A supported lunge is a forward lunge done beside a chair, with one hand resting on the chair back for balance. You step forward into a long stride, lower your back knee toward the floor and push back up, then bring your feet together and change legs. The front thigh and buttock do most of the work. Holding on lets you think about the leg rather than about staying upright, so it suits older adults and people early in knee or hip rehab.

How to do the supported lunge

Stand tall beside a sturdy chair, facing forward with the chair back at your side. Rest the nearer hand on top of it and let the other arm hang, or put that hand on your hip.
Take a good-sized step forward with one leg and put the whole foot down. Your back heel comes up so you are on the ball of that foot.
Bend both knees and lower your hips straight down between your feet. In the video the back knee comes close to the floor; stop higher than that if you need to.
Keep your body upright and your front knee over the ankle, pointing the same way as your second toe.
Push through the front foot to rise again, keeping your feet where they are. The man in the video stays in this stride and lowers twice before stepping back.
At the end of the set, step back to standing with your feet together, then do the same number with the other leg in front.

What you should feel

Work in the front of the thigh and the buttock of the leg that steps forward. The back leg may feel a gentle stretch across the front of the hip.

Common mistakes

Leaning heavily on the chair, so your arm takes weight the leg should be carrying.
Stepping too short, so your front heel lifts and the knee travels well beyond your toes.
Front knee caving in toward the middle.
Tipping the upper body forward instead of lowering straight down.

How often

Many programs start with 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 10 on each leg, a few times a week, going only as low as you can control. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

Sudden sharp pain in the front knee or either hip, or an ache at the front of the kneecap that builds with each lunge.
The knee buckles, or you lose your balance even while holding the chair.
Chest pain or pressure, dizziness or feeling faint, a racing or irregular heartbeat, or being far more out of breath than the effort should cause.
You feel dizzy, lightheaded, faint or sick, or the room seems to spin. Hold your support, sit down and get medical advice the same day before you practice again. If you faint, it does not settle within a few minutes of sitting still, your vision suddenly blurs or goes double, or you cannot stand or walk steadily, call emergency services.

From the clinic

The chair needs to be heavy enough not to tip or slide when you lean on it, and a kitchen counter works just as well. Fallen recently, living with osteoporosis, or wobbly on your feet? Keep your hand on the support for the whole set and check with your physio that this level suits you. If it feels too hard for now, the chair squat is easier. If chest pain, pressure or tightness does not ease quickly when you rest, spreads to your arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or comes with sweating, feeling sick, feeling light-headed or being short of breath, call emergency services straight away, as this can be a heart attack. If it eases quickly and none of these happen, get medical advice the same day, and do not exercise again until you have been checked.

The voice guide describes a harder version: step back to standing after every lunge and change legs each time. That asks more of your balance, so save it until a full set in the stride feels steady. After that, the split squat and then the forward lunge are the same movements without holding on.

Going all the way down is optional, and stopping halfway is a normal starting point. If the front of your knee aches, or you have had knee surgery, ask your physio how low to go. If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try supported lunges. In a deep lunge the front hip bends to about a right angle while the back hip stretches out behind your body, and many surgeons ask you to avoid that for the first months after some operations.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-26.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Supported lunge