Friday Fitness: Make your lazy day at the beach a productive one

While lounging around at the beach for the holiday weekend, make sure you’re not sabotaging yourself. A lot of times we have a tendency to use holidays as an excuse to cheat on our weight loss programs. The beach is a great place for exercise and perfect for bringing more variety to your routine. Here are some tips to help your stay on track while enjoying the breeze and sounds of the ocean.

• Be Prepared. Bring healthy snacks with you to the beach. Fruits and veggies make excellent beachside snacks because they are easy to travel with, contain nutrients that benefit the body, are also a great source of water to help hydrate you while sitting in the sun.


• Beware of drinking your calories. Although beachside cocktails may sound like a good idea, they are usually filled with sugar, can be high in calories, and the alcohol within them may contribute to dehydration. Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day and try drinking a sport drink if you would like something flavored. Sport drinks help balance your body’s electrolytes. Freeze your sport drink and you’ll have a tasty, low-calorie slushy.


• Go for a stroll. Because there is give to the sandy surface on the beach, it’s not as harsh on your joints at the pavement. Go for a walk or run on the flattest part of the beach to add a little beach excursion to your day.


• Have some fun in the sun. Get a game of beach volleyball, frisbee or mini golf going. If your beach allows, you could even go on a bike ride. As much time as you spend sitting, spend doing some form of physical activity. Just have fun!

The Weather is Beautiful, Wish You Were Here

Join us for a beach walk - in beautiful Hilton Head Island.  The weather is perfect - now is the best time of year to visit and enjoy the program at Hilton Head Health.  Start your day with a Sunrise Beach Walk, get through the mid-morning slump with a Beach Boot Camp and end the day with a relaxing Beach Yoga class. 



This week is our FIT Week specialty week, in which we are enjoying finding inspiration through exercise.  Outdoor activities and excursions take place all week long - kayaking, forest preserve trek, biking, beach boot camp, team triathlon and more!  Stay tuned for a Fit Week recap!

Take Strides at Sunrise

By: Jeff, H3 Program Intern

The morning alarm clock … nothing better than hearing that buzz, beep, or radio echo is there? Naturally we would rather hear many other sounds at that 7 a.m. hour of the morning, but luckily we can take advantage of that snooze button! Unfortunately, while we’re snoozing others are strolling to the sunrise and making the most of their morning march.

Here at Hilton Head Health, Guests have the opportunity to fully utilize their time and walk one of the best beaches in South Carolina.  The H3 experience is one of a kind and every day begins with a breathtaking sunrise beach walk.  Many of our guests find beach walks to be one of their favorite experiences of the program, and in actuality use the time to prepare mentally for the day ahead of them.  Among other things it’s also a great way to socialize with one another in a peaceful and calming atmosphere.

So here’s your morning motivation to take those strides at sunrise:

-  Walking on the beach uses almost double the energy as walking on the street

-  Some studies have shown that an average adult burns 25% or more calories walking wave side verses on a hard surface  

-  The uneven levels of the beach improves balance and coordination

-  Reduces pressure on the largest joints in your body (the knees)

-  Boosts your mood and diminishes stress

Not only is striding by the sunrise invigorating, but springing up out of the sack can really pay huge dividends for your health.

 

To put it simply, a guest (who by the way never misses a beach walk) once said to me “I enjoy beach walks, they are what I do … an awesome way to start the day.”