Lunges are great exercises to strengthen the quad muscles, and that’s especially important for people who think they can’t do lunges.
A lot of patients come to my office with achy knees and think they can’t lunge and can’t squat. But they actually should, because the stronger the muscles, the less achy those parts are. A lot of studies have looked at quad muscle strength and knee arthritis and found the stronger your muscles, the less achy the knees are.
Lunging is a great exercise to strengthen the quads and hamstrings to help the knees. Remember: The stronger your muscles, the better your knees will feel.
Here’s how to do lunges better:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Step forward with your right leg and lower your body until the top of your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your left knee comes close to the floor.
Keep the headlights of your hips straight ahead. If your hip collapses, that could mean you haven’t stepped out far enough or gone low enough.
Pause, then return to the starting position.
Alternate legs for 1 minute.
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