How do lunges exercise

Your hamstrings , calves , hip stabilizers , and adductors those muscles on your inner thigh all get a little love, and your core works hard, too, particularly the obliques and deep lower back.

The movement challenges balance, stability, and coordination, and it closely translates to endurance and outdoor sports. While there are several variations, the basis of the movement is the same. Start with your feet hip-width apart, your hips square and level, and your toes pointed forward. Engage your core, and take an exaggerated step forward or backward.

Then lower your hips in a smooth, downward-sweeping arc, until your front thigh is parallel to the floor and your back knee is an inch or two from the ground. Press down through your front heel, and engage your glutes and hamstrings to stand up.

Stabler has four key pieces of advice to nail your form:. Take a big step to protect your knees and hit the target muscles. Shorter steps emphasize the quadriceps, whereas longer lunges emphasize the glutes.

Outdoor athletes tend to be quad dominant already and lack control of the posterior chain the muscles along the back of the leg , says Stabler. Keep your knees in line. If you have wobbly knees, hold off on the lunges and first work on side steps and backward skates with resistance bands to improve your knee control by strengthening your stabilizers, like your glutei medii. Check out your posture. Many people lean too far forward or round their lower back.

Good form involves a strong, stable center line. This variation involves a smaller range of motion because you only lower down half as far as in a standard lunge, stopping well before your front knee is at a degree angle. This can help you keep good form without placing as much stress on the knee joints.

Placing your front foot on a step or small platform is another modification to try if regular lunges make your knees ache. Make sure your entire front foot is on the step or platform and lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. You can add intensity to your lunge by holding dumbbells during the move.

A dumbbell lunge follows the same basic steps except that you're holding a weight in each hand and your arms are hanging at your sides versus resting on your hips. A barbell allows you to use heavier weights when lunging since the weight is more evenly distributed over the body. Though, it's important to have good balance before trying this version. Hold the barbell across the top of your shoulders when doing these lunges.

In this moving lunge variation, start by standing upright with your feet slightly apart, then take a large step forward. Lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Your front knee stays over your toes. Next, press up through your front heel to return to a standing position. You can also do this lunge with dumbbells in each hand as you progress as shown below. Because this variation requires more balance, it should only be attempted after you're able to master a basic lunge.

This move is great for the entire body and will challenge your balance and core strength. Step into a forward lunge position and fully extend your arms forward, as if pointing the tips of your fingers toward a spot that is a few feet in front of you. Return the hands to your hips when standing back up. If you want a lunge variation that is even more challenging to your core and quads, the sliding lunge delivers.

Get into a split stance position with a paper plate under the back foot. Slide the back foot farther back as you lower into a lunge position, pulling it back in as you return to standing. The side lunge emphasizes the inner thighs, along with the hips and glutes. Stand with your feet together, then take a wide step out to the right feet are pointed forward. Bend the right knee and lower your body down, making sure your front knee doesn't extend past your toes.

Straighten the right leg and step back in, returning to the starting position. Adding a paper plate to the side lunge turns it into a sliding side lung and creates even more challenge for the inner thighs.

Elevating the back leg makes the traditional lunge more advanced and puts more emphasis on the quadriceps muscle of the back leg. Rest the top of the back foot on a bench or exercise ball and do your lunges in this position. Hold dumbbells and extend them in front of you as you lower down for even more challenge, as pictured below. Unlike a traditional lunge, this variation requires a tighter, smaller move. Begin standing with your feet staggered, right foot in front of left foot, with feet hip-width distance apart.

Your feet should not be directly in front of one another, think railroad tracks, not tight rope. Swinging your arms to help with momentum, spring up, switching the position of your feet midair, so you land with your left foot in front and right foot behind. Your back leg is basically straight. One of the most common mistakes is that people step too far forward, so their back knee is only loosely bent, instead of bending to 90 degrees.

Correct this by taking a smaller step forward. Your knee extends past your toes. However, you should be conscious of not leaning your torso too far forward, which will in turn probably mean your knee tips past your toes as well, and place additional unnecessary force on your knee and shin. You should avoid doing lunges if you have a history of knee problems, hip issues, or if you have been instructed by a doctor to avoid doing lunges.

And as with all exercises, you should not take on too much at once. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. What Is a Lunge. Types of Lunges. Reverse Lunge. Kneel-to-Stand Lunge. Stand with feet hip-width apart, core engaged, and hands on hips or in prayer at chest height.

Lateral Lunge. Stand with your feet together, hips tucked, and core engaged. Repeat all reps on the same side, or alternate sides by stepping out with the left foot. Then, slide back into a reverse lunge. Don't let your bent knee tough the ground. That's one rep. Place a long, unlooped resistance band under your front foot.

Take hold of either end in each hand. As you do so, curl your hands towards your shoulders — the resistance band will work against you. Lower your hands away from your shoulders, back by your sides. Place your left foot into the loop. Hold one dumbbell in your left hand. Make sure to do both legs and arms. Raise back to standing and repeat on the other leg. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Exactly How J. Lo Gets Her Skin to Glow. Rebecca Jacobs.