Find out why lunges are important, how to do them correctly, and how they integrate into your movements in and out of training.
Why Lunges...
You hear people talk about the squat being an essential movement, but the lunge is highly overlooked and whether it's in life or fitness the lunge is a move that everyone should master. As always you can either do them right or wrong, but when done correctly they are very beneficial to our essential functional longevity which is our capacity to move freely and comfortably as we age. Not only does it mimic important life movements, but it is a huge stabilization exercise that is sure to address side-to-side imbalances as it strengthens the leg musculature tremendously. So, if you want to learn how to build strong and aligned legs along with feeling freedom of movement in your daily activities this mini-training blog will help you master your lunge.
The Break Down...
Learn more and you will perfect your movements.
In this blog, I will review:
Importance of the lunge as a functional longevity movement.
Anatomy and biomechanics of the hip and legs.
Correction and review of real-life lunge movements.
Exercise sequence that covers several functional lunges.
By the end of this blog, you will understand how to execute lunges correctly along with how to apply them in your day-to-day movements.
What is a functional longevity movement?
Functional longevity movements are key movements that mimic your daily activity. When practiced and integrated into your functional fitness training it allows you to move with ease and in turn, reduces injury. It is important to practice and engrain these movements; the mind and body memorize these patterns which then allows us to access them intuitively and unconsciously as we perform our daily chores or even more importantly in case of an emergency.
The Emergency...
The lunge is a functional movement.
The squat is recognized as the most important functional longevity movement, but the squat gets us up off the chair or allows us to pick objects up off the ground on both legs. But I must say, I think the lunge may be up there with the squat as the number 1 movement. The reason I say this is because if you lose your single-leg functionality, you lose the ability to get up off the ground. In turn, you will use a weaker version of a squat to compensate and manage basic movements. If your single leg is weak how can your squat be correct or truly functional? A chain reaction towards mechanical breakdown.
Benefits of alignment-based functional lunges:
Minimize knee joint discomfort and clicking.
Stabilize foot and ankle.
Strengthen the glute, lower back, and legs.
Improve movement pattern awareness.
Maximize hip mechanics.
Improve balance.
Enhance proprioception.
Address side-to-side imbalances and minimize functional scoliosis.
Prepare for successful aging.
Improve gait, jumping, and running mechanics.
Maximize your workout via the correct form.
My favorite... Anatomy!
An exercise that fires your muscles and awareness.
This is a quick anatomical visualization of the muscle chains that the lunge sparks. We not only look at the musculoskeletal system, but we also want to keep in mind the focus, balance, and stabilization process of the lunge.
Now that you have a visual it's time to correct!
The Correction
Doing things right.
I sometimes hear people complain about knee pain, hip pain, clicking or they just straight up think they can't do the lunge. If it doesn't feel good, well... you're probably doing them wrong, and you don't want to do that or avoid doing them in general. Do it RIGHT, correct, realign, and avoid mechanical breakdown.
Mastering life lunges.
Natural life movements can either build you or slowly break you down over a long period of time.
Just think about all the movements your body is going through naturally during the day! Are you doing them correctly? Let's review this video which will turn your natural movements into daily strengtheners.
Here I focus on corrections going over 3 functional lunge movements: Lunge hinge, lunge rotation, and a functional style lunge.
Let's move on to strength training...
The Work Out
Practice.
Now that we have the corrections, let's apply them in this quick and effective workout video. In less than 6 minutes you will target all areas of strength, balance, coordination, and stability.
For best results practice:
3 rounds of the 15x10x15
2 x a week.
Practice - Consistency - Physical and mental repetition.
Wrapping it up:
Rewiring your poor movement pattern takes constant mental awareness and effort, it can only be done if we pay attention. Paying attention means staying connected with our body checking in with it throughout the day, applying what you have learned into your daily activities, and exercising the muscles so they can adapt to the new mental awareness of movement and posture.
You want to age gracefully. And for those that are physically fit, you don't want your hard work wasted because of bad form or posture. Move with intention!
Tips for your journey:
Practice when tying your shoes or picking up objects from the ground.
Focus on your form.
Never rush your movements when trying to correct them.
If you're a gym rat incorporate 1 to 2 rounds of the 3 lunge variations into your leg day routine. It will maximize your hip mechanics.
If you're not working out but want to move better practice the workout flow as a wellness routine.
Go visit your local chiropractor for a hip alignment check!
To further correct your lower body posture, check out this blog.
I think we're good!
Till next time with better form and posture we will meet again!
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