Sand Volleyball

Sand Volleyball

Sand volleyball has become one of the most popular summer sports around the globe. Playing sand volleyball is a great way to get in shape and soak in the summer sun. Not only is it easy to learn, it’s also a great cardiovascular workout that tones your body, satisfies your competitive edge, relieves stress and lets you spend time with other people!

History of Sand Volleyball:

Although indoor volleyball has been played for centuries, sand volleyball wasn’t played in the United States until the 1920s. Since then, the primary purpose for playing sand volleyball has been fun and recreation. It wasn’t until the last decade that the sport received world-wide recognition. Sand volleyball was a part of the Olympic Games for the first time in Atlanta in 1996. Twenty-four men’s teams from 19 different nations, and 18 women’s teams from 13 nations participated. American men teams finished in both first and second place. In the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, the number of men and women’s teams grew to 48, and represented 23 nations. The American men took home the gold again.

Benefits of Playing Sand Volleyball:

Volleyball tones your entire body.
Hitting the ball builds arm and shoulder muscles. Twisting and lunging for the ball works the abdominal and oblique muscles. Because it takes more effort to move in the sand, the leg muscles receive the best workout of all, especially when jumping for the ball.

Playing volleyball strengthens your cardiovascular system by raising your heart rate.
A game of beach volleyball will burn an average of 400 to 600 calories per hour for a 150-pound person. Obviously, the more effort you put into going after the ball, the more calories you will burn.

Conditioning for Volleyball:

It is very important to warm up and cool down before and after playing sand volleyball. Yahoo! Health offers these tips:

Before you start playing, walk briskly or jog until you start to break a sweat in order to get your heart going;
Be sure to stretch the abdominals, calves, hamstrings, quads and shoulders before playing to prevent injury, and after playing to increase flexibility and to prevent soreness;
After your game, walk around until your heart rate slows down to its normal resting level.

More importantly, the summer heat can take a major toll on your body, so it is extremely important to stay hydrated before, during, and after your game to prevent heat exhaustion and dehydration. Click here to find places to play sand volleyball in Minnesota.

Sources: United States Volleyball Association, Yahoo! Health