Lunges, you know you love 'em!

"It burns so good!" I keep telling myself as I do these on my cross training days with the NTC APP. I used to dread doing them, but incorporating them w/my marathon training as helped a lot.  Lunges are a great way to boost your muscle and your speed.  The faster you run, the greater the range of motion in your stride, and the more you’ll rely on your glutes, hamstrings, and hip flexors.

Lunges are also practical because you can do them just about anywhere, and you can easily modify the lunge to suit your needs. You can add weights, perform more reps, increase the width of the lunge, or use a bench or declined surface to add variability to your practice.

Here are some lunge workouts that I do during my training.

Around The World Lunges

(love that it targets all key areas)

Alternating Forward Lunge to Shoulder Press

(def feel this one the next day ;) Gets quads toned and sculpts shoulders)

If you run, I highly encourage you to add lunges to your fitness routine. I would start with two sets of 10 lunges per leg. They are also a great conditioning exercise for downhill skiing, (ice/roller) skating and cross country. Yep, I think the everyone in the world could benefit from lunges!

First things first! It is always important to consult your physician before starting an exercise program. This is particularly true if any of the following apply to your current medical condition:

• chest pain or pain in the neck and/or arm
• shortness of breath
• a diagnosed heart condition
• joint and/or bone problems
• currently taking cardiac and/or blood pressure medications
• have not previously been physically active
• dizziness

If none of these apply to you, start gradually and sensibly. However, if you feel any of the physical symptoms listed above when you start your exercise program, contact your physician right away.