then bring it up to a solid run (or frolic, whatever floats your boat) through the sand.

6. A Long Jump

Jumping as far as you can from a standing position, be sure to land as softly as you can in a squat.

Stand and repeat as many times as you (comfortably) can.

Feeling the burn yet?

7. Sandy, Sandy Squats

Making sure your knees don't go far over your toes, reach into a squat with your arms forward.

Micro-bend up and down, minding your knees along the way.

These guys in this video do squat lifts while telling a story for 30 seconds -- a good method if you have a beach buddy you can convince to move with you.

8. Switch It Up With Switch Lunges

Switch lunges require you to lunge forward, and then switch and do it on the other leg (yes, you're probably going to kick up a lot of sand -- keep your mouth closed to avoid a mouthful of it).

A couple reps of these bad boys will leave you feeling like you just ran a marathon.

If you're feeling particularly energetic, switch off between reps with some mountain climbers.

9. And Now For Your Back

Spread a towel out, and lay flat on your belly with your legs extended out in front of you.

Breathe in, and bring your belly to your spine. Bring your hands up to your shoulders with your triceps parallel to the ground. Lift and hold.

Then, bringing your forearms to the ground, like a cobra pose in yoga.

Point your feet, and lift the right leg two inches off the ground.

Repeat 10 times and switch.

10. Now Go For A Walk, And Enjoy The Beach

Take a brisk, long walk as a reward for that killer workout you just endured.

Breathe deeply, and consider your posture as you support yourself with your core muscles.

But most of all, enjoy the sounds and sights of the beach and the shoreline.

You deserve it, you badass.