Lunges With Lateral Raises

The lunge with lateral raise combines two different exercises -- the lunge and the lateral raise. It targets both upper and lower-body muscles, including the abdominals and muscles in the hips, buttocks, legs and shoulders. Besides building muscle, this exercise also helps improve balance and flexibility. If you are new to exercise or suffer from a prior injury or medical condition, talk to your doctor before starting a new fitness routine.

  1. Exercise How-To

    • Stand up straight with your feet close together and a dumbbell in each hand. Step forward with your right leg and lower your torso until your right thigh becomes parallel to the floor. Perform the lateral raise by lifting your arms out to your sides until they reach shoulder height. As you lift, rotate your hands upward slightly into a 60-degree angle to protect your shoulder joints. Slowly return your arms to your sides and repeat for a total of 10 repetitions. Stand up from the lunge and switch legs, repeating the lunge and lateral raises on your left side.

    Variations

    • For an alternate exercise version, perform walking lunges with lateral raises. Lunge forward with your right leg as normal and perform lateral raises. Then stand up by stepping forward with your left leg rather than bringing your right leg back. Continue lunge walking and doing lateral raises for as long as desired. You can also do side lunges with lateral raises by stepping to the side instead of stepping forward when you lunge. The curtsy lunge is another variation in which you step back with your right leg, bringing it behind your left leg as if you are doing an old-fashioned curtsy, and then do your lateral raises before returning your back leg to the starting position.

    Tips

    • You can use an exercise band if you don’t have access to dumbbells. Loop the exercise band underneath the foot you will be lunging forward with, lower yourself into a lunge and pull on the band as you raise your arms out to the sides. Breathe properly -- exhale during the exertion parts of the exercise. For example, breathe out as you lower yourself into a lunge and again when you lift the weights during the lateral raise. Inhale as you lower the weights and when you return your body to the starting position.

    Safety Considerations

    • Never allow your knee to travel beyond your toes when you lunge. This puts pressure on the joints of the knee and can lead to pain and injury. Instead, keep your shin perpendicular to the ground. Forego the dumbbells and hold onto a sturdy object while performing the lunge with lateral raises if you suffer from balance problems. Contract your abdominals throughout the entire exercise to help keep your upper-body erect and to protect your back.