Lateral walks, tube walking, side-stepping, or even monster walks. Call them what you like, but before you roll your eyes, they’re not a fad. I first tried them years ago in a top London studio as my warm-up, and they caught my attention (and my glutes) off guard. Now, back into my half-marathon training, I figured it was time to bring back the band. Here’s why.
Most people use banded lateral walks to sculpt their glutes, but strengthening these muscles – especially the gluteus medius, which sits on the outer hip – is about far more than aesthetics. Your glutes and hip abductors stabilise the pelvis, support the hips and knees, and help maintain balance – all crucial for efficient, injury-free running.
Why runners should be doing them
“This move is a great way to strengthen your lower body, as it engages your glutes, outer thighs, and hip muscles,” explains Samantha Cubbins, Strength and Conditioning Coach and Lifting Club Manager at Gymshark.
“Lower-body strength underpins almost every movement – walking, running, lifting, even posture,” she says. “When you run, strong and stable glutes are essential for propelling you forward and keeping your hips and pelvis aligned. That stability improves stride length and efficiency – both key if you’re chasing a personal best.”
Cubbins adds that lateral tube walks are also a great way to help prevent injuries. “Some of the most common issues runners face include stress fractures, shin splints, and knee pain. By strengthening your lower body with moves like these, you improve overall stability and help spread the impact load of running.”
How to do lateral band walks
- You’ll need a looped resistance band and some floor space.
- Step into the resistance band and position it just above your knees.
- Bend your knees slightly and push your hips back, as if sitting into a chair.
- Engage your core and keep both toes pointing forward.
- Step to the right, keeping tension in the band throughout.
- Bring your left foot in without letting the band slacken.
- Repeat for 10–15 steps, then reverse direction and repeat until you reach 100 reps.
Top tip: For a tougher variation, move the band around your ankles to engage more muscle groups – or around the arches of your feet to strengthen the smaller stabilizing muscles in your feet and ankles, while improving your gait.
My 3-week lateral walk challenge
I specifically wanted to target my glutes and hip abductors, so I used a moderately heavy resistance band positioned just above my knees. Here’s how it went:
Week one: Band out. I placed the resistance band just above my knees, bending slightly into a mini squat while keeping my chest up and shoulders back. With intention, I stepped one foot sideways before bringing the other in to reset. Within ten reps, my glutes were on fire - that deep, searing burn that reminds you exactly which muscles have been asleep.
Day 5: The DOMS hit hard. Staying low, controlling each step, and keeping constant tension in the band made this deceptively tough move feels brutal. But I could already feel the benefits. I’d woken up the muscles that promise better running form and fewer niggles on those long, demanding runs.
Week two: Before every run or gym session, I’ve been doing my lateral walks without fail. This week, I added 20-second speed intervals followed by 10 slow, controlled steps with a heavier band to get a deeper burn – and a bigger heart-rate spike. I followed this protocol until I hit all my reps for a focused HIIT burn. Dropping lower into my stance really hit my quads, too. It’s nice to mix things up and play around.
Week three: My hips feel more supported, my glutes are stronger, and my knees are happier. On my longest training run - 12 miles, I noticed a genuine difference: my stride felt smoother, my balance steadier, and my pace a little quicker. My glutes also felt more activated during hill sprints - especially on the downhill.
I did 100 lateral tube walks every day – and ran faster
My resistance band has become both my best friend and my worst enemy. It’s a simple loop of elastic that turns an easy-looking move into a glute-scorching workout – and a ritual to wake up those lazy glutes in just two to three minutes.
If you’re training for a race or simply want stronger, more stable hips, add a few sets of lateral tube walks into your daily routine. They’re quick, joint-friendly, and the payoff is real – your knees, hips, and running form will thank you. Oh, and I got a new PB at the Royal Parks Half Marathon too – this stuff works!
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