The Lateral Lunge Helps Build Balance and Stability—Here's How to Master It

There are some exercises, like bicep curls or calf raises, that target one specific muscle in order to strengthen it. Then there are other exercises that work multiple body parts at once, challenging your mind and your muscles to grow and change with every rep. One such compound movement is the lateral lunge. 

Here, we’re breaking down everything to know about lateral lunges, including their benefits and the muscles they work, how to do them properly, and how to kick them up a notch.

Lateral Lunge vs. Regular Lunge: Key Differences

The biggest difference between a lateral lunge and a regular lunge is the plane of motion your body is moving through. “A lateral lunge takes place in the frontal plane of motion as you step from side to side as opposed to a reverse or front lunge which takes place in the sagittal plane, stepping forward and back,” explains Peloton instructor Katie Wang. Our bodies need to be able to move through all three planes of motion (the transverse plane, which includes twisting movements, is the third) in order to function optimally in our daily life, so a lateral lunge is a great way to capture and work through the side-to-side plane.

The other differences between lateral lunges and regular lunges come in the mechanics of the movements themselves. In a lateral lunge, only one leg bends (the working leg) and the other stays straight, and both heels stay on the floor. With front and reverse lunges, you are bending both knees with the goal of getting as close to 90 degrees with both legs as possible, and only the front heel stays on the ground with the back heel coming up.

What Are the Benefits of Lateral Lunges?

“I love incorporating lateral lunges into my own workouts and into my Row Bootcamps,” says Katie. Indeed, adding side lunges into your routine comes with numerous benefits. 

Strengthens the Lower Body and Core

We’ll get more into the specifics below, but side lunges work nearly all the muscles of the lower body and core in just one simple movement. 

Works the Body In Different Ways

Not only do lateral lunges work the body through the side-to-side plane of motion, but they also work just one side of the body at a time, which has benefits for both strength-building and stability. “Because we are strapped in and working bilaterally on the Peloton Row, I like balancing that work out with unilateral work (or single side weight-bearing exercises as opposed to the evenly balanced simultaneous weight bearing of bilateral work) when it comes to my strength training,” Katie says.

Builds Balance and Stability

“Unilateral exercises like lateral lunges are great for additional stability and core work, while also helping work through imbalances in the body which could help prevent future or further injury,” Katie says. Any exercise that requires you to lift one foot off the ground is going to challenge your balance, which helps work all the stabilizing muscles around the core and hips. 

What Muscles Do Lateral Lunges Work?

“You target a lot of different lower body muscles when doing a side lunge,” says Katie. These include all the big muscles of the lower body, like the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves. Stepping out to the side, in particular, engages the gluteus medius, the muscle on the side of the hip, while stepping back in calls on the adductor, or the muscle of the inner thigh. “Lateral lunges are a great way to stretch the inner thigh and increase the mobility of your hips,” affirms Katie. 

Finally, she adds, “you get the bonus of the stability challenge.” That means working your obliques, transverse abdominis, and rectus abdominis as well. 

How to Properly Do a Lateral Lunge

Ready to try lateral lunges? Here’s how Katie coaches them in her classes.

You can alternate, switching from side to side, or complete all your reps going to one side and then switch.

Common Form Mistakes to Avoid When Doing Lateral Lunges

The movement involved in lateral lunges does not feel quite as natural as a regular front or reverse lunge, so there are a few common mistakes that people make. Here are two to watch out for and how to correct them.

Leaning Over

The biggest mistake that people make with lateral lunges is bending at the hips and leaning forward in a side lunge. “Although your torso may naturally lower slightly as you step to the side, do your best not to let your shoulders round forward or let your torso drop too much,” suggests Katie. Try to keep your chest and eyes lifted and pointing forward throughout the move.

Driving Your Knee Forward

“Avoid the knee driving past the big toe which can result in your heel lifting,” says Katie. “Instead, think of it lining up directly over and keeping the heel down.” Another strategy for keeping the knee over the toes: Instead of thinking about bending at the knee as you lunge, think about sitting your butt back as if there was a chair behind you.

Lateral Lunge Variations

Starting with just your bodyweight is the smartest and safest way to perfect a new exercise, says Katie. Once your form is solid and you aren’t running into any of the common mistakes above, consider trying one of these four variations to kick things up a notch. 

Add Weight

“Once you feel confident with the movement then you can start adding kettlebells or dumbbells and slowly work on increasing your weight as you get stronger,” Katie recommends. If you’re using a kettlebell or just one dumbbell, hold it in your inside hand (your left hand if you’re stepping out with your right foot and vice versa) so it doesn’t throw off your balance and alignment. If you’re holding dumbbells in both hands, keep your arms long and let the weights frame your bending knee.

Add a Twist

Incorporate some extra work for your obliques by adding a twist at the waist at the bottom of the lunge. As your knee bends, let your opposite hand float past it to the outside, twisting at the waist while keeping your chest lifted, then twist back to straight as you stand. 

Go Around the World

Once you’ve mastered the lateral lunge, you can integrate it into a working set with front and reverse lunges that will work your lower body in every direction at once.

To do it: From the same starting point, and working on the same leg the entire time, step forward into a front lunge, then push back up to standing. Next, step out into a lateral lunge, then return to standing. Finally, step back into a reverse lunge, then return to standing, followed by one more side lunge. You can continue to go around the world for as long as you like before switching sides.

Takeaway

Lateral lunges are an exceptional exercise to add into your strength training regimen. They engage nearly all the muscles of the lower body and core, building strength, balance, and stability. Plus, because so much of our movement in our daily lives involves moving forward and backward, adding lateral exercises is critical to maintaining overall strength and flexibility. The best part: They’re easy to do and easy to modify to get even more out of the exercise. So what are you waiting for? Start doing lateral lunges today, or look for them in your favorite Cootcamps and Strength workouts on the Peloton App.