Lunge for maximus benefit!

The humble lunge is the easiest bodyweight exercise that can be done anytime, anywhere to build strong legs, writes Miten Kakaiya

The largest muscle in the body is the gluteus maximus. Located at the back of the hip, it is also known as the buttocks. It is one of the three gluteal muscles: medius,
maximus, and minimus. The primary functions of your gluteus maximus are hip external rotation and hip extension. Legs are often the largest muscle in our body and yet often the most ignored. For a healthy, fit body, having strong legs is extremely important, especially in the long run. There are many ways to build strong legs, and a multitude of machines at the gym to help facilitate that. But the easiest way to get started is with bodyweight exercises that you can do anytime, anywhere — and one of the best exercises you can get started with is the humble lunge.

The lunge is a popular workout because it’s proven to be so effective. The movement is simple: Stand in a split stance with your feet aligned with your shoulders. Maintain a straight back and engage your core.

Then, take a step forward, bend the knee, and push your weight onto the front foot. Then, move back to the original position and repeat the movement with the other foot. Lunges help work on different muscles in the legs, help with both injury prevention and rehabilitation and ensure your body is ready for everyday movements. The entire list of primary muscles worked includes:

Quadriceps

Gluteals

Hamstrings

Calves

Abs

Obliques

Avoid these mistakes

Lunges are fairly easy to pull off, but here are some mistakes you must avoid anyway:

Lunge being too short or too long.

Not creating a 90º bend.

Rounding your shoulders.

Moving too fast. Or too slow!

Jerky movements that could damage the muscle.

Losing stability and balance.

Make sure you keep all of these points in mind to not just prevent injury but to maintain the proper form which ensures you get the maximum benefits out of each movement.

The benefits

Since the lunge uses a majority of your lower body at the same time, it’s an excellent exercise that works on not just individual muscles but multiple muscle groups in your legs and lower body.

As mentioned earlier, they strengthen muscles to prevent injury while also helping with the rehab of injured muscles.

It improves the flexibility of your hip flexors, allows each leg to work independently which helps improve asymmetries in strength, and since the mechanics are the same as running, it’s a great exercise for runners too.

Lastly, and most importantly, since it’s a functional exercise, the lunge actually helps you with everyday movements, ensuring you live life in a better, healthier way.

(The author is a fitness coach.)