Want to Challenge Yourself with a New Exercise, Or Change Your Routine? Try the Classic Lunge
While you may be comfortable with your exercise regimen, it’s always good option to challenge yourself with new moves.
Most people create specific routines that suit their fitness level, their natural abilities, and keep them motivated.
But there comes a time when your routine becomes ineffective, the body becomes used to the strain produced by the exercise. When this happens, you have to try some new exercises that will make your regimen more challenging.
Plus, a new routine will keep your body from getting too acclimated with certain movements, prevent boredom (which generally leads to quitting) and reshape your figure for better results.
Now, where should you start looking for a better, more versatile fitness routine?
Here at mhealth, we encourage everyone to try out the classic lunge.
Lunges Strengthens Your Lower Body
Lunges are quite dynamic, using various areas of the lower body for a well-rounded maneuver making it a perfect addition to your daily regimen.
Lunges are easy for most people to complete, requiring only simple movements that are easy to follow.
You also don’t need any special equipment to carry out this exercise, making it an even more accessible move to use at any place, any time of day.
Plus, these increases strength in various parts of the body — your quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and inner core. These also improves your balance, increases hip flexibility, develop better coordination and improve the health of your spine.
They also help enhance your core stability, tones muscle groups to provide a balance in your training that will lead to greater results all over, at a faster rate.
These exercises are especially great for determining differences between both the left and right sides of the body, as they heavily involve the use of your hips, knees and foot/ankle regions. It prevents injuries or pain while you’re exercising and training harder in other areas.
Doing lunges can even help determine your overall state of health. If you can’t do a proper lunge, you’ll be looking (and feeling) older than your age!
Finding your Perfect Lunge
To do a proper lunge, it’s best to focus on your hip, knee, and foot/ankle positioning. Do these exercises barefoot, if possible, for better balance and intensity.
There are various lunge movements to choose from, but it’s best to start simple and easy with the forward lunge.
The Forward Lunge
Start in a standing position with your feet hip-width apart, flat on the ground.
While relaxing, allow your shoulder blades to stay loose and low. Flex your core abdominal muscles for stability and keep your spine nice and straight.
With your hands on your hips (or arms held out to the side or in front, should you prefer for extra balance), keep your head upright, look straight ahead.
Take one big step forward with your right leg, landing with your right foot flat on the ground. Lean your body forward so that most of your weight is on your front foot. Keep your back and upper body straight.
Hold this position until your right knee is at a 90-degree angle and your thigh is parallel to the floor. (You may need to bend your hips slightly to stay in this position, but always try to keep proper form with your back straight).
Additionally, be sure to not let your right knee move past your toes. It should be positioned directly above your right ankle.
While you’re in this position, lower your left knee to form a 90-degree angle. However, your lower leg, or shin, should now be parallel to the ground while your upper left thigh is perpendicular to it. Lift Your left heel off the floor as you lean forward, but keep your toes still on the ground.
To revert back to the original position, push yourself upwards with your right foot, standing straight with your feet hip-width apart.
After you’ve completed this lunge, you can either switch sides and perform one with your left leg, or continue to doing it with your right side. Just be sure you do an equal number of lunges on either side.
Keeping Yourself Motivated
Once you’ve gotten used to the forward lunge, you can then start to include any of the other lunge positions into your daily routine.
Try out the reverse lunge, leaning your body weight backward instead of forward. Or go for the side lunge, toning all sides of your body including your quads, glutes and lower abdominals.
Remember that by doing these exercises regularly throughout the week will produce results quickly, and strengthen your lower body.
Plus, doing different maneuvers like lunges, using various muscles and areas of the body, will further prevent injury or pain in the future by focusing on the state of your overall physical fitness.
So if you’re getting restless and distracted during your current exercise regimen, it’s time to make some changes.
After all, mhealth is all about meeting challenges head on, so search for new and exciting ways to amp up your routine and stay motivated.
Power your way to a more prolific body by incorporating lunges into your new workout, redefining your figure and getting into even better shape.