Monday, May 24, 2010

Strength Exercises - Lunges

Lunges are another wildly popular exercise for working out the muscles in your lower body. Because a lunge involves more movement than a squat, it helps you develop functional stability, balance, and overall body coordination.

Performing a lunge is sort of like taking a big step forward, then moving back to the original position. As always, proper form is the key to ensuring that you’re not putting unnecessary stress on your knees. Practice this one before adding weights and, if in doubt, review a demonstration video like the one at www.mayoclinic.com/health/lunge/MM00723.

Here are the steps to follow:
1. Stand up straight with your arms hanging at your sides and (optionally) a weight in each hand. This is the same as the starting position for squats.

2. Pick a leg. Take a big step forward with that leg, breathing in and bending the knee until your thigh is parallel with the floor. (Be careful not to lean forward or let your knee slip in front of your toes.) While stepping forward, bend your rear leg and raise the ball of your rear foot off the ground.

3. Pause, then move back to your original position by pushing back with the front leg, breathing out.

4. Repeat the exercise by stepping forward with the other leg.

The lunge is a perennial favorite, and it has countless variations. Lunges are also performed without weights (and for longer periods of time) as part of many high-intensity workouts.

Source of Information : Oreilly - Your Body Missing Manual

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