Walking on the beach can be harmful: useful tips for staying fit on holiday this summer

If you don't want to hit the gym during your holiday, but still want to move your body, you can take advantage of the beach, the pool or maybe even a park bench to do some simple routines or practice some kind of sport to compensate in some way for the excesses of summer.

"There are no excuses, exercising has numerous physical and psychological benefits and, if we do it outdoors, those benefits are multiplied: contact with nature also helps us de-stress, sun exposure increases vitamin D levels, so important for our body and just breathing fresh air...." says fitness trainer Paula Rovira.

Here are some exercise routines that you can do outdoors while on holiday without the need for any equipment.

You can start or end your session with a swim in the sea or pool. Swimming burns calories and also tones muscles throughout the body. According to Harvard experts, it is the "most complete workout".

However, if you have back problems, avoid breaststroke and butterfly because they cause hyperextension of the spine. The safest form is backstroke.

The idea isn't to wear yourself out with exhausting routines - it's holiday time - but to keep your muscles active without taking too much time away from leisure activities and some much-needed rest and relaxation, which also feel great. If you enjoy being in the water, you can turn the beach or the pool into your new gym. It is recommended to work out at a maximum depth of just over one metre to be able to perform all kinds of movements, jumps, turns, strength exercises such as squats and lunges. Swimming with flippers is also a very complete exercise that also helps to improve ankle strength.

Besides paddle-boarding, surfing or rowing, you can also simply walk along the beach. However, bear in mind that sandy beaches "have a certain downward slope towards the water, which is more pronounced on the shoreline. This could lead to walking with slightly strained ankles and a certain asymmetry, which could lead to overloading. It is advisable not to walk for a long time in one direction only. It is best to walk for 15 to 20 minutes on one side and then the other," says Sara Tabares, sports director of the Performa personal training centre in Valencia.

If you prefer keeping dry while exercising on holiday, then no problem. Go to a park and make the most of the benches and other street furniture. Paula Rovira suggests a complete workout for which you will only need a bench or a kerbstone. Start with squats, an exercise that strengthens your quads and glutes and improves your stability. "Stand with your back to the bench with your feet shoulder-width apart. Perform the same movement as if you were going to sit down. Once you touch the bench with your buttocks, return to the starting position. Keep your back straight at all times."

Expert advice from the fitness ambassador for Sprinter: "Make sure you step firmly with the whole sole of your foot, that your heels don't lift and that your knees are always in line with your toes. Don't let them turn inwards! And keep your back straight."

Another, slightly more demanding, option is the Bulgarian squat. "Place one foot on a bench and squat down with the supporting leg. Keep your torso upright and control the movement going up and down. If you can't balance well, stand next to a tree or a lamp-post to lean on if needed."

The next exercise is another classic: push-ups. "Place your hands on a bench (with your body bent) and lower your torso until your chest almost touches the bench. Then push yourself back up to the starting position. If it's too hard or you can't do it properly, rest your knees on the floor. On the way down, think about sticking your chest out, so that your shoulders don't move forwards. And lock your body, drop."

We continue with arms. Now it's time for tricep dips. "Place your hands on the edge of a bench and your feet extended forwards. Bend your elbows to lower your torso and return to the starting position. The triceps work when we extend the elbow, so focus on exerting the force as we raise the elbow. Control the position, don't let your shoulder move forward, try to keep your back straight."

And finally, planks, great for improving abdominal stability, strength and endurance. "Support yourself on your forearms (or hands) and feet, keeping a straight line from your head to your heels. Contract your abs and hold the position for a few seconds. Don't arch your back, keep your hips neither too high nor too low. Maintain the natural curvature of your spine and hold that position."