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They’ll weather the weather. If you’re unable to do lunges due to an injury, have trouble balancing, or you simply don’t like them (no judgment!), there are plenty of alternative exercises that can be just as effective.

“Forward lunges are a favorite for their effectiveness in targeting the quads and engaging the glutes. However, they’re not without drawbacks,” says Joey Thurman, CPT, certified personal trainer, author, and founder of Fun Fitness Bros. “Some individuals experience knee pain, dislike the exercise, or struggle with maintaining proper form, which can diminish the effectiveness and increase the risk of injury.”

We talked to fitness experts who shared their favorite lunge alternatives to strengthen and tone your legs.

Benefits of lunges

In addition to cardio exercise, it’s important to incorporate strength exercises, like the lunge, into your routine at least twice a week. Lunges are a favorite exercise of trainers for several reasons.

1. They strengthen your lower body

This one move works your hip, knee, and ankle muscles. Specifically, the lunge strengthens your gluteus maximus, hamstrings, quads, and calves.

Improved strength in your legs makes everyday activities, such as taking the stairs, walking, or bending down, that much easier. It also translates into sports activities, like improved running speed, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

2. They build core strength

The lunge strengthens more than your legs. Because you are in a staggered-stance position with the lunge, your core muscles kick in to help stabilize you to prevent you from losing your balance. A strong core has many benefits, including helping to prevent back pain and improving posture.

3. They improve balance

The staggered-stance position of the lunge challenges your body to work all those muscles that help you stay balanced, like your core muscles. This is especially important as you get older to help prevent falls.

Drawbacks of lunges

For some people, lunges may not be the best exercise—or the exercise should be modified. Let’s look at some of the cons of lunges.

1. They only work your body in one direction

“Lunges can be a great exercise choice, but one major drawback is that you are only moving in the sagittal plane—or only moving forward or backward,” says Grayson Wickham, DPT, CSCS, physical therapist, certified strength and conditioning specialist, and  founder of Movement Vault. “Most people are already performing plenty of movements going straight forward—think: walking, running, etc.—and don’t perform enough side-to-side and rotational movements.”

This can lead to mobility and stability issues in your rotator muscles and the muscles that are located on the side of your hips, Wickham explains. These muscles include your gluteus medius and small hip internal and external rotator muscles.

“Having poor mobility and stability in these muscles can cause compensations in your knee, which can eventually lead to knee joint wear and tear, and eventually knee pain and injury,” he says.

2. They require flexibility

“Lunges can also be challenging if you have tight hip flexors or poor mobility in your big toe,” Wickham says. “When you have tight muscles in these areas, it can lead to knee or big toe pain.”

If you find you can’t do the lunge with proper