Second only to squats (and maybe deadlifts), lunges are one of the most functional exercises you can do. They work the same muscles you use to climb stairs, step on the pile of clothes you're trying to ignore, or walk your dog around the neighborhood.
But what if you train lunges every day? If doing it every now and then is good, then doing it daily should be even better, right? Not so fast! While there are some benefits, there are also some drawbacks to consider.
3 benefits of striding every day
You can develop muscular strength and endurance
The main muscles that are targeted during lunges are the quadriceps and hamstrings of the front leg and the glutes, hamstrings, and calf of the rear leg. You also work a ton of stabilizing and synergistic muscles, including the gluteus medius and minimus (hip abductors), adductor magnus, gastrocnemius, soleus, quadratus lumbar, obliques, and tibialis anterior.
And if you hold weights, they also work your upper body and core.
Depending on the type you are doing, different levels of stability and balance are required. The more balance is required, the more the core and back are recruited in these movements, making them effective in improving overall core strength.
Even if you don't do weight lunges every day (which experts agree you shouldn't do), doing them with body weight can improve your muscular and cardiovascular endurance. Just be sure to change the stride variations you're doing, mixing more types of stretches between heavy lifting days.
You can improve the mobility of your hip
You can consider them a strengthening exercise, but they also require a lot of mobility, particularly in the hip flexors.
But you also need flexibility. If your quads are too tight, you may not be able to extend your back leg far enough, which means you won't be able to create a 90-degree angle with your front leg. Likewise, if your ankles are tight, you may have a difficult time keeping your front foot planted during your strides, which can lead to instability.
Don't expect daily strides to be an automatic antidote to mobility problems. In fact, doing them every day with limited mobility can reinforce poor movement patterns and increase the risk of injury. It's best to work on mobility first and add strides to your routine when you can perform them correctly.
If you don't have any mobility problems, you may not have the problem of reinforcing poor technique and can safely perform some stride variations on a daily basis. However, pay special attention to your form, as your muscles can get so tired that it is difficult to maintain proper technique even when you have good mobility.
2 drawbacks of doing lunges daily
Increase your risk of injury
Performing a scrolling lunge is quite complex, as you need to step forward, place your foot in a good spot that is far enough for the length of your leg, then slowly lower yourself with control and get back up with control. In other words, a lot could go wrong.
For example, lunges require a lot of balance and stability . Without it, you could stagger and fall, which could injure an ankle or knee. Incorrect technique also puts excessive force on the shins, ankles, and knees, which can lead to pain, or worst-case muscle strain or torn ligaments.
Also, due to the unstable nature of the exercise, the eccentric part (lowering phase) becomes even more difficult. Think going down in a squat versus a lunge – there's a lot more stability in a squat because both feet are planted close to each other. In contrast, in the other exercise it becomes even more difficult to control your body against gravity.
You may experience overtraining symptoms
In fact, it is possible to take too many strides too often. And your body will tell you when you have it. One could start to have a very tight muscle that leads to stresses and restrictions on the trigger points, which would then cause restrictions on the joints. The iliotibial band can also start to get very tight because it helps the hip abductors stabilize and also helps the knee flex and extend with each rise and fall of the lunge.
When your IT band adjusts, it pulls on the kneecap and you can develop pain around the knee.
Lunges can be a demanding movement. The obvious signs of over-exercise, such as overly sore muscles, tiredness and wasting and generally weaker, apply to this exercise.
More specifically, if you are overdoing it, you will notice that they become increasingly difficult to perform. Your technique will be significantly worse and less consistent from rep to rep.
So can you do lunges every day?
Some fitness professionals would advise against doing them every day, while others might say it's okay as long as you're in tune with your body and aware of the potential risks – that is, you know when to stop exercising.
You don't want to work the same muscles over and over again without giving them recovery time . This will lead to tendonitis, muscle strains due to tension / trigger points, and possible joint problems.
But if someone insists on doing lunges every day, the ideal is to change a little, as in the strides with the forward step, the lateral ones, the backwards and the crossed ones. You can also vary them by going up to an unstable surface like a BOSU.
If you decide to stride every day, be sure to vary your weight and rep schedule as well. You can also try incorporating similar movements to add a bit of variety to your routine. Try the Bulgarian squats, one-legged deadlift, and one-legged glute bridges.
And at least one day a week, you should do them only with your body weight and focus on the mobility aspect and recovery of movement.
How many strides should you do a day?
Whether you can or should do this exercise every day depends on your fitness level and your individual risk of injury. If you use weights during your lunges, the load will also affect your rep count. Try starting with 3 sets of 10 on each leg (20 total) without weight. If you feel good, add a little weight and try the same rep count next time.
You probably shouldn't do more than 4-5 sets in a day to reduce the risk of overtraining your leg muscles and preventing severe pain.
You'll also want to limit the amount you do each day so that you can keep up with your performance; There really is no point doing lunges every day if you can't perform them properly or safely.
