Walking lunges workout is an advanced version of stationary lunges. They are a great way to strengthen lower body muscles, including hamstrings, quadriceps, core, hips, and glutes.
In this article, you will find how to do “Walking Lunges For Beginners Correctly”, benefits, tips & VIDEOS demonstrating its correct form & proper technique.
What Muscles Are Used In Walking Lunges?
Walking lunges target the following key muscles and muscles groups:
(i) Gluteal muscles
(ii) Quadriceps
(iii) Hamstring
(iv) Calves
(v) Core muscles
(vi) Back muscles
Benefits Of Walking Lunges
Improve Balance
Walking lunges works both sides of your body, improving coordination & balance and coordination (Source). Exercises like dead lifts & squats don’t provide similar results.
Enhance Functionality
Walking lunges train human body, including strength, balance, stamina, and muscle, in such a manner that your body functionality gets improves significantly. They also help you attain a better body posture (Source).
Boost Hip Mobility & Flexibility
Walking lunges increase the flexibility & performance of the hip flexor muscles significantly, which otherwise are likely to become tight because of the modern time sedentary lifestyle we lead (Source).
Lunges are an excellent way to provide flexibility to the thigh & hip muscles (Source).
Tone & Develop The Gluteal Muscles
Most of the regular exercises don’t involve gluteal muscles, so they remain untrained in most cases. Walking lunges can help target on their activation and train them with regular practice (Source).
Boost Core Stability
Standing unilateral exercises such as all forms of lunges help to enhance your stamina & strengthen core (Source).
Help Symmetrical Toning
Because walking lunges focus on the overlooked parts of your body, they can help you acquire a symmetrically toned body. Walking lunges take care of those body parts that other workouts tend to overlook.
A study on soccer players found that performing forward lunges regularly (walking lunges are advanced version of forward lunges) helped to strengthen hamstring muscles and increase the running speed (Source).
Provide Rest For The Spine
Whereas a majority of the exercises would leave your back somewhat strained, walking lunges work to impart rest and recovery to your spine. If you do weight training & heavy workouts, walking lunges can be an ideal way to rest your spine (Source).
Cardiovascular Benefit
As they recruit multiple muscle groups & joints, so if you do them for high reps or time – they can increase your heart rate considerably. This makes them a great option for providing double benefits, strength as well as cardiovascular benefits.
Walking lunges are one of the best workouts for sportspersons. It boosts overall lower limb strength, increase leg endurance and correct the firing pattern of the glutes and the hams.
How To Do Walking Lunges Correctly?
Walking lunges are a variation of the stationary lunge exercise. Instead of standing back upright after doing a lunge on one leg, as you would in a stationary bodyweight lunge, you “walk” forward by lunging out with the other leg. This movement continues for a desired number of reps. Here are the step-by-step instructions:
Start Position
Stand tall upright with your feet placed next to each other at hip-distance apart. Keep your upper body straight upright, core engaged with your shoulders back and chin up. You may place your hands on your hips or by the side of your body. Pick a point to stare at in front of you to avoid looking down. This is the Start Position.
Movement
(i) Take a large step forward with your left foot – plant it approximately 2 feet ahead. As you step forward, let your right heel to lift naturally. You may keep your hands on your hips, or may allow your arms to swing naturally to maintain balance as you take each step forward.
(ii) While keeping your core engaged and upright, bend both knees and lower your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle and your front leg thigh is parallel to the floor. Make sure your front knee does not go beyond the toes, and the back knee doesn’t touch the floor. Pause for a second to gather your balance and strength.
(iii) Press firmly through your left heel, and extend your left knee to rise to stand as you lift your right foot from the floor. Without moving your left leg, move your right foot forward and plant it approximately 2 feet ahead of your left foot. As you step forward, don’t allow your torso to lean forward from your hips.
(iv) Continue lunging forward, alternating legs. If you feel you are losing balance as you lunge, pause at the top position of every lunge when your feet are next to each other. Regain your balance, and then continue.
(v) Do the desired number of lunges on each leg and finish your one set by bringing your back foot to meet your front foot on the final lunge.
(vi) Perform desired number of sets.
Watch this video to learn how to do walking lunges exercise correctly, using proper form & the right technique:
