This is another great exercise for your hips, thighs, butt and hamstrings. You can do these holding hand weights to make it harder, or just use your body weight. If you’re just starting out, you’ll find they work you hard enough without weights. If you don’t have enough room to walk forward, you can step one leg forward, then step back, and alternate legs. So there’s not a lot of space required!

So here’s how you do them:

• Start with your feet a little apart – say two fist widths – toes pointing forward.
• Take a large step forward with your right leg, and lower your body until both legs form a 90 degree angle and you’re in a deep lunge. Your back knee may come close to the ground, but don’t let it touch. Be careful not to let your front knee travel forward of your toe, and keep it in line with your ankle.
• Push up and forward with your back leg until you are standing in the starting position again.

Once on each leg is one rep. Work up to 20 reps, and repeat.

Tips:

• Make sure you keep your head up, eyes forward and keep your back straight.
• DO NOT let your knees go forward of your toes – you should be making a 90 degree angle with your leg, with your knees always behind your toes.
• Take long steps, and your motion should be straight up and down rather than lunging forward.

Neen Monty is NOT a personal trainer…but she’s often called a gym junky, fitness fanatic and health nut. She’s a single mother of two, and knows how challenging it can be to find the time to exercise. Since her diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis five years ago, appropriate exercise has been part of her treatment regime and she is a firm believer in finding a form of exercise that suits your level of fitness, general health and interests.

She writes a blog about Rheumatoid Arthritis called Arthritic Chick and also runs a website selling Pilates DVDs.