The summer version of the American Dream goes something like this: You're laying on a lounge chair with a drink, maybe a beer or two or twelve, and you're doing nothing but soaking up rays for a very long time. Perhaps you're getting a massage or half-heartedly thumbing through a beach read, but definitely no more physical ertion than that.
This is also, however, a fantastic way to gain weight. Spend too many days like that this summer—inactive, dehydrated, downing hundreds of empty calories—and your beach body will become a new kind of beach body: the torpid, tubby kind you see on people who've let themselves go.
Don't let that happen to you. We asked Oscar Smith, our go-to trainer who worked as a lifeguard for 18 years, to give us a beach workout to stay active. Do it in the morning before the sun gets high in the sky, do it in the evening before cocktail hour arrives, but whatever you do, do not try it drunk, lest you get dragged away by the riptide.
···
From Oscar: This is a workout I used to do with my lifeguard crew. Do it at the beach when it's not too crowded—you don't want to make a spectacle of yourself. When swimming, you only really need to be in waist-high water—you're not swimming out to sea. Make sure you're parallel to the shore and within sight of the lifeguard, and take your time, because with all the push-ups your shoulders are going to be really tired. The entire workout should take between 45 minutes and an hour.
**Warm-up stretch
**10 push-ups
_Do these down by the water line, where the sand will be smooth. Face the water for a decline, or face away from the water for an incline. _
Sand jog
_Jog in the sand, parallel to the water, from the lifeguard chair to the green or red flag (usually a distance of 30-40 yards), then jog back. _
**10 sit-ups
**_Do these with your back to the water so that you have a decline for added resistance. _
Sand lunges
_Standing with your hands on your hips and your feet shoulder-width apart, take a normal stride out, bending your forward leg at a 90-degree angle. Your back leg should also be at a 90-degree angle, and you should not bang your knee on the sand. Keeping your stomach tight and your hips aligned with your shoulders, step forward with your back leg. Do this from the lifeguard stand to the green or red flag (or a distance of 30-40 yards), and continue in this way back to the lifeguard stand. _
**10 incline push-ups
**_Down by the waterline, do 10 push-ups facing away from the water so that you are working on an incline. _
Sand jog
_Jog to the green or red flag (or a distance of 30-40 yards) again, then jog back. _
**10 sit-ups
**_Do these with your back to the water so that you have a decline for added resistance. _
Sand squat jumps
_With your feet shoulder-width apart, lower yourself into a squat position with your thighs parallel to the ground. From this position, jump forward as far as you can. Lower yourself back into squat position and again jump forward. Do this from the lifeguard stand to the green or red flag (or a distance of 30-40 yards), and continue in this way back to the lifeguard stand. _
10 shoulder push-ups
Bend down like you're picking something up off the ground and support yourself with your hands like a tripod. Do a push-up, trying to touch your nose to the sand. Repeat.
**Sprint
**_Run as quickly as you can from the lifeguard stand to the green or red flag (or a distance of 30-40 yards) and back. _
10 jumping jacks
_Make sure your feet are landing more than shoulder-width apart—the wider the better. _
Water jog
_Walk into the water until it is waist high. Jog parallel to the water line from the lifeguard stand to the green or red flag (or a distance of 30-40 yards), then come out of the water and sprint back to the lifeguard chair. _
**10 push-ups
**10 shoulder push-ups
Bend down like you're picking something up off the ground and support yourself with your hands like a tripod. Do a push-up, trying to touch your nose to the sand. Repeat.
Swim and sprint
_Get back in the water and swim from the lifeguard stand to the green or red flag, then come out of the water and sprint back to the chair. _
**10 sit-ups
**10 leg lifts
_Lay on your back by the waterline, either facing the water or away from it. Make a diamond with your hands underneath your tailbone for support. Bring your knees to your chest, then extend your legs all the way back out, keeping your heels three inches above the sand. Do this 10 times without letting your feet touch the sand. _
Swim
_Swim from the lifeguard stand to the green or red flag (or a distance of 30-40 yards), then swim back. _
**25 jumping jacks
**Sprint
_Sprint from the lifeguard stand to the green or red flags (or a distance of 30-40 yards) and back. _
Swim
_Swim from the lifeguard stand to the green or red flag (or a distance of 30-40 yards), then swim back. _
15 push-ups
**15 sit-ups
**Swim and jog
_Swim from the lifeguard stand to the green or red flag, then come out of the water and jog back to the chair. _
25 jumping jacks
Swim
_Swim from the lifeguard stand to the green or red flag (or a distance of 30-40 yards), then swim back. _
Stretch
Related Stories for GQBeach