Worksite Lunges

Maria and I take routine walks during our lunch break at work. We are lucky to have such a huge AIR-CONDITIONED building to walk around, that we are able to fit in at least 2 miles every time we exercise. The heat is usually unbearable in Texas, and this helps us think about current projects, life, and other headaches.

When we climb the stairs, I always feel a burn in my quadriceps while Maria feels the burn in her calves. As a former dancer, Maria is accustomed to walking on her toes, thus strengthening her calf muscle. To help her strengthen her upper leg muscles, I advised her to start walking more flat footed, with the entire foot hitting each step. This can be difficult when you are changing your habit and walking quickly. Thus, when we walk, she and I both make a conscious effort to make sure she is using her whole foot.

This week, we spent some time talking about lunges. She started doing walking lunges in the evening, and found out she had the same problem: sore muscles in her calves. We wanted to help her target her quads. As a result, I looked at her form and found that her back leg was not bent, instead really stiff and straight, causing her back calf muscle to work harder. I suggested she bend her back leg, in addition to her front leg at a 90 degree angle. After trying it a couple of times, she finally felt a slight burn in her quads.

The other issue is that she has bad knees, so she can't bend down as low. As a result, I told her to do a lunge, bending her knees only slightly but holding it for a slightly longer time. It definitely worked better. Yet, she will check with her doctor to make sure this will be okay.

Try starting with 2 sets of 10 every day. You will eventually build up to more reps or more sets. Check out Shape Magazine's walking lunge for more guidance on perfect lunges. http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/routines/individual-exercises/walking-walking-lunge


Happy Workout!

Rhea