Almost everything in a standard gym program moves forward and backward — squats, deadlifts, presses, rows, running. Meanwhile most sports, and plenty of everyday movement, happen side to side. That gap is worth closing. Here's the honest guide. Lateral movement exercises train the side-to-side strength, stability, and hip control that conventional forward-plane training almost entirely ignores — improving athletic movement and supporting knee and hip health. Here's what to do.
Why your training is missing a whole direction (the honest gap)
Human movement happens in three planes, but most training lives in one. The sagittal plane (forward and backward) covers squats, deadlifts, lunges, presses, rows, running — essentially the entire default gym program. The frontal plane (side to side) covers lateral lunges, side steps, shuffling, cutting — almost nothing most people train. The transverse plane is rotation. The result is predictable: people build strong forward-and-back capacity and comparatively weak lateral strength and hip stability, which matters because tennis, pickleball, basketball, and most field sports are played laterally, and because the muscles that control side-to-side movement also control your knee alignment.
The knee-and-hip payoff (why it's not just for athletes)
Here's the benefit that applies even if you never play a sport: the hip abductors and glute medius — the muscles that control lateral movement — are also what stop your knee caving inward. Weak lateral hip control shows up as knees collapsing in during squats, lunges, running, and landing, which is a well-recognised contributor to knee pain and injury risk. Training laterally strengthens exactly those stabilizers. So lateral work does double duty: better athletic movement, and better knee tracking in everything else you do — including your squat. It's one of the more efficient additions available.
The best lateral movement exercises
Five that cover the range. Lateral lunge: step wide to one side, sit back into that hip while the other leg stays straight, then push back to standing — the foundational lateral strength move. Cossack squat: a deeper, more mobility-demanding version of the same pattern; excellent for hip mobility as well as strength. Lateral band walks (monster walks): a band around your knees or ankles, step sideways staying low — targets the glute medius directly and burns fast. Skater jumps: bound laterally from one leg to the other, landing softly and balanced — the explosive version, and highly sport-specific. Lateral step-ups: stepping up sideways onto a box, training single-leg lateral strength.
The collapsing-knee sin (watch the alignment)
The main technique fault, and it's ironic given the exercise: letting your knee cave inward during lateral work — which is precisely the pattern you're training to prevent. It usually happens when the load is too heavy or you rush the reps. The other common fault is hinging poorly on lateral lunges, dropping straight down with a rounded back instead of sitting back into the hip. The fix: keep your working knee tracking over your foot, sit back into the hip rather than collapsing down, keep your chest up, and control the tempo. On band walks specifically, stay low and keep tension on the band rather than letting your knees drift together between steps.
Where it fits (pair accordingly)
Add lateral work as an accessory to your lower-body sessions, or use band walks and lateral lunges as part of a warm-up to activate the hips before squatting. A reasonable dose: 2–3 lateral exercises, 2–3 sets each, twice a week. For athletes, pair strength-focused lateral work with on-court movement — footwork drills and agility drills — since strength in the pattern and skill in the pattern are different things. Also pair with hip mobility work, and progress with progressive overload like anything else. For the broader athletic picture, see tennis exercises.
Quick answers
What are lateral movement exercises?
Exercises that train side-to-side movement — lateral lunges, Cossack squats, band walks, skater jumps, and lateral step-ups.
Why is lateral training important?
Most training is forward-and-back, leaving side-to-side strength and hip stability undertrained — which matters for sport and knee health.
Do lateral exercises help knee pain?
They strengthen the hip muscles that control knee alignment, which is often relevant — though persistent knee pain should be assessed by a professional.
What muscles do lateral exercises work?
Primarily the glutes (especially glute medius), hip abductors and adductors, and quads.
How often should I train laterally?
Twice a week as accessory work, or as part of your warm-up.
What's the best lateral exercise?
The lateral lunge for strength and the band walk for direct glute medius activation.
Are skater jumps necessary?
They're the explosive version — valuable for athletes, optional for general fitness.
Your training moves forward and back. Your sport moves side to side. That mismatch is why lateral work is the easiest gap most people can close.
Lateral movement exercises fill the plane of motion that conventional training ignores, building side-to-side strength and the hip stability that keeps your knees tracking properly. Add lateral lunges, band walks, and skater jumps twice a week, keep your knees tracking over your feet, and pair them with actual movement drills if you play a sport. Small addition, broad payoff.