Great Exercises That May Not Be Great For You: Part 3
In my previous articles I talked about two different upper body exercises that are great by their nature, but not necessarily appropriate or beneficial for all people based on several conditions. Here I will take a look at a commonly done exercise for the lower body.
Lunges
The Issue: Knee Pain, Back Problems (For Certain Variations)
Walking Lunges are a great exercise that targets muscles in the quadriceps, glute muscles, and hamstrings. Other muscles in the legs are pulled in as well as stabilizers. Lunges are in fact one of my favorite leg exercises, so it may seem odd that I am writing about why they may not be a great exercise for certain people. However there are certain problems that can be exacerbated if lunges, and/or some of their variations are performed.
There are numerous variations of lunges. You can do lunges in a stationary position or walking. You can have one leg up from the stationary position on a bench or in a TRX strap, requiring the leg with contact to the floor to do nearly all the work. You can also have the forward leg raised up slightly on a step to increase the overall range of motion, thereby initiating a dynamic stretch in the hamstrings while simultaneously increasing the difficulty of the overall movement. Additionally, lunges can be done solely using your bodyweight, or they can be done adding additional weight. This is typically done with the use of a barbell, dumbbells, medicine balls, or a weight vest.
Knee Problems
For those with knee problems, particularly the front (anterior) part of the knee, walking lunges can be painful. Sometimes it doesn’t matter if you do the lunges perfectly or not as you will feel pain regardless. For people with anterior knee pain or injuries, knee extension with resistance can sometimes result in pain no matter what. Even a leg extension machine can create significant knee pain for some people, no matter how low the weight is set. Force drives to the front of the knee during knee extension with resistance, and there is really no way around it. Because of this, some people will simply want to avoid engaging in lunges, or any of their variations.
One Variation For Lunges That May Help Some People
For those with anterior knee pain, increasing the length of the stride used during a lunge may help to decrease or even eliminate knee pain. Whether the stride is increased for a stationary or walking lunge, this will direct force away from the anterior area of the knee by keeping the knee back further behind the front of the foot. As with all lunges, the further out in front your knee drives, the more force is directed to that knee.
Back Problems
The phrase “back problems” can encompass any number of issues ranging from herniated disks, to structural issues such as spondylolisthesis, fractured vertebrae, or numerous other problems. It is beyond the scope of this article to address each individual back issue. However, there are some general principals to keep in mind if you choose to do lunges and you have back issues.
The main thing to consider with respect to lunges and back problems is structural loading. This is primarily done by using a barbell as the means of resistance. A barbell is often used by placing it on the upper back. The position of the bar is basically the same as when a squat is performed. The problem here is that you have additional force driving down through the back. When downward and upward movement is involved with the bar on the back, the actual effect of the weight on the spine can exceed the amount of weight actually loaded on the bar as well. For this reason, those with back problems may want to reconsider using a barbell on their back.
Some people will opt to use dumbbells in either hand when performing lunges as their primary means of increasing resistance. This allows the person to have some additional resistance without getting force applied directly down through the spine. It’s always best to talk to your doctor and a licensed physical therapist about what is appropriate and safe for you based on your particular situation.
I am personally not a big fan of using a barbell as the means of resistance when doing walking lunges. For people who are lifting heavy though this can be the only practical option. Balance is important when doing lunges, and having a bar on your shoulders with weight can be a big problem if you lose your balance, especially if you have no spotter.
The hardest part of using dumbbells for your means of resistance is that if you get higher up in weight, holding the actual dumbbells becomes difficult. This can be dealt with using lifting straps. It is my experience that individuals doing lunges are better able to recover in terms of balance if they are using dumbbells as opposed to barbells. Again, for those who are very strong, at some point this will become impractical.
Lunges are a great exercise and really work the muscles of the upper legs well. If you do have knee or back problems, consider talking with your medical professional to see if they are appropriate for you. There may be other options available to work those same muscles, but in a way that does not negatively impact your knees or back.
Paul Owens is a personal trainer in the Cleveland area. He is a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and the National Council on Strength and fitness. He is also a Corrective Exercise Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. He can be reached at http://www.clevelandpersonaltraining.com
