On the warm sand, some holiday games do more than make us laugh. This beach sport that we practice in a swimsuit, barefoot, turns out to be a real fat burner and an excellent cardio booster.
This game is beach volleyball. Thanks to the resistance of the sand, it mobilizes the entire body. According to the , a 70 kg person burns around 480 calories per hour during moderate play and up to 600 calories per hour when the intensity increases.
Beach volleyball: the beach sport that makes everything work
On a beach volleyball court, sand changes everything. Irregular and loose, it increases the effort with each support. The stabilizing muscles contract continuously to maintain balance, and the slightest movement requires more energy than in the gym.
In practice, the thighs and glutes work with each jump and movement, the abdominals stabilize the torso and the arms and shoulders heat up on passes and smashes, so that the whole body remains engaged.
Beach volleyball and calories: what the numbers say
Estimates indicate that for a 70kg person, one hour of moderate-paced beach volleyball is around 480 calories. When the match becomes more explosive, the expenditure can increase up to 600 calories over the same duration.
This intensity is due to the structure of the game: intermittent anaerobic effort, with sprints, jumps and powerful strikes followed by short recoveries before the next serve. And the faster the exchanges, the more the cardiovascular system is activated and the more energy expenditure increases.
An hour of beach volleyball to approach 600 calories
To get closer to this fat-burning potential, the idea is to limit downtime. After a short warm-up by walking in the sand and mobilizing the shoulders, we continue several rounds with rapid exchanges where everyone tries to remain active between points.
The breaks remain short, just enough time to drink and reapply sunscreen without straying too far from the net. To maintain a playful but effective intensity, a few simple reflexes can change everything:
- multiply the movements rather than waiting for the ball on the spot;
- quickly restart the service instead of discussing at length between points;
- adapt the height of the jumps if necessary, but continue to bend your legs and lower yourself during each action.
In this way, the match remains fun, social and accessible, while offering a real boost to your figure and cardio.
How many calories does beach volleyball burn in an hour?
For a person of around 70 kg, the figures speak of around 480 calories, and up to 600 in very intense play.
Is beach volleyball effective for slimming the figure?
Yes, because it combines cardio work and strengthening: thighs, glutes, abdominals, arms, shoulders and stabilizing muscles are used with each move, jump, pass or smash.
Can you start beach volleyball even if you are not athletic?
Of course, you just have to adapt: reduced terrain, simple exchanges, limited jumps and regular breaks, favoring movement and listening to your sensations rather than performance.
