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Move Better, Feel Better: Why Lateral Movement Should Be Part of Every Workout
When most people think about exercise, they picture moving forward—walking, running, biking, or lifting weights. While those movements are important, they only train your body in one direction.
In real life, your body moves in every direction. Whether you're stepping off a curb, chasing your kids around the yard, playing pickleball, or changing direction during a workout, side-to-side movement is part of everyday life.
That's where lateral movement training comes in.
By incorporating lateral movement drills into your workouts, you can improve balance, coordination, strength, and overall athleticism while helping reduce your risk of injury.
What Is Lateral Movement?
Lateral movement simply means moving side to side rather than forward and backward.
Some common examples include:
- Lateral shuffles
- Side lunges
- Banded lateral walks
- Skater hops
- Carioca drills
These exercises challenge your body in a different way than traditional strength exercises and activate muscles that are often overlooked.
Why Side-to-Side Movement Matters
Many gym-goers spend most of their workouts moving in a straight line. While exercises like squats, deadlifts, and lunges are excellent, they don't fully prepare your body for everyday movement.
Lateral exercises help strengthen the muscles responsible for stabilizing your hips, knees, and ankles.
Benefits include:
- Improved balance and coordination
- Better hip and glute strength
- Increased knee stability
- Better agility and reaction time
- Reduced injury risk
- Improved functional movement
The stronger your stabilizing muscles become, the more efficient and confident you'll feel during both workouts and everyday activities.
Try This: Banded Lateral Walks
One of our favorite drills is the banded lateral walk because it's simple, effective, and appropriate for almost every fitness level.
Here's how to do it:
- Place a resistance band around your ankles or just above your knees.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and bend your knees slightly into an athletic stance.
- Keep your chest tall and core engaged.
- Take slow, controlled steps to one side while keeping constant tension on the band.
- Repeat in the opposite direction.
Complete 10–15 steps each direction for 2–3 rounds.
The goal isn't speed—it's control.
Who Should Be Doing Lateral Movement Drills?
The short answer: everyone.
These exercises aren't just for athletes.
They're beneficial for:
- Adults looking to improve balance
- Beginners building confidence in movement
- Lifters wanting stronger hips and glutes
- Weekend warriors playing recreational sports
- Anyone looking to stay active and injury-free
Training your body in multiple planes of motion creates more well-rounded fitness and better prepares you for real life.
Small Changes Lead to Big Results
Adding just five minutes of lateral movement to your warm-up can improve mobility, activate important stabilizing muscles, and prepare your body for the rest of your workout.
It's one of those simple habits that pays off over time.
Move Better at Gym MPLS
At Gym MPLS, we believe fitness is about more than lifting heavier weights—it's about building a body that moves well for life.
Our coaches incorporate functional movement, strength training, and mobility exercises into our programming so you can feel stronger, move better, and stay active for years to come.
Ready to improve the way you move? Stop by Gym MPLS and experience training that's built for real life.
