Forward Lunges vs Backward Lunges
Have you ever experienced knee pain when moving into a forward lunge, but not when going into a reverse lunge? More often than not, people do complain of knee pain in a forward lunge as opposed to a reverse lunge, and here's why.
It has everything to do with the movement and momentum in what direction you're traveling, and what stops that movement. When I perform a forward lunge, as I step forward, my momentum is directed forward, and it is my knee joint that counteracts that momentum. That joint needs to be very strong and secure, and I need to maintain nice form in my lunge to avoid pain.
But when I do a reverse lunge, guess what stops the momentum and energy? It is the glutes and hamstrings, , along with the hip joint which are far stronger than the knee joint. Even though the end of the motion is the same position, how we get into the lunge position is very different.
So, anytime you're in a class or working out on your own and the workout calls for a forward lunge, but it doesn't feel comfortable to you, replace it with a reverse lunge. However, we want to continue working on knee health so that forward lunges can also be performed.
Our knees are crucial joints, and it's essential that we keep them healthy and the supporting muscles strong to avoid knee pain in our daily activities.
Check out the link to a video showing forward and backward lunges, where you can see the correct form and learn more about how to perform these exercises safely.
