High Lunge
- Target muscle
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- Equipment
- Body weight
- Body part
- Stretching
- Type
- Stretching
The high lunge is a bodyweight stretch and mobility hold that opens the hips by lengthening the hip flexors and quad of the back leg while stretching the hamstrings and glutes of the front leg. Held with the rear knee lifted, it builds lower-body flexibility and stability and is a useful warm-up or cool-down for running, squatting, and most lower-body training.
How to do the High Lunge
- 1Start standing tall, then step one foot back into a long stride, keeping your feet about hip-width apart for balance.
- 2Bend your front knee until it stacks directly over your ankle, with the shin close to vertical.
- 3Keep your back leg straight and strong, pressing through the ball of the back foot with the heel lifted off the floor.
- 4Square your hips toward the front of the mat and draw your tailbone gently down to lengthen the front of the back hip.
- 5Lengthen your spine, lift your chest, and let your arms rest at your sides or reach them overhead.
- 6Settle into the position and breathe slowly, sinking a little deeper into the hips with each exhale.
- 7Hold for 20–40 seconds, feeling the stretch through the back-leg hip flexor and the front-leg hamstring.
- 8Press through your front foot to step back to standing, then repeat on the other side.
Form tips
- Stack the front knee over the ankle, not past the toes, to keep the stretch in the hips rather than loading the knee joint.
- Tuck the tailbone slightly and engage your lower abs to deepen the hip-flexor stretch on the back leg.
- Widen your stance from front to back if you feel wobbly, which gives you a more stable base to relax into the hold.
- Keep the back leg actively straight and the back heel reaching down rather than letting the leg go slack.
- Breathe steadily and ease into range over several breaths instead of forcing the position on the first second.
Common mistakes
- Letting the front knee drift past the toes, which shifts load onto the knee and takes the stretch out of the hips.
- Collapsing the chest and rounding the back, which shortens the spine and reduces the hip-flexor stretch.
- Letting the hips twist open to one side, which unevenly loads the stretch and reduces hip mobility gains.
- Bouncing into the hold instead of holding steady, which can strain the muscles rather than lengthen them.
- Holding your breath, which tenses the muscles you are trying to relax and lengthen.
Frequently asked questions
What does the high lunge stretch?
It mainly stretches the hip flexors and quad of the back leg while opening the hips, and it lengthens the hamstrings and glutes of the front leg. It is a full lower-body hip-opener.
What is the difference between a high lunge and a low lunge?
In a high lunge the back knee stays lifted off the floor with the leg straight and the heel raised, while in a low lunge the back knee rests on the ground. The high lunge demands more balance and engages the back leg more actively.
How long should I hold a high lunge?
Hold each side for about 20–40 seconds, breathing slowly and sinking a little deeper on each exhale. Repeat 1–3 times per side as part of a warm-up or cool-down.
Is the high lunge good for beginners?
Yes. It needs no equipment and you control the depth, so beginners can use a shorter stance and place hands on the front thigh or a chair for balance until the hips open up.
Where should I feel the high lunge?
You should feel a stretch across the front of the back-leg hip and quad, and along the back of the front leg through the hamstring. You should not feel pain or pressure in the front knee.
