I hope you liked my alliterative title…I wrote low-impact lateral lunges and then kept running with the “L” theme for fun! Anyways, these lunges are one of my newest favorite moves to do in a workout! They really effectively target your legs and glute muscles from multiple angles!
The first time I did a bunch of these in a workout class, my inner thighs/butt felt sore in places I hadn’t felt before, so I was excited to have found a move that works different muscles. I like to do these lunges while holding a set of medium to heavy weights to increase the strength aspect, but you can do these without weights and still get a great workout! You can also increase the speed for a great low-impact cardio move - the faster you go, you may need to drop or decrease your weights.
Do 16-20 on each side, then repeat. I prefer to do a whole set on one side, and then switch, but if you prefer to alternate sides, you can do so.
Here is a tutorial video explaining the move! For written instructions, scroll down!
Stand in the middle of your mat with your feet pointing forward and under your hips. Take a wide step out straight to the side with your right leg, keeping your left leg straight and your upper body facing forward. As you step out, bend the right leg with your knee facing forward, keeping your upper body and chest lifted to avoid leaning forward. Your weight should be mostly on the right foot. Push off the right foot, straightening the leg, and coming back to both feet in the center of the mat. Repeat! Finish a set, and then do the other side!
For a balance and extra inner thigh challenge, don’t fully set the right foot on the ground when you return to center, keep it at a slight hover as you tap the inside of your left foot with the right foot, then step back out.
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