When it comes to a forward lunge there are two main forces that place stress on your knee joints. The first is a downward force that comes from your body weight and any dumbbell or weight you’re using. The second force is from the forward momentum and then the sudden deceleration of stepping forward to do the forward lunge. You can eliminate this second force on your knee by simply doing a back lunge or a split lunge, but you can also still do a front lunge by simply adding a forward lean at the same time you lunge forward. In the picture on the left you will see Cathe doing a forward lean as she lunges which engages her glutes reducing the stress on her knee .
The Dixie cups you see Cathe holding are used as markers that will not only remind you to lean forward as you lunge, but also help you to determine exactly how far you need to step forward each time. The Dixie cups also force you to use full range of motion during the exercise and have the added benefit of giving you a visual as you step forward eliminating unnecessary stress from not keeping the knee and leg in a straight path.
Most people that can’t do a regular forward lunge can do a forward lunge with a forward lean. This is just one of several techniques we will share with you that can help to make your workouts more joint friendly and enjoyable.
We will be showing new pictures from our Low Impact series almost everyday, so keep checking back!
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