Cardio Exercises, Part 4 (Lunges)

A lunge is like a walking exercise, but done in an exaggerated way. Like squats, lunges work all the major muscles of the lower body: butt, thighs, and leg muscles.

Why do you have to do lunge exercises?

Aside from improving the elasticity and strength of your lower body muscles, lunges help you to improve your balance. If you have a back problem, lunge exercises help to make your spine strong. If you have issues or difficulty or experience tiring in everyday motions like walking and climbing up the stairs, lunges make for a great way to improve and increase your ability to do walking and climbing easier.

Lunges that are done or regular basis, can fix problems on the hips that are brought about by spending too much time sitting down in the office. These exercises can cure stiffness of the hips. They make the hips flexible and functional. To add to this, lunges are butt-sculpting exercises. They can give you a good-looking and excellently-shaped butt.

Lunges can also cure muscular imbalances in the body. They improve body symmetry. Since a well-executed lunge exercise work on the muscles of the body at the same time, these exercises increase your muscle coordination. Muscle coordination is really important and necessary for everything – from walking and running to playing sports.

Lunge exercises improve pain threshold. They enhance the release of endorphin (the pain-killing brain chemical or commonly called the “self-produce morphine”).

The last but definitely not the least, lunges can make you happier. Regular lunge exercises help release happy neurotransmitters (dopamine or the pleasure-seeking molecule in the brain) or neuro-chemicals in the brain. The release of serotonin (confidence molecule in the brain) and various endocannabinoids (has the effect similar to marijuana), serve to increase your mood. Being happy makes you more self-confident and calm (due to the release of GABA or anti-anxiety neurotransmitter).

The right way to do lunges

Take a big step forward. Keep your spine in neutral position. Bend your front knee to about 90 degrees. While in the process of executing the foregoing, focus on keeping weight on the back of your toes. Drop your other knee toward the floor. Do the same steps using the other knee. You repeat the exercise alternating the right and the left knee.

Do some variation by doing side lunges. You may also try reverse lunges; making the first step backward, instead of forward. The more variations you do, the more useful lunge exercises are.