Before beginning any exercise, ensure you are dressed in comfortable clothing and have supportive footwear. It’s best to exercise in a spacious and uncluttered area. If you have knee or ankle concerns, consider using a gym mat or performing exercises on a grassy surface.

How to do a lunge exercise:

  1. Start by standing tall with your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Take a step forward with one leg, lowering your body until both knees are bent at 90-degree angles.
  3. Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle, and your back knee is hovering slightly above the ground.
  4. Keep your upper body upright, with your core engaged and chest lifted.
  5. Push through your front heel to return to the starting position.
  6. Repeat the lunge on the other leg.
  7. Continue alternating legs for the desired number of repetitions (8-10) and sets (2-4).

Tips:

  • Avoid letting your front knee extend past your toes to protect your knee joint.
  • For an extra challenge, you can hold dumbbells or kettlebells in each hand while performing lunges.
  • Keep your movements controlled and steady throughout the exercise.

Lunges are a great lower body exercise that target several muscles, including:

  1. Quadriceps: The front thigh muscles are heavily engaged during the lunging motion.
  2. Hamstrings: The back of the thighs work to stabilize and control the movement during lunges.
  3. Glutes: The gluteal muscles (gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus) are activated to drive the upward movement from the lunge position.
  4. Calves: The calf muscles assist in stabilizing the lower leg during lunges.
  5. Hip Flexors: The hip flexor muscles play a significant role in lifting the leg and stabilizing the hips during lunges.
  6. Adductors and Abductors: These muscles on the inner and outer thighs, respectively, help stabilize the legs during lunges.
  7. Core: The core muscles, including the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques, are engaged to maintain balance and stability during the exercise.
  8. Lower back (erector spinae): The muscles in the lower back work to keep the spine upright during lunges.

Lunges are a versatile exercise that can be performed in various directions (forward, backward, lateral) to target different muscle groups and improve lower body strength, stability, and flexibility.