If you’re bored with squats, deadlifts The best knee-strengthening exercises for runners reverse lunges, and want to try a new leg exercise to build strength in your glutes and quads, curtsy lunges are a must.
Strength training for runners is essential, and curtsy lunges are the ideal exercise to do at home with no equipment, although you can add a dumbbell in each hand for increased difficulty (purely optional).
A 2022 review The best knee-strengthening exercises for runners running economy — aka how efficient you are at running. A combination of strength training and plyometric drills (explosive exercises, like squat jumps or burpees) is usually recommended for runners.
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The lower-body exercise that will make you faster?
Curtsy lunges are similar to reverse lunges, but the back leg is crossed behind the stationary leg, instead of being stepped directly back, resembling a curtsy.
This exercise is even better than its regular counterparts because it engages secondary muscles that don’t normally see much action: your hamstrings and two smaller glute muscles, the gluteus medius and minimus.
The lateral movement in the curtsy motion uses those muscles along the side and back of the hips, unlike regular lunges.
mdash; aka how efficient you are at running. A combination of?
Curtsy lunges are important because the side movement will improve your stability and balance, making your running more efficient.
Your hip adductors are also worked by the stepping back motion, and strengthening them will help you prevent injuries by lowering tightness in the area.
You will also be able to move your legs more efficiently by engaging your inner thigh muscles, an often overlooked area, which could improve your running performance.
How to do the clamshell exercise?
You may opt for curtsy lunges on a leg day or during a full-body workout, but make sure you do it after you’ve warmed up with squats and standard lunges.
Curtsy lunges can be done with light weights and high tempo to improve cardio health, or heavier weights to increase the load on the leg muscles.
What are curtsy lunges:
- Stand with your feet at shoulder-width apart and arms down by your torso.
- Rest your weight on your front foot and step back and to the side with your left, as if you are curtsying. Keep your chest high and gaze forward, and lower your thigh as close to parallel to the floor as you can.
- Push through your front leg and exhale to return to the initial position.
- Meet the latest lunge in town – one that fires up your glute.
