Work out on the beach

Last week I wrote about running on sand. It's a great workout but not everyone feels sufficiently toned to go Baywatch-style past all those critical sunbathers.

So here's my "plan B". Five simple, enjoyable, effective holiday exercises you can do without — and here's the cunning part — coming over all "look at me, I'm working out".

1. Walk in the sea, shin or knee deep. 20-30 minutes of this will give your heart and lungs a good workout, along with your legs and abs.

2. Sea swimming. Pushing through waves is tougher than swimming laps in a pool, so this will work your heart, as well as shoulder and leg muscles.

In addition, the waves make you work harder to stabilise yourself — great for the core muscles.

3. Beach frisbee and/or cricket. You might look like you're just having fun but this is a great upper- and lower-body workout. We've already covered the benefits of sand running but running backwards works the bottom, while sideways movement is great for the inner and outer thighs. Throwing the frisbee, bowling and batting are all great for working torso, arm and upper back
muscles.

4. If your children are confident in the water, they'll enjoy using you as a human diving board. Stabilising yourself against the waves will work your core, while the effort of tossing your kids in the air makes a great workout for the legs, arms, chest and back.

5. If that's all a bit too public, you can even work out on your sun lounger. Roll onto your side, straighten your top leg and lift it just a few inches up off the bottom leg. Draw little circles for a minute and then reverse the circles. Discreet — and a great toner for the bum. Lastly, however you are doing it, exercising in hot sun makes it even more important to keep your fluid levels topped up regularly. And no, lychee martinis don't count.

David Higgins is co-founder of TenPilates (tenpilates.com)