Time of day. Beaches can get very busy so if you need plenty of space or just prefer a more peaceful workout, make sure you exercise before or after the crowds turn up. The time of day also plays a role in the risk of suffering sunburn or heat stroke. Steer clear of exercising between 10am and 4pm, especially on sand as it is a UV-reflective surface, to avoid the hottest part of the day when ultraviolet light is at its peak.
Watch out for the sun. Working out on the beach usually means that you’ll be exposed to a bucket load of sun from a variety of angles. You need to take extra care, because you’ll probably be too into your workout to realize that you are getting burnt. Once you have sunburn it’s too late to do much about it – the damage is done. Sunburn isn’t just uncomfortable, ugly and inconvenient; it can also increase the risk of skin cancer. To prevent sunburn, make sure you cover up as much skin as is practical, wear sunglasses to protect your eyes, a hat to keep the sun off your head and apply a good layer of waterproof high factor sun block 30-minutes or so before your workout. Don’t forget that sweating will wash away some of your sun block so look for products made specifically for exercisers and also reapply as regularly.
