Everyday activities like walking up stairs, shopping and running around with kids all require movement from the legs. The stronger they are the more efficient you will be at these daily tasks. If you skip leg day at the gym or neglect them at home, over time you can create a muscle imbalance in your body which leads to lower back pain, hip problems and poor posture.

This is why leg day is so important. Developing the legs will not only help with mobility and balance, but it will also build some of the biggest muscles in your entire posterior chain – including the quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves and adductors.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced lifter, there is an array of leg exercises that can be used to target different muscles. The most common exercises include the squat, lunge and deadlift. These are compound movements that work multiple muscles in one movement and can be done with a barbell, dumbbells or your body weight.

Lunges are a great multi-muscle exercise benträning that will develop your quads, hamstrings and calves. They are a great workout for beginners as they don’t need any equipment and can be done anywhere.

To perform a lunge, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and keep your core engaged. Drop your back knee down until it is almost touching the floor and then drive up through your heels to return to the starting position. The plyometric aspect of the movement makes it a great exercise to improve balance, power and speed.

The calf raise is an excellent single-leg exercise to target the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in the calves. It is worth doing both the classic and bent-knee variation of this movement to ensure both muscles are worked equally.

While the arms and chest seem to get all the attention in the gym, it is important not to forget about your legs. Skipping leg day can lead to a muscle imbalance, with your upper body being more toned and stronger than your legs. This can result in lower back pain and a rounded, less defined physique.

When doing a leg workout, start with large compound exercises and then move on to smaller accessory lifts. This will help prevent injury and allows you to give your best performance.

Aim for 2-3 sets of 3-5 reps of each exercise, with a short recovery between sets. Always warm up with a light cardio session and then a dynamic stretching routine to prepare your muscles for lifting. Afterwards, you can cool down with a longer stretch to relax the muscles and reduce post-workout soreness. This will allow you to recover faster and get back to your normal life activities quicker.