I loveeeee the way my lower body feels after I’ve just completed a good leg workout, so wanted to highlight the couple moves I’ve been incorporating into just about every workout I do! These are super simple and really aim to target your glutes, quads, and abductors (that outside area of your thigh and butt).
SIDE LUNGES
You can keep your hands on your hip or in prayer like pictured. Lunge out to your right or left with respective leg. You want to land with your heel first followed by your forefoot. Flex your knee and hip to lower your body. Your bent knee and hip should be at a 90-degree angle, with the opposite let at a slight angle.
Slowly press into your bent leg/foot and straighten your hip and knee until they are straight and you return to the starting position.
Tips
Make sure that you keep your torso upright and abs engaged - it’s easy to get talked into folding forward. Be sure to double check your knees to ensure they don’t go past your toes.
SQUATS
Start with your feet hip-width apart, hands on your hips or out in prayer, feet slightly turned out.. Let your hips drift back as your knees start to bend - slow motion. Imagine you are trying to sit in a chair — keeping your spine straight and head still and raised slightly. When you’ve reached your lowest point without compromising your position, slowly press back up to stand straight.
Tips
Don’t try to get super low if it means you are crouched forward — posture is more important than depth in this move. Your knees should be right above your toes, or even slightly behind them (just never over).
CURTSY LUNGE
I like to keep my hands on my hip for this one — gives me more balance. Cross one leg back and behind the other, and come down into a lunge. The front foot stays flat on the ground and you are on the toe of your back foot. Pay attention to your knees and make sure to step far enough back so you are using your quads and not forcing weight into your knees.
Tips
Same with the squats, remember to keep your spine straight and head forward. Your bent knee should still not travel in front of your toes, and try not to dump onto your back leg so much where you don’t feel the lunge in your front bent knee.
Hope you enjoy these leg exercises as much as I do!