We do lunges in Nia all the time. We call them the “bow stance”. Different Nia routines have different “lunges”. Sometimes we do them fast, sometimes slow. Sometimes the music allows us to do a deep lunge, sometimes it might just be a shallow or a high one. Lunges are great for the quadriceps and glutes. In my original design of my Ten Minute Workout I wanted the concentration to be in the glutes, so I decided to do a long lunge. A long lunge gets the backside more.
Holding weights down at your sides adds to the work your leg and butt muscles have to do. Standing up from the long step requires much more effort. As a reminder only step as far as will allow you to stand back up. Also be certain that in addition to being able to stand back up you are stable, so your legs are wide enough that you cannot be easily pushed over.
As you step out also remember that it is a controlled step. The foot that is stepping out should land softly and not in a stomp. These do not need to be done fast. When including this exercise in the ten minute workout I was thinking of a long controlled step. The movement is solid and fluid.
The foot that remains stationary ends up with the heel raised (completely vertical if you can get there), weight on the ball of the foot and toes. Since this is a long lunge, the stationary leg could end up with the knee almost on the ground or on the ground.
The idea is to step one leg out then back, then the other leg steps out then back. Alternate legs, each step out is “one”. There are other ways to do lunges, modifications that can be made, but for now, this is the explanation of the exercise chosen to be included in this ten minute workout. Eventually I will post some information on different ways to do the lunges.
What questions do you have about the long lunges?
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