Walking Lunges: Improve Strength and Mobility

Instruction

1. Starting Position:

   • Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
   • Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and core engaged.

2. Stepping Forward:

   • Step forward with one leg, landing softly on your heel and rolling to the ball of your foot.
   • Ensure the step is long enough for a 90-degree angle in both knees at the bottom of the lunge but not so far that it strains your hips or knees.

3. Lower Your Body:

   • Lower your back knee toward the ground until it’s just above the floor (roughly an inch or two).
   • Keep your front knee directly over your ankle and avoid letting it cave inward.

4. Driving Up:

   • Push through the heel of your front foot to stand up and bring your back leg forward into the next step.

5. Repeat:

   • Continue alternating legs with each step.
   • Maintain control and balance throughout the movement.

Tips

1. Maintain Proper Posture:

   • Avoid leaning too far forward or arching your back.
   • Focus on keeping a neutral spine and a proud chest.

2. Engage Your Core:

   • Tighten your core throughout to help maintain balance and protect your lower back.

3. Control Your Movement:

   • Move with intention; avoid rushing, which can lead to instability or poor form.

4. Monitor Knee Alignment:

   • Prevent your knees from collapsing inward by actively pressing them outward in line with your toes.

5. Start Unweighted:

   • Master bodyweight lunges before adding weight to ensure your form is solid.

6. Warm Up:

   • Loosen up your hip flexors, quads, hamstrings, and glutes with dynamic stretches or foam rolling before starting.

7. Scale as Needed:

   • If you struggle with depth or stability, use shorter steps or practice static lunges until you build confidence.

8. Pace Yourself:

   • In a CrossFit WOD, walking lunges can be deceptively fatiguing, so maintain a steady rhythm.