A walking rush stimulates fear among gym guests for one simple reason. They are difficult. But fitness pros love them because they get results.
“We’re looking forward to seeing you in the process of doing things,” said Tom Biggart of DPT, owner of EBM Fitness Solutions.
The movement itself is easy to learn, but charges while walking challenge balance, engage in the core, and increase your heart rate.
What is a walking charge?
A walking lunge is essentially a forward lunge. Instead of returning the lunge’s foot to its starting position, step forward with your hind legs.
When properly performed, lunging while walking is an effective weight exercise that helps strengthen and build glut and leg muscles. They can be used as intensity movements in circuit workouts or as a dynamic stretch for warm-ups if you’re already quite fitted.
You can also make your lunges more challenging when walking with variations that add resistance, such as dumbbell walking lunges, overhead walking lunges, and barbell walking lunges.
Walking Lunge: Step-by-Step Instructions
- Leave your hips wide and place your hands on your hips or hold two light dumbbells at your side.
- Take a step forward with your right leg with a stride that doubles your normal walking stride.
- Bend your right knee about 90 degrees (or as low as you can go comfortably), lower your left knee and float just above the ground. The knees on the back must also bend at an angle of approximately 90 degrees.
- Put your weight on your right foot, push your left foot out to straighten your leg, then hold your left foot forward and go back to your right foot, then return to your standing position.
- Repeat on the other side, then charge forward with your left leg.
- Continue to advance by alternately charging your legs for the specified distance or number of steps.
While you are making a walking lunge, make sure your knees on your back are facing straight in front of you, and don’t rotate inward, especially when pushing your hind legs away. Use your core to lift your chest and keep your shoulders behind you and balance.
Rushing while walking: Benefits and muscles worked
Walking lunges are easy to learn, but they are rewarding. And it could be a huge addition to your training routine. Here is the important advantage of walking charges.
1. Versatility
“Walking lunges have many benefits, including the ability to do it anywhere,” said Rebekah Miller, a Kinesiology, CSCS and NASM certified personal trainer. “They can work a lot of different muscles and change by adding weight.”
You can also change the walking lunge in the following variations:
- Speed them up
- Add half to the bottom
- Add a twist or isometric hold to the bottom
- Curl or overhead press when you “walking”
- Hold the barbell overhead during exercise
- Do them on slopes or declines
2. Low strength
In addition to being involved in the core muscles, the gait lungs target the lower body.
If you are chasing the back of a more defined quad or Shaipuria, it will help you build your walking lungs by strengthening them from the waist down.
3. Functional fitness
Walking lunges are also considered a functional exercise, according to NASM-certified personal trainer Rachel Fiske, North Carolina. Adding walking lunges to your workouts, she says, and not only will your overall fitness improve, you may find that you have easier time with daily tasks like carrying groceries to the stairs or running on the bus.
