To start, stand with your feet hip-width apart. Take a big step back with your right leg, crossing it behind your left leg. Bend both knees and lower your body towards the floor until your front knee forms about a 90-degree angle. Return to start and repeat on the other side.

Step right leg out to the side as wide as you can. Keeping feet parallel, gently lower into a bent right leg, bringing weight into right heel.
Push off with right foot. As you move back to standing position, raise right knee parallel to the floor. Alternate sides.

Intermediate:  from the lunge position to the standing position – push off your right foot without touching your right foot to the floor, raise your knee parallel to the floor. Alternate sides.

Standing with your feet slightly apart, bend your knees and lower a few inches into a slight squat. Lift your right leg up, bend your knee and cross it over your left leg, with your right ankle resting on your left knee. Lower down until your supporting thigh is parallel to the ground.  Return to standing. Repeat on the other side.

Sit on the edge of the chair with your back straight, left leg straight out in front of you and right leg bent with foot on the floor. Using only your right glute and right leg, push up and rise to a standing position. You can leave your flexed left foot lightly touching the ground for balance, but do not put any weight on it. Push hips back to slowly sit down. Repeat on other side.

Intermediate: Keep your raised foot lifted a few inches off the floor the entire time.

How-To: Stand with feet hip-width apart and step forward with your right leg. Lower into a lunge position, so that both the front and back legs are (ideally) bent to 90 degrees. Your upper body should be straight (not leaning forward or back). Hold this position for a moment, then push off the right foot and return to stand. Repeat on the other side.

What to watch out: When you don’t step far enough forward, you may put extra weight on your toes, which means excessive pressure on your knees and hips—it’s also harder to balance like this. Work on strengthening your glutes, hip flexors (so you can bend deeper), and hamstrings (so you can take some of the pressure off the front of your legs). Though it is acceptable for your chest to come forward slightly (the same type of motion as when you’re walking or climbing stairs), leaning too far forward can be an indication of weak glutes and core, or an over-emphasis on the quads. Remember to engage your glutes and hamstrings as you perform the movement.