Only one exercise has been consistent in my workout routine over the last five years - the walking lunge. This simple variation on the classic lunge fires up the lower body and offers benefits beyond building strength.
When I first started strength training in the gym, I reached out to a personal trainer who made me a programme based on my goals (getting stronger, muscle definition, and improving my balance). Among the exercises, which also included squats and push-ups, was the walking lunge.
At first, it felt like my legs were on fire - and I was only using my body weight. Over time as I got stronger, I managed 10, 12, and 15 steps, adding up to 45 repetitions in total. Then I added my dumbbells or kettlebells into the exercise.
Walking lunges were first added to my programme five years ago. I go to a different gym now and don't have a personal trainer anymore - but I've kept my walking lunges. Here's why...
Benefits of walking lunges
1. Builds lower-body strength
The biggest benefit of the walking lunge is how effectively it can help build lower-body strength. Along with various types of squats, I credit this exercise for the significant improvements in my leg and glute strength over the years.
"The walking lunge is a great lower body movement because it’s a compound exercise, this means you’re working several muscles at once so you’re getting bang for your buck," says Eryn Barber, MSc, a strength and conditioning specialist who works with The Fitness Group.
In this case, you'll find you're working the quadriceps (thighs), hamstrings (back of thighs), glutes (buttocks), and core muscles, which are all key for building strength and power in the lower body.
2. Improves balance and stability
When I first did walking lunges, balance was a big area of improvement for me. I'd wobble down the track, feeling unstable and moving very slowly. Now, I move confidently, clutching a 7.5kg weight in both hands.
As walking lunges recruit the lower-body stabilising muscles, such as the glutes, along with the core and back muscles, better balance and stability are almost guaranteed.
There's even a study that backs up the benefits, with research from Konkuk University finding that doing lunges on unstable support surfaces can improve muscle function and static and dynamic balance in middle-aged women. As a side note, the study also found that lunging on an unstable surface effectively helped participants reduce body fat, more so than on a stable surface.
While walking is more stable than a Bosu ball, which is a great walking lunge alternative if you don't have the space to do the exercise when strength training at home, it's still a movement that requires more balance than standing still.
3. Focuses on single-leg strength
As well as generally building strength in the lower body, walking lunges build single-leg strength. As a runner and keen hiker, this is very important to me.
We only use one leg at a time when we run, so it makes sense to individually challenge each leg in strength exercises. Since I'd just started running five years ago, I've never been able to tell whether my walking lunges have had a positive impact on my running, but Barber assures me that they certainly would have.
"As they are a single-leg exercise, they can help to even out any muscle imbalance you might have. This can then reduce the chance of overusing one side of the body during a run and over time causing injury," she says.
"The exercise is an anti-rotation movement and focuses on core stability, which is essential for a runner because you need a strong core to maintain good form."
4. Targets the upper-body too
Per my personal trainer's guidance, when I do walking lunges, my first thought before I've even taken a step forward is to bring my shoulder blades back and down. Holding this position stops my arms from swinging the dumbbells as I move. The combination of the hold and the weights in my hands targets the back, shoulders, and arms.
There's nothing like a proper upper-body weights workout to target the back and shoulders but if you're short on time, walking lunges can go someway to strengthening this area.
5. Time efficient
If you've only got 30 minutes to do strength training at home or in the gym, you'll need the most "bang for your buck", as Barber says, which means prioritising compound exercises like walking lunges.
Sometimes, I do supersets with my walking lunges as well. This is a type of workout where you switch between different exercises in the same set. For example, you might do 10 walking lunges and immediately go into 10 squats before taking a rest. It's another way to save time and research shows it's just as effective at working the muscles without compromising recovery time.
As walking lunges involve forward movement, it's a good one to fit into a superset with static exercises like squats or deadlifts.
If you want to make your walking lunges harder, a good pair of dumbbells is essential. A dumbbell in each hand can help with balance as you move, and having hexagonal-shaped dumbbells means they won't roll away when you put them down on the ground.
Adjustable dumbbells can support your training as you get stronger. This set from Amazon starts at 3kg and goes up to 7.5kg, leaving you room to improve while starting manageable. Simply take the small plates on and off the handle to adjust the weight.
Dumbbells vs kettlebells - if you prefer these larger weights, a cast iron kettlebell is a good option. They tend to be easier to grip, I found. This one from Amazon Basics made the list of our top picks as it has a wide handle and the weight is distributed well through the bell.
How to do walking lunges with dumbbells
Want to try walking lunges for yourself? Here are tips from Eryn Barber and me, with a video demonstration by CrossFit.
- Think train tracks, not tight rope: "When you lunge, your legs shouldn’t cross over each other as this can reduce your ability to balance," says Barber. "Instead, keep your feet shoulder-width apart, that way you will have a more stable base."
- Focus on your upper body: The walking lunge is a lower-body exercise, but if you don't stabilise your upper body, your arms will naturally start to swing when you carry weights. Bring your shoulder blades back and down, as if you're squeezing pencils between your armpits.
- Kiss the floor with your knee: "In order get the most out of a lunge, you want to complete the exercise with a full range of motion, this means getting your knee as close the the floor as possible," she says. "However, try not to bash your knee against the floor as this could cause pain and bruising."
- Start slow: "If you’re wobbling around when you do a walking lunge, you won’t be engaging the muscles correctly," she says. "Take your time and focus on technique, even pausing between each repetition. This will allow you to focus on form and engage your lower body muscles."
- Try your body weight first: It can be tempting to pick up dumbbells that you'd normally use for lower-body exercises, but you'll want to try much lighter weights to start with. To ease in, you could try just using your body weight or doing the lunges as part of a full-body resistance band workout.
What muscles do walking lunges work?
Walking lunges target most muscles in the lower body, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core muscles, making it an ideal exercise to add to any strength workout.
As noted, if you carry weights in your hands, you'll notice that the exercise recruits muscles in the upper body too, such as those in the back, shoulders, and arms.
You'll know if your chosen weight is too heavy if you can't complete a full set of walking lunges (8 to 12 lunges) without compromising on your form.
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