Dr. Laskowski: The lunge is a body resistance exercise that works the leg muscles. Specifically, the lunge targets the quadriceps and the hamstring muscles in the thigh, the gluteal muscles in the buttock, and to a lesser extent, the lower leg muscles. The lunge is a great conditioning exercise for many sports, especially those that involve lunging movements, such as tennis, basketball or soccer.

Nicole Campbell: To do a stationary lunge, start by standing up comfortably. Step ahead with one foot and lean forward until your knee reaches a 90-degree angle and your rear knee is parallel to the ground. Then return to the starting position. You’ll feel some tension in your legs.

When you’re doing lunges, keep your back in a neutral position, but don’t flatten the curve of your lower back, and don’t arch your back in the other direction. Make sure that your knee doesn’t go beyond your toes and that your knee stays centered over your foot. Don’t let your knee roll inward or outward.

If you can’t lower your knee to a 90-degree angle, simply go as low as you can. Do as many repetitions as you can, depending on your fitness level. Stop when you’re fatigued or your form begins to suffer.

For a variety, try a traveling lunge. Simply step ahead with the opposite foot rather than return to the starting position.

Remember, for best results, keep your back in a neutral position and let your knee follow your foot on the way down. Keep your movements smooth and controlled.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

Feb. 09, 2023

  1. Laskowski ER (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 10, 6, 2012.
  2. Krupa NL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 6, 2012.
  3. Dahm DL, et al. Mayo Clinic Fitness for Everybody. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2005:168.