As human beings we live and move in three planes of motion everyday: the frontal, horizontal and sagittal planes. In order for our bodies to function optimally it’s important to include exercises into your fitness routine that work the body in all three planes. Today we are focusing on the benefits of lateral movements in the frontal plane. In order to understand how certain exercises qualify as lateral movements, imagine for a moment that you have divided your body into front and back halves. Any lateral (side) movement parallel to the line would occur in the frontal plane.
So now that we understand what lateral movements are, what fitness benefits can we expect to achieve by adding them into our workouts?

1.)     BETTER MUSCLE BALANCE BETWEEN OUR RIGHT AND LEFT SIDES.
One side is often naturally stronger than the other in the human body. Lateral training can help bring the body back into balance.
2.)     MUSCLES THAT PERFORM IN THE FRONTAL PLANE WILL BECOME STRONGER AND HAVE BETTER ENDURANCE.
Performing lateral exercises will strengthen the muscles that help us move during those activities that require us to move side to side.
3.)     EXERCISING IN MULTIPLE PLANES IMPROVES OUR BALANCE, MOBILITY AND FUNCTION.

There are several exercises you can do in order to incorporate lateral training into your workouts.  Side shuffles, lateral lunges and lateral hops are all excellent choices for the lower body. Lateral raises are great for the arms and shoulders and you can do them standing on one leg to also incorporate balance. Regardless of what you choose, begin by adding easier exercises and progress to more challenging ones, focus on form and always seek the help of a certified professional trainer if you have questions or need guidance.