What if I told you that there’s a lunge variation you can try to build a strong set of legs, hips and core muscles with very little gym equipment? You can add weights if you want to, but I can guarantee you’ll feel the benefits with or without.
All you need is a slider (a little disc with a plastic bottom designed for moves like these) or a towel or dishcloth as an alternative. This simple exercise is low-impact on your joints, builds strength and even works your core muscles.
If you prefer not to get down on the ground during workouts, standing exercises are the smart way to train your body, and this is one lower-body exercise I swear by.
Here’s how to do it and the benefits.
How to do ‘sliding lunges’
Before we get started, building a strong core means more than just hitting your abs with sit-ups or crunches. There are a range of core muscles in your body, wrapping around your torso, extending down to your pelvis and even surrounding your spine. Your core is there for stability, aiding proper breathing and helping you move safely; in fact, it’s a powerhouse center for movement.
For that reason, moves that require balance, stability and controlled reps are great for building a stronger, more active core, even if they might not primarily focus on those muscles.
During this exercise, you’ll also practice hinging forward at the hips and leaning your torso forward while keeping a straight spine. Again, hard work for the core, but this will also help work the glutes harder. Think about actively engaging your core by bracing your stomach and drawing your navel in and up as you breathe expansively.
Move with control and focus, not speed, focusing on inhaling and exhaling as you move. I would start with 6-10 reps per side and 2-4 sets.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart
- Position your right foot on a towel or similar
- To begin with, place your hands on your hips. When you feel comfortable, extend your arms overhead and glue your biceps to your ears, reaching up high
- Keeping your hips forward-facing, hinge at the hips and lean slightly forward, keeping your spine long
- Slide your right foot behind you and lower into a lunge, keeping the weight in your left leg and forward
- Pause. Take weight out of the right leg and draw the foot forward as you come back to standing. Switch sides.
What are the benefits?
You should feel this mostly in your standing leg and glute so that you can move the towel with your opposite foot in a smooth, sliding motion back and forth. This is brilliant for building resistance into bodyweight lunges using some drag, while testing balance and stability.
By leaning forward with your arms raised, your body must work against gravity to stay upright, working the core muscles hard and increasing demand on the thoracic spine. Try to keep your back straight without hunching and draw your arms back; the hip hinge position also engages your gluteal muscles more, which can turn an exercise like this from quad-dominant to glute-dominant.
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As a personal trainer, I find my clients actually love exploring standing exercises much more as they get older, whether that’s for ease, mobility, or injury-related conditions.
Once clients feel comfortable with the movement, I often add a dumbbell or kettlebell. Another option is to loop a flexible band just above the knees.
As a personal trainer, I find my clients actually love exploring standing exercises much more as they get older, whether that’s for ease, mobility, or injury-related conditions.
See if you can push one leg back for the count of four, then forward again for the same count of four. This is inspired by Pilates tempo, which involves slowing reps down to increase overall workload and intensity without adding weight or reps.
For an even greater challenge, see if you can hold a weight with both hands overhead rather than your chest; you might feel more engagement in your back muscles, arms and shoulders, and it’s a great option to try if you have limited weights available.
I sit behind a desk for multiple hours during the day, so I find this lunge variation a brilliant addition for stretching out the hips after a long day and getting my back, legs and shoulders moving again.
Whether you enjoy running, weightlifting, Pilates, or something else entirely, a strong and stable core and set of glutes and legs are even more important as you get older. Give this a try and let us know in the comments what you think.
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