Lunge It!

Lunges!!!

Click here to watch a brief video on a proper lunge!

THESE are my FAV!!!!!  Lunges are a quintessential movement. If you've stepped into a gym or watched a fitness video you've probably come across a lunge before. Lunges are amazing at working multiple muscle groups, elevating your heart rate and they can basically be done anywhere.

Lunges are lower body exercises, but they also work other areas of your body too! Targeted muscles are glutes in your hips and along your butt, hamstrings, quadriceps, calf muscles. They also help strengthen your core and stabilize your body while working your abs and back.

It is important to make sure you're doing lunges properly though or you could be adding unwanted strain on your joints.

Lunge Basics:  Keep a tall straight upper body.  Shoulders back. Choose something in front of you to look at.  When you step forward make sure that you knee doesn’t pass your ankle, it should be bent to 90 degrees.  

If you're having trouble with balance try lunging with taking a smaller step to reduce the range of motion and then slowly increase your lunge distance.  You also have the option of a stationary lunge so you just lowering your body towards the floor and come back up tall.

Once you have the basics down I totally encourage you to challenge your muscles...that's when your really going to notice amazing changes.

Change it up:  Step forward or backward to lunge.  Step to the side or diagonal. Add in some dumbells or upper body movement at the same time!

Ready.  Set. Lunge.  Add on from yesterday … do 10 squats, then 10 lunges on each leg!!!

Do you have a preference - squats or lunges?