Curtsy lunges are one of the most common glute exercises on the market, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re effective. Knee pain is a pretty common result of this popular exercise, but you can use these tips to do it safely and properly during your next workout.
Engage Hips and Glutes
Properly engaging your hips and glutes will help you perform this move correctly without putting too much pressure on your knees. You can do this by squeezing your glutes and outer hip muscles as you lower, helping you to brace your knee as you perform the move.
Foot Position
You should also make sure you’re standing firmly on your feet while doing curtsy lunges to avoid possible knee injuries. The best way to do it is to keep your weight evenly distributed through your stationary foot and adjusting how much you cross the leg behind you.
Don’t Go Too Low
People try to go as low as possible when doing this move, thinking it will be more effective this way, but that’s not really necessary. You should limit how far you lower because the exercise will be effective as long as your glutes, hips, legs, and core are engaged.
