Your hamstrings, calves, hip stabilizers, and adductors (those muscles on your inner thigh) all get a little love, and your core works hard, too, particularly the obliques and deep lower back. The movement challenges balance, stability, and coordination, and it closely translates to endurance and outdoor sports.

Many people think of lunges as a quad-specific exercise, but the primary mover is actually the gluteus maximus. Your hamstrings, calves, hip stabilizers, and adductors (those muscles on your inner thigh) all get a little love, and your core works hard, too, particularly the obliques and deep lower back.