In this episode, Farnham’s leading over-50’s physiotherapist, Will Harlow, reveals one great exercise that can be used to build stronger legs in people over fifty.
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**Any information in this video should not be used as a substitute for individual medical advice. Please seek advice from your local healthcare professional before taking action on the information in this video.**
If you’re over 50 and looking for a great exercise for stronger legs and better balance I’m going to show you one of my favorite exercises today if you don’t know who I am my name is will harow and I’m the over 50s specialist physio here at HT physio INF farum and
Today I’m going to be showing you one of my favorite exercises to build stronger legs which is perfect for people over the age of 50 now I’ve got many exercises for stronger legs which I like to give out but this one I’ve field covers so many different bases that I
Wanted to make a specific video on it and the exercise we’re going to be talking about today is called the reverse lunge so the reverse lunge is a great exercise because it involves strengthening of the quads which are the muscles at the front of the thigh it involves the glutes which are the
Muscles at the back of the hip and it also involves the smaller muscles down in the lower leg as well now this exercise is not suitable for everyone but I do feel that this exercise is more gentle on the knees than an exercise called the forward lunge which looks
Like that so the forward lunge is when you’re stepping forward and you’re putting pressure down through this front leg now the problem with the forward lunge before I show you the right one the forward lunge puts a lot of stress through the kneecap at the front so many
Of my clients over 50 find that when they’re doing a forward lunch they get a lot of searing pain going through the kneecap so the forward lunge even though it’s a good exercise it’s not my favorite ones for people aged 50 plus so I prefer the reverse lunge instead so
I’m going to show you how to do the reverse lunge one of the best things about this is it isn’t just a strength exercise it’s a balance exercise too it looks something like this so we’re going to start with the right leg it’s going to go back the toes going down on the
Floor the knee goes down towards the floor and then you step back so I’ll show you on the other side it looks like this so we start at a nice stable point on the floor and then we’re working backwards from there so as we go back what we’re doing is we’re working our
Quads our thigh muscles and we’re also working the glutes on both sides but in different ways so it’s a fabulous exercise for people who want stronger glutes and it’s a great exercise for people who want stronger quads now what I find when I do this exercise is there
A lot less stress on the kneecap here I can barely feel any tension on the kneecap I can feel more stress on the thigh at the back but not on the knee okay so I find this a much safer exercise than the forward lunge now I love the reverse lunge because obviously
It strengthens the legs but it also works the core because you have to keep good core stability to keep the technique good and one of the other things I like about it is it works your balance obviously as we step back we’re on one leg and then we’re just on the
Toes of this one so there’s a lot of side to side movement and your job is to try and control that so that you don’t topple down now if I’m giving this to someone to do at home what I like them to do is to work to sets of about 10
Possibly 15 or 20 in a row and if they find that that gives them a nice working ache then great but if you want something a bit tougher you can add load to the movement now if you see people doing this in the gym sometimes they will use a barbell across their
Shoulders but many people just want to be able to do this at home and you don’t need a barbell for that you can use small weights which you can hold in your hand so I’ve got some ankle weights here just because this is all we’ve got in
The office at the moment but these are going to be perfect for the job so you’d hold them in both hands and nothing changes we’re going to go back and then forward so step back and forward and our knee is not making contact with the ground okay I’m stopping about 4 in
Short of the ground there cuz you don’t want your kneecap to be touching the floor and you’ll notice I’m doing this exercise wearing trainers that’s important because if you’re doing it Barefoot you can do it but you’re going to end up with a sore toe at the back as
You do this and especially if you’re doing it on firm floor so I like to do this in trainers nice cushion trainers work best and if you want to make it harder you can use one of these so as I said this exercise not suitable for everyone but for many people it’s a
Great exercise to build stronger legs get checked out by your healthc care professional if you’re not sure but for most people doing this a few times per week for a set to fatigue is enough to build some strength and balance anyway that’s all I’ve got for you today I hope
That has made sense if you want to get more from me after this video please do uh hit like on the video subscribe to the channel and grab a copy of my book which you can find using the links below and I’ll look forward to seeing you on the next video
43 Comments
I'm two years off 50, might start doing them early
I do squats instead of
What do you think of the Bulgarian split quad?
Thank you
Thanks for sharing with us 😊
Nice! As a cyclist this seems a great exercise.
Question: is it advised to switch legs after each rep or do 10 per leg and then switch?
I've tried using with a weight vest to increase the load….works great…
My one comment would be to show people from the side view
excellent!
Thank you ..Thank you
Or use dumb bells.
What about seated and extending free hanging legs 90° upwards (with minimal weights)
Thanks!
I would recommend beginners or seniors reverse a lawn chair in front and place hands on top for stability. Also in the kitchen place hands on counter to perform.
Paralyzed person can do this exercise? Little bit tough , is it?
Good info
I’m 79 & just saw your video. The reverse lunges really are a challenge to start esp. with balance, but after a bit a good wkout was gained.
Hey Will, I genuflect every time at church….Backward lunge my Favirite, It’s also a Blessing.🙏
Brilliant. Simple but effective exercises that I can do. (I'm 74)
Love your videos. Can’t seem to get my glutes to fire or at least I don’t feel them
What do you have for 80 year olds?
Is every other day a couple times a week or 3 times a week is enough.
Very helpful thank you I appreciate you very much!
Thanks ❤
Would you recommend fewer reps but more often, or do all reps at one sitting? Thanks
Thanks for this, what about a counter exercise to work the hams since this does not target them?
Hi Will, I am gonna start this from today, as my groin, thighs, knee and calf mussles and severe back pain are all very week after groin hernia surgery, i have miniscus tear both leags as well ( mostly inside bit out side as well ) i Will realy appreciate if you guide me some exersie for strenten groin mussles and miniscus pain. Thanks in adavce
I'm 65 yo male…. I do this exercise regularly….. it's great for balance and functional leg strength…..I used to have some knee pain walking down stairs but since incorporating this exercise my knees have felt so much better…..as my knees and back have never been the best I cannot run so my aerobic work consists of a circuit of Burpees, squats and lunges….. it's a fantastic low impact workout that gets the heart pumping….
Great advice . I feel old at 70 + but hanging in.
what is the difference in benefice between forward and backward lunges
What is the problem with working up to touching the back knee to the floor. I used to do that and found it required greater strength. Is this dangerous?
I am starting to run a year after my knee reconstruction I had 3 ligaments reconstructed. Do you think that running is a good idea for me? Ian 55 yrs old
Thanks !!!
This was so helpful I needed it thank you for sharing!
Deadlifting. Everything else is just cardio.
I am 73 and went back to the gym after 20 years ,lost 10 kg doing weight training and intermittent fasting but I don’t have enough muscle in my legs so this is a great exercise for me ,the problem is I can’t keep my balance yet so I have hold to a chair ,soon is New year’s holiday in Japan and the gym is off for a week so I will challenge myself,thank you so much and Happy Holidays 🙏🤗
Thank you for this video 💯🙏👍
I'm a 60 y/o runner (10+ miles) and a personal trainer. I learned the hard way about forward lunges… I don't do them or teach them anymore, but I love back lunges!
Reverse lunge. Saved you some time 😜
Yes ✅ Excellent… Thank You
❤ thank you
Does this exercise work hamstrings as well, will?
Put a furniture slider or piece of cardboard or paper under the back foot on reverse lunges. Move your feet on parallel tracks, not in arcs, and your balance will be better.
Can people with arthritis do this?