Exercise of the Week: Dumbbell Backwards Lunge

Yesterday I told you about how many people stop doing ordinary forward lunges because of knee pain… well, many of those people (maybe even you) will happy to hear that there is a different version of the lunge that allows many exercisers the ability to complete a lunge pain free.

It’s called the "backwards lunge."

Follow the instructions below and just make sure not to lunge too close to the ground with your back leg when you are first starting out. You’ll want to gauge how flexible your back hip flexor and quad muscles are before you try to get a full range of motion where your back knee almost touches the floor.

Here’s how to complete the dumbbell backwards lunge:

1. Hold 2 dumbbells by your sides or just use your own body weight
2. Stand up straight with both with both feet side by side
3. Slowly step back with one leg landing on the ball of the back foot
4. Stay on the ball of the back foot and begin lowering your knee
5. Keep any weight that is on the front leg in that same glute and on your front heel (not toes)
6. After your back knee lowers as much as your body will allow, push that leg back up to the starting position with your feet standing beside each other
7. You can either alternate legs or keep using the same one for all 8-15 repetitions per side

Tips to remember:

1. Keep your upper body upright the entire time (don’t lean)
2. Pull your shoulders blades back and work on your posture throughout the set
3. Only lower yourself as deep as you feel comfortable
4. Maintain stability and control through the movement
5. Breathe in at the top or as you are lowering yourself
6. Breathe out on the way up
7. Stop the exercise if you feel any pain

Enjoy the new variation on your traditional lunges and I hope they work as well for you as they do for me!