When was the last time you focused your workout on lateral exercises? If you’re anything like us, the answer may well be – well, never. But if so, you’re missing a crucial element of a well-balanced, effective workout regime.
Not sure what we’re talking about? Here’s the science: our bodies are made to move in three distinct ways, known as planes of movement. These are sagittal (forwards and backwards), frontal (left and right), and transverse (rotational). Now, chances are that you regularly cover off sagittal and even rotational, but frontal movements are often overlooked, even if you’re a seasoned exerciser.
Put simply, our bodies are designed to regularly (read: every day) move in these ways, and when we do, it benefits just about everything – from joint health and digestion to cognitive function (yes, really) and more. In fact, studies (such as this one, published in the Indian Journal of Physical Therapy and Research) show that lateral moves can improve agility even in professional sports people, while another study (published in the Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences) reveals that lateral exercises can help improve stability, lowering our risk of falls and injury as we age.
Pretty compelling stuff, but if you’re not entirely sure where to start with lateral exercises, keep scrolling for everything you need to know. For more on all things strength-based, do check out our guides to the different types of strength training, the benefits of strength training, the best strength training workouts, and find out all about low-impact strength training, here.
Lateral exercises promise to boost balance and coordination – top coaches cover your need-to-knows
What are lateral exercises?
We’ve touched on this briefly above, but let’s look in more detail at what exactly lateral exercises are. Put simply, lateral exercises are sideways movements – think side lunges, shuffles, or lateral arm raises.
“Lateral exercises involve side-to-side movements that target muscles engaged in lateral and horizontal motions,” explains personal trainer at OriGym, Abbie Watkins. “They are great for improving athletic performance and assisting with injury prevention. This is because they improve stability, balance and mobility in the body by supporting the function of the joints during dynamic activities.”
If we had you at improves athletic performance, keep reading for more lateral exercise benefits.
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Why are lateral movements important?
Put simply, we’re not designed to work in straight lines. “We didn’t evolve moving in straight lines such as we see today with modern infrastructure such as roads trains and pavements,” notes physiotherapist and author of Stronger: 10 Exercises For A Longer Life, David Vaux. “Instead we had more variety in our movement patterns. Therefore a ‘varied diet ‘ of movement can improve and maintain strength, optimal joint health and balance while preventing injuries. I often recommend racket sports or indoor bouldering due to their tendency to force the participants to react or, as I call it, physically problem solve within that situation.”
Our experts all advise that for a well-rounded workout, we should be incorporating at least some lateral movements into all of our exercise sessions. But for maximum benefits, a targeted session is always best.
“Many traditional workouts focus on forward and backward movements, which occur in the sagittal plane,” notes personal trainer at The Fitness Group, Eryn Barber. “However, humans are also designed to move side-to-side, in the frontal plane, through what is known as lateral movement. Neglecting lateral movement can limit overall athletic performance and lead to muscle imbalances, which may increase the risk of injury.
“Examples of lateral exercises include lateral lunges, side shuffles, and lateral bounds. These exercises are particularly effective at engaging the glute medius and abductors, which are key muscles for maintaining hip stability.”
What are the benefits of lateral exercises?
Given that many of us aren’t aware of the need to train in this way, you might be surprised to learn that there’s a whole host of benefits associated with incorporating lateral motion into our fitness regimes.
1. They enhance balance and coordination
There’s no doubt that lateral training is super important for stability, balance and coordination.
“Lateral exercises are a great way to boost your balance,” notes Watkins. “They engage all those small, stabilising muscles around the hips, core and shoulders. These muscles help you stay controlled and steady while working out, and more generally in life, too.
“They can also enhance coordination by forcing different muscle groups to work together across different planes of motion,” she continues. “This can result in more efficient and controlled movements, especially in dynamic tasks.”
In addition, lateral movements boost our proprioception skills, which is essentially, our awareness of how our body moves in space. Having greater awareness and control of this enables us to move more freely and with more stability, too.
2. They help reduce the risk of injury
“Strengthening the body’s stabilising muscles reduces the risk of common injuries, particularly in the knees, hips, and ankles,” says Barber. ” By moving in a side-to-side pattern, your body must engage stabilising muscles that are often neglected in traditional workouts. This helps improve your overall body awareness, movement control, and responsiveness, all of which are crucial for balance and coordination, reducing our likelihood of injuries and falls.”
Interestingly, most injuries occur when we’re moving, for example when we stumble or trip. “Training our brain and muscles to work laterally can help us work more efficiently in such movements and make accidents less likely,” notes Vaux.
3. They improve athletic performance
It stands to reason that strength gains should translate to better athletic performance, but lateral movements also help to improve our agility, proving useful in various sports.
“Lateral exercises are crucial for sports that require side-to-side or multi-directional movement, such as tennis, football, and basketball,” agrees Barber. “They will also benefit athletes in other disciplines where rapid side-to-side movements are essential.”
4. They support functional movement patterns
Let’s face it, many of us spend large swathes of our time sitting at a desk, walking, or even running and cycling – i.e. using our bodies in a sagittal plane. While it may not entirely counteract this tendency, adding some consistent lateral training can help to balance this out, as well as making everyday movements feel easier.
“Developing strength in the frontal plane supports better movement mechanics in daily activities,” agrees Barber. “Lateral movements are a great way of diversifying workouts and improving overall functional strength.”
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5 best lateral exercises to boost balance and coordination to try today
1. Lateral lunges
What? A classic strength training move, the side lunge is a great lateral exercise.
Why? “Lateral lunges are great for developing strength and mobility, as well as challenging balance and spatial awareness,” advises Skinner.
How long for? Aim for three sets of ten reps on each side.
2. Skaters
What? A lateral jump from side to side, skaters offer a high-octane cardio hit as well as boosting lateral strength.
Why? “Skaters are particularly useful for those looking to enhance their agility, speed and balance,” says Barber.
How long for? Aim for one minute of skaters and work up from there.
3. Lateral raises
What? Holding a weight in each hand, raise your arms from your sides to shoulder height, then return slowly and with control.
Why? “Lateral raises are great if you want to improve your posture,” says Watkins. “They’re a great way to strengthen your shoulders and upper back, as well as working balance and stability.”
How long for? Aim for three sets of ten reps.
4. Lateral banded walk
What? Walking side to side in a slight squat position, with a resistance band just above the knees.
Why? “Lateral banded walks can help improve hip stability and enhance lateral movement by strengthening the glutes, hips, and outer thighs,” says Watkins.
How long for? 30 to 60 seconds.
5. Side plank
What? From a plank set-up, turn your body to the side until you’re balancing on one arm (or forearm). Stack your feet, or have one staggered in front of another. Lift your hips to engage your core and side body.
Why? “A side plank is great for developing lateral strength, as well as challenging the muscles of your arms and your overall endurance levels,” says Skinner.
How long for? Aim to hold for 30 to 60 seconds.
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How often should we be doing lateral exercises?
“If you’re looking to improve balance, coordination and achieve muscle symmetry, you should be aiming to do lateral exercises between two and three times a week,” shares Watkins. “You can start by performing up to two sets for each movement and gradually increase the number of sets you do as your strength increases. This will ensure your muscles are activated during the lateral moves and can help with their recovery after your workout is complete.”
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