Capitalize on the beauty of the beach and the strength-enhancing workout running on sand provides. Beach running—especially on dry, loose sand—strengthens your arches, ankles and other below-the-knee muscles more than running on harder surfaces. "Running on sand requires you to generate more force and work through a fuller range of motion, from your ankles to your hip flexors and arms," says Big Sur Distance Project elite coach Bob Sevene. Several studies have found that running on sand consumes more energy than running on asphalt, burning as many as 1.6 more calories per mile. There's also much less impact force when you run on sand. More: Sand: A Solid Foundation to Build Your Running Skills A falling or low tide creates the most level, hard-packed surface for running. As the water recedes, it leaves hardening sand behind—similar to a soft trail that's forgiving on the body. Check the local tide reports before your beach run. Ideally, you want to run at low tide or within an hour or two around the lowest point.

Stay close to the edge of the water without getting your feet wet. red nike shoes amazonSome beaches have extremely low tides and allow more room away from the edge of the water to run and still be on packed sand.nike shoes with colorful bottom A high tide leaves soft, dry sand, which is kindest on the legs, but it's also much harder to power through (it makes 10-minute miles feel like speed work). new nike shoes coming out in august 2012Because of the added difficulty, your first beach runs should be done in running shoes in the hard, wet sand next to the water, preferably on a falling or low tide. Running barefoot on sand allows your feet to move through their natural range of motion, which helps to strengthen your feet and ankles.

If you start running barefoot on the beach too fast or too frequently, you could get injured. Start with short runs, just 15 to 20 minutes, to build strength in your feet. Gradually add five minutes to your barefoot runs as your body adapts. More: Barefoot Running Tips for Beginners Be cautious that running barefoot on sand can lead to or worsen plantar fasciitis, ankle sprains or Achilles injuries because you don't have the support of shoes; therefore, the muscles get stretched longer than they would on a harder surface. More: Plantar Fasciitis Prevention Tips Beaches tend to have a lot of shells and other sharp objects you need to watch for—therefore, I recommend wearing shoes when running on the beach. There aren't specific shoes designed for running on sand, so you have many options. Using your regular road running shoes is perfectly fine. A lighter-weight trail shoe is also a good choice because of the added grip.GREAT REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE TODAY! NEW TOPICS & COVERAGE

You have read of premium articles. Get unlimited access to all of our breaking news, in-depth coverage and bonus content- exclusively for subscribers. Starting at just 99¢ for 8 weeks This subscriber-only site gives you exclusive access to breaking news, in-depth coverage, exclusive interactives and bonus content. Red sneaker brigade turns out for family who lost son to nut allergy Posted: 9:32 a.m. Tuesday, December 06, 2016 The Merrill Lynch branch of Palm Beach is used to working under pressure. So when their boss asked them to step up and wear red shoes to support a co-worker who recently lost his son to a food allergy, the staff wasted no time. Oakley Gage Debbs , 11, died Nov. 26 from anaphylactic shock resulting from a nut allergy. His father, Robert Debbs, works at Merrill Lynch, and his family has ties to the island. The Debbs family has started a campaign to raise awareness about food allergies, which sometimes are brushed off by those who aren’t allergy-prone, by wearing red shoes — which Oakley loved wearing.

> Soccer game Saturday to honor life of Oakley Debbs Donning a pair of bright red tennis shoes Monday afternoon, Resident Director Richard Wilt explained he wanted to make sure Robert Debbs knew his work family was behind him. He organized a group photo in which everyone at the island branch wore red shoes and stood around a fountain. “Robert is a very sincere individual and a very sweet individual,” Wilt said. “It has put life in perspective, I think is a good way to say it. We’re very busy and the economy is very busy and the markets are very busy and corporate America is very busy, but it has caused us to have a pause and to think about humanity and to think about things that are really important.” Wilt is no stranger to food allergies; his mother was allergic to peanuts. “My entire life as a child and as a young adult was speaking to waiters and cooks and reminding and being emphatic about how they have to double-check,” Wilt said. “Don’t blow us off.

Just double-check that there’s no peanut oil.” Despite an unannounced audit that Wilt said was happening at the office Monday and the organized chaos that is the daily stock market, people seemed eager to share their support for the Debbs family. Building engineer Nelson Rosa helped by taking photos from the office roof. According to Wilt, the group will frame the photo and give it to the Debbs family. Assistant Vice President Steve Colamarino said he’s known the Debbs family for about 10 years and lives a few houses away from them. “I’ve known those kids since they were born, basically,” he said at Monday’s gathering. He knew Oakley had asthma problems but said he had no idea about the seriousness of food allergies when paired with asthma. “You always hear of kids with peanut allergies or a nut allergy and you just kind of keep them away,” he said. “Did I ever think that reaction could happen? Robert Debbs said that’s why he and his wife, Merrill, are trying to spread the word about the allergy condition, something that affects 15 million people nationwide.