Lunges are one of my favourite exercises. Why? Because they are simple to learn, can be done anywhere and there are loads of ways to adapt it, making it easier, harder or target different muscles. So here are 5 reasons why you have this exercise in your workout!

1) Lunges are a compound exercise
This means that they target multiple muscle groups at the same time, saving you time in your workout! Your glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings are all used during this exercise.

2) They can help with weight loss!
When we do resistance workouts we burn energy and also speed up our metabolism (the speed at which our body burns energy). The larger the muscles used, the more calories burnt and the faster our metabolism gets. And lunges are targeting some of the largest muscles in the body!

3) Improve your core strength
It's not just sit ups that use your abs. If you do lunges correctly you should be engaging your core. This is essential as a strong core improves balance, posture and helps prevent lower back injuries.

4) Glute activation
Another result of our sedentary lifestyle is our glutes get neglected and many people don't activate them properly during movements such as squatting, walking or running. As they are one of the most powerful muscles our lower back and hamstrings end up taking up the slack, something they aren't designed for (and another reason for lower back injuries!). If done properly lunges will help activate and use the glutes, ensuring they aren't forgotten.

So if you aren't already doing them, start using lunges in your workouts!