FORM FRIDAYS – Correct Your Lunge

Give Your Lunge Some Love By Following These 5 Tips!

Lauren Neal with Leslie Clarke 

“We see them all the time in the gym” says Personal Training Director, Leslie, “the lunge is an effective exercise for lower body strength and stability, and adding weights can make this exercise very challenging ”, she adds.

However, as we continued to talk with Leslie, it seems that the lunge is one of the many exercises trainers see done improperly.

1.) Keep Your Shoulders Down & Back

Start with a straight back to begin this move. Avoid rounding your shoulders by bringing them down and back and keep your chest proud. Especially if you’re adding weights, rounding shoulders could lead to an unnecessary injury.

2.) Knee Is Directly In Line With The Ankle

Avoid letting your knee fall inwards and keep your knee in line with your ankle to prevent extra stress on the knee. This often happens when there is not enough strength in the glutes or when the exercise is preformed too quickly. In the first picture, Leslie demonstrates what it may look like if your knee falls inwards.

3.) 90 Degrees With That Front Leg

That front leg should be 90 degrees at the knee, with weight in the heel of your front leg and toes pointing straight ahead. Take a quick check to make sure your knee doesn’t travel ahead of your toe. In the second picture, I show what it may look like if your knee goes past your toe.

4.) Neutral Spine

We previously mentioned keep a neutral spine, but also be careful not to lean forward at your hips. Think about having your upper body in one straight line with your shoulders over hips. Also don’t drop the head, look straight ahead to prevent neck pain.

5.) Give Yourself Distance  

When lunging, bring the leg a step and a half out from the starting position. Having your feet too close together will cause your knee to go past your toe. Also, have your feet about hip width apart so that when stepping forwards or backwards, your body is well balanced.

For more information on lunges, feel free to ask one of our Personal Trainers. You can check out their bios here!