Get ready for beach season as early as now! Summer is just around the corner, and you know that along with summer comes Beach Volleyball season! Who’s excited? We know we are. We are pretty sure you are, too. But the big question is, are you fit and all ready for beach volley?
As we all know, playing beach volley is a bit harder than playing indoor volleyball. You have no coach to guide you, and then there’s just you and your teammate in the sand… In the sand – that makes it the more challenging. Because you will be playing in the sand where you will not have a great balance on your feet.
But no matter how hard it may seem, just remember, you are a good volleyball player. You’ve got this! In the meantime, try these lower body exercises that you try in the sand to get you all the more prepared for beach volley season. Robert dos Remedios once said that “Sand provides less stability, making the simplest movements so much tougher.” And he’s right! With these simple exercises, you will get accustomed to the feeling of the unstable sand you stand in.
Are you ready? Then go barefoot on a soft area you can find in the beach. All you have to do is follow these exercises, do two sets of each, and rest for 30 seconds between sets. Don’t forget to rest for 1 minute between each exercises (trust me, you’ll need it) and re-apply your sunscreen every now and then. The last thing you want to catch is a sunburn. These exercises will help you get that instant boost in your speed that you need.
- Shake your legs a bit – Do at least a minute of shaking your legs as a pre-workout exercise. This will prepare your lower-body to the heavy training ahead.
- Skip it! By skipping it, we mean skip forward so that you’re jumping and landing on the same foot. Leap as high as possible by driving your knee upward as you push off the ground with your opposite foot. Five skips on each leg per rep.
- Run for your life – er, health. Do a few 1 minute of running around in the sand. This is not a heavy exercise, but just like the first step, it will help you prepare for the exercises ahead. And here we go. This will give you the speed you need in the court.
- Shuttle Run – In shuttle run, you will make three parallel lines in the sand, 5 yards apart. Straddle the middle line with your knees slightly bent and your arms bent so your hands are in front of your thighs. Next, move to your right and bend at the knees to touch the line with your right hand. Run to the left and touch the far left line with your left hand. Then finally, return to the middle and continue until you have completed four runs to each side.
- Sand lunges – This is basically lunges in the sand. Step forward with on foot, keep your knee above your ankle and lower to the ground so that your back knee brushes the sand. Next, push up through the front foot, slowly lift your back foot off the ground and use it step forward into a second lunge. Do six to 12 on each side.
- Do the beach crawl – Find a soft spot in dry sand, and lower into a plank position. Then crawl forward on your hands and feet for 30 to 60 seconds. This step activates your hamstrings and glutes. For an extra challenge, try sideways or backwards.
- Do the duck walk – It may sound funny, but this last and final step will help you a lot. Simply place your hands behind your head with your elbows up. Then bend your knees and drop into a squat. Keep your spine long and your chin forward. Stay in this position and duck walk until you hit the 20-yard mark. It feels hard at first, but we know you can do it!
Congratulations, you have done it! You can do these exercises in the sand as often as you would like. Although it is advisable to do them twice a week. Let us know how these exercises work for you!