Are You Doing Those Lunges All Wrong?

A strong, stable core helps with balance and overall strength, and lunges are a good way to add core strength. I fact, lunges are a great exercise for strong legs and a firm booty, but doing them wrong won’t provide the results you're probably looking for. You might even risk injury if your form isn’t right or you’ve been given bad advice. Are you doing those lunges wrong? How can you correct your form for a better exercise routine? Let's look more closely at these important, deceptively simple movements.

Lunges Improve the Lower Body

The back, legs, core, and booty all benefit from doing lunges. They’re good for toning and shaping, for strength, and for core stability. That not only means we’ll look stronger and healthier but that we’ll be better able to do other exercises because we’ll have more core strength. 

With the stability we get from lunges, we can move into more complex exercise routines and continue our journey toward greater health and wellness. So that's why we do them. But it turns ut that a lot of people do them incorrectly and in doing so, they risk injury. Of course, lunges aren't perfect for everyone. Those with bad knees should probably consider trying some alternatives.

How to Correctly Perform Lunges

Ready to do some lunges? Here’s a great video on how to do a lunge correctly. Watching others perform this exercise may help, or follow these steps:

1. Stand straight, with the chin up and shoulders relaxed.
2. Put one leg forward, and then lower the hips until both knees are at 90-degree angles.
3. The forward knee should be in line with the forward ankle. The other knee should not touch the floor.
4. Keep the bodyweight on the heels.
5. Now, switch feet and repeat the exercise on the other side.

A primary mistake is made whis stepping out too far with the forward foot. If this is you, you’ll have trouble keeping proper form with your lunge. Remember that the forward knee should be directly over your ankle, so don’t put that first step out too far in front of the back foot. Proper form not only helps us get the most from the exercise, but it also reduces the chances that we’ll be injured.

Doing Lunges Wrong Might Cause Injuries

While lunges are generally a pretty safe exercise, it’s possible to injure ourselves if we don’t do them correctly. One of the biggest risks is pulling a muscle — often caused by moving the front foot out too far when we lunge. We might also lose our balance if we’re too far forward when trying to perform a lunge, and that may put us at risk of falls and injuries. Moving too quickly is another way to sustain an injury while doing lunges. To reduce the risk of injury, perform lunges carefully and methodically — these really aren't meant to raise your hertrate, but instead to build strength.

Remember that it’s not a race to the finish line. Deliberate movements generally make exercise easier and more effective. Choosing care over speed can improve our form, help keep focus on our foot placement and balance, and keep us safe from injury so we can continue working on our health goals.

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