It’s that time of year when vacationers are flocking to the beach for a week of fun in the sun, relaxing by the water’s edge, napping, and perhaps enjoying a little too much good food and drink. There’s nothing wrong with that because we’re a nation of hard workers and deserve our well-earned vacations; however, our goal should be moderation – even while on vacation.

My rule is to enjoy myself, but to counter those decadent temptations with activity.  We start each day with either a run or walk along the beach, and for the most part enjoy eating healthy with plenty of fruits and veggies accompanying our home-cooked dinners which usually have seafood as the focal point. And yes, a pint or two of Ben and Jerry’s might make it into our freezer, but the secret is to spread it out over time, not eat it all at once like I’d love to do.

OBXRun
 

During a recent run, I stopped to chat with Pat and Amanda.  I’d met them running north as I headed south, and then later came upon them finishing up their workout with push-ups, squats, etc.  We chatted for a while and they mentioned the lack of a convenient gym nearby so they were taking matters into their own hands with a beach workout.  Pat is studying nutrition and Amanda is a senior in exercise science – talk about a great combo!

OBXSquats
 

Next I came upon two surfers.  I’ve never tried to surf, but my son Daniel has a board and took lessons while on vacation in California when he was in middle school.  Surfing sounds like the ultimate core challenge, and the closest I’ll ever get is stand up paddle boarding (SUP).

OBXSurfing
 

These three young ladies were starting their day out right by hitting their volleyball around, and for quite some time…  I saw them while heading in both directions on my run.

OBXVolleyball
 

These three were working out hard doing squats, burpees, push-ups, and chest presses as I ran by.  I stopped to say hello, but didn’t bother them for more than a minute while they caught their breath between sets.

DCIM101GOPROG0597358.

Beach Boot Camp

 

If you have a dog, he just might see to it that you stay active!  I saw several dogs demanding that their humans throw their Frisbees over and over to them.  There’s something about dogs, the surf, and Frisbees that makes me happy!

DogOnBeachWithFrisbee

Photo from 2014

 

And then I came across this cute walker recovering from knee surgery, and decided to walk with him for a mile cool-down.

OBXWalk
 

I won’t mention the guy I saw having a beer at 9 AM…

 

  • Questions:
  • Do you surf?
  • What’s your favorite beach activity?
  • Who raced this weekend?