The want of becoming fit and healthy is now getting converted into a NEED. People today are more focused on a healthy lifestyle. COVID-19 has made people realize the importance of eating clean and living a life that makes them fit. While going to Gym has become risky, people today are looking for fitness activities that can be done within the vicinity of their homes while protecting them from catching the deadly disease. One such exercise that has been highly promoted and practised is lunges.
It can easily be done in the comfort of your home. They are done to increase the strength of the lower body including shaping major muscles of the body including hips, glutes, quads, hamstring, and thighs. When done through different angles, lunges are also performed to better the form of functional movement which means improving the motion of everyday activities beyond exercise.
How to Do Basic Lunges?
While there are multiple versions of lunges, if you are a beginner it is a must to gain expertise in the basics before heading to the advanced level. The correct way to do the basic lunge is:
- Start with standing up straight and tall and keep your hands on your waist
- Now, step forward with one foot and make an angle of 90 degrees. While doing this, ensure that your rear knee is parallel to the ground and the front knee should not exceed your toes
- When done, lift your knee backward and return to the standing position
- Now repeat the same with your other leg
- By doing it with both legs complete one set of lunges. You can repeat it for 10-12 sets to see effective results
What Are Different Types of Lunges?
Beyond this, there are multiple versions of it that one can be performed to get better results. Before we move forward to other variations of lunges, please remember, master the basic one if you intend to practice the more difficult ones. The other alterations of lunges include:
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Walking Lunges
The difference between the basic and walking lunges is that it helps in elevating one’s heartbeat while doing the additional movement
Lunges With A Torso Twist
The additional benefit of performing it with a torso twist is that it helps in shaping and losing weight from the stomach.
Side or Lateral Lunge
The side or lateral lunges are most beneficial for the shaping of inner thighs
Reverse Lunges
It helps in activating the core, glutes, and hamstring. They put a lot less stress and pressure on the joints and gives a lot more stability to the front legs
Curtsy Lunges
Curtsy lunges are highly beneficial in strengthening and toning of derrière thus improving the posture. They also benefit the hips by strengthening them and stabilizing them.
Also read – Push Ups Is The Common Exercise That Helps To Get Toned Body
What Not to Do?
While looking at the videos and reading about how to do it, it might seem quite simple and easy but, if not done correctly, you might not get the expected benefits and rather end up injuring yourself. Some of the things to keep in mind while doing include:
- Do not slouch your body forward. It must be upright
- Not bending your knee properly leads to the straight line not being formed from shoulders to knees to hips
- Do not curve your back
Benefits of Lunges
One may ask, how it impact the body. As mentioned above, lunges help in the shaping of multiple body parts and activate different muscles. While there are multiple benefits of it, some of the most known and acknowledged one’s includes:
Weight Loss
It impacts the lower body’s muscles of the body and helps in losing weight. They help in building lean muscles and burning fat by increasing resting metabolism
Balance and Stability
Since they are lower body unilateral exercises, one must work on each side of the body independently. It stabilizes muscles and helps in the development of balance, coordination, and stability
Alignment and Symmetry
If one has the less strong or flexible side of the body, by simply doing lunges one can develop perfect flexibility thus improving alignment and symmetry
How to Get Maximum Benefit of Lunges?
If one wants to get the maximum results and improve the fitness level strengthening of legs and hips, one must consider adding lunges in their daily routine of exercise.
Incorporate the above-mentioned variations of lunges in your exercise by doing them two to three times a week and then increasing the frequency as per comfort and convenience.
Perform 10 to 12 sets of it in one go each time if you are aiming to lose weight.
Conclusion
The fact that lunges can be done at the comfort of your home without paying those high fees of the gym or procuring the services of professional trainers, Lunges are one of the most adopted and considered a form of exercise by people across the world.
By correctly performing the lunges, one can see the expected changes in their body. Lunges help in toning of muscles, burning the extra fat, and avoid any risk of injury.
Once you have gained the perfect form and become an expert in the basics, you can also consider adding the weights in your routine and move towards the advanced level.
