MAKE YOUR beach walk WORK FOR YOU

Strengthen muscles, all with your toes in the sand. Here's how to do it safely.

- KAITLYN PIRIE

It's hard to believe that something as enjoyable as feeling a warm breeze while you take in the gorgeous shoreline is actually good for you - but it is! "Stepping through sand, especially if done barefoot, is an opportunity to activate more muscles throughout the body, stimulate and strengthen the nerves and muscles in your feet and improve your gait," says Jessica Smith, a certified fitness instructor, and creator of the Walk On 4-Mile Power Walk program. To reap all the health benefits, follow the strategies below from fitness experts who specialize in walking workouts.

EASE IN.

The muscles in your feet or ankles may not be conditioned to walking on uneven sand, says Smith. With shoes on, spend a few minutes on the boardwalk or the sidewalk before you hit the sand, then increase speed gradually.

WEAR THE RIGHT FOOTWEAR.