In my menopausal journey, I have investigated wellness tips to integrate into my routine with the endeavor to fortify my body and energy against some of the effects of aging. Bone density is a huge topic/worry for menopausal women since our hormonal changes contribute to a greater chance of weakening bone, which can lead to osteopenia and osteoporosis. Strength training seems to be the universally recommended approach for combatting bone loss and improving muscle strength which then supports the bones on which they attach.
Why I Ditched Reverse Lunges: Strength Training Insights from My LYT Practice
With my LYT practice, I get plenty of weightbearing training, but I have added weights for an augmented benefit. In addition to the ‘SET with weights’ classes, I try to incorporate added weights several times a week.
Following some exercises that are popular in the strength training community, a few months ago I included one exercise known as the reverse lunge, where you step back with an upright posture, bending the back knee toward the ground, and then returning that foot to standing, all while holding weights in your hands. After working on this drill for a while, I have concluded that it’s kind of a dumb move and I would like to explain why and offer options that are more functionally appropriate and inclusive for more people.
Why Reverse Lunges Can Be Hard on Your Knees: Mechanics and Risks Explained
First, reverse lunges can be tricky for the knees due to several factors related to the mechanics and alignment of the movement. During a reverse lunge, the front knee must track properly over the toes without collapsing inward (known as valgus). If the knee collapses toward the midline, it can put stress on the knee joint, especially on the ligaments, which can lead to discomfort or injury over time.
In a reverse lunge, the knee goes through significant flexion as you lower your body, especially as you step back and bend the front knee with an upright trunk. This motion can also cause stress on the back knee joint, particularly if there is a history of knee pain or instability. The angle of the knee during flexion can place more strain on the patellar tendon and the structures around the knee, which I felt despite my good biomechanics and mobility.
How Limited Mobility in Hips and Ankles Increases Knee Strain During Reverse Lunges
For those people with limited mobility in the hips or ankles, compensatory movements can create too much force in the knee during the reverse lunge. For example, if the hips lack flexibility and/or the front of the pelvis is restricted, the body may rely more on the knee to control the movement, which increases stress on the joint. Additionally, if the pelvis is not held in a neutral position with the upright trunk, the load on the back knee when stepping back is inevitably absorbed in the patella and surrounding structures.
Similarly, restricted ankle dorsiflexion of the front foot (the ability to bend the ankle upward) can prevent proper alignment of the foot and knee, leading to excessive pressure on both knees during this lunge. If the quadriceps, hamstrings, or glutes are weak or imbalanced, the knee may be required to bear more of the load during a reverse lunge. This imbalance can overload the knee joint and contribute to pain or discomfort.
Why Reverse Lunges Fall Short: Knee Strain and Lack of Functional Movement
When stepping back into a reverse lunge, there is a subtle shift in weight distribution compared to a forward lunge, where the back leg absorbs more weight with the heel unloaded. The impact on the knee when stepping back, especially if done too forcefully, with improper form, and/or with added load, can increase knee strain. Also, the deceleration required to control the back leg can place additional stress on the knee joint.
My biggest pet peeve with this move is that it’s not particularly functional; when do you step back with a foot and upright trunk in your everyday life? Functional training is important with strength training because it mimics moves performed in life, preparing the body for added load in a manner that shares the workload across different muscle groups while applying manageable stress to these muscles and the bones to which they attach.
Is the Crescent Lunge a Better Alternative to the Reverse Lunge?
If you practice LYT or other yoga methods, you might wonder if crescent lunge is thereby also a less optimal move? In LYT, crescent lunge resembles the reverse lunge except that we cue the lunge to hold the shape based on a neutral pelvis, softening the back knee to the degree that is needed to achieve that. Even if we pulse in crescent lunge, lowering the back knee and pelvis and then lifting again to the starting position, we still have established the support to the center of mass (at the pelvis) to enable this move. We aren’t adding more load and stepping forward and back with the one leg, which the reverse lunge promotes.
The crescent lunge and movement in the crescent lunge are both stabilizing and mobilizing for the tissues surrounding the pelvis, hips, knees, and ankles with the goal of becoming more elastic with the movement. If we want to build more strength with more load, proper strength in the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings) is critical and I believe there are more effective ways to target these muscles without overburdening the knee joints.
Functional Alternatives to Reverse Lunges: Forward Lunges and Hip-Hinged Variations for Safer Strength Training
Some alternatives I recommend and find more functionally sound position the knees in a less awkward state while adding load. I prefer to add hip flexion with lunges but the one lunge with an upright trunk that I would add as an alternate to a reverse lunge calls for the lunge to go forward and not back. For this variation, instead of stepping back with one foot into the lunge, try stepping one foot forward, flexing the knee as much as a possible with the heel on the ground in a dorsiflexed position. As the front foot takes on most of the load of the body, it is better positioned to push against the floor to step back into the starting position (remember in the reverse lunge that this load would be on a foot that doesn’t have a heel on the ground).
The moves I prefer even more incorporate a hinged hip because a flexed hip places the glutes and hamstrings in a more lengthened position, optimizing their ability to generate force. An upright trunk with minimal hip flexion shifts more load into the quadriceps, reducing posterior chain recruitment. If the goal is to target the quadriceps, one of the best moves is a step-up or a split-squat with hinge in the hips and forward trunk lean. These moves allow quadriceps strengthening while distributing load more evenly between the knee and hip. And guess what? They more accurately mimic moves that you perform in daily life!
Better Alternatives to Reverse Lunges: Functional Moves for Strength and Joint Health
Other moves that I prefer instead of reverse lunges include a curtsy squat, one-legged dead lift (in LYT, this would be a bent-knee airplane rising to stand to bring the unweighted leg in hip flexion), parallel squats (feet hip distance and hinge hips with neutral spine) with variations, and goddess squats with floor touches. Added load can be utilized with all these movements with mechanics that benefit the whole body, bones, and muscles.
I truly feel that the reverse lunge is just a biomechanically dumb move that doesn’t translate effectively into functional movement while keeping our joints happy when we add load. So, keep adding weights in the ways that feel challenging but sustainable and check out the many classes that we offer on the LYT Daily online platform that incorporate strength training!
