As part of your workout you should ensure that you do not neglect the lower body muscles.
Before working them, it is helpful to understand what they are and how the work.
The buttocks: The largest muscle group in your body is the glutei, maximus, medius, and minimus.
They are commonly referred to as the glutes.
The maximus is the largest, and is engaged when your run, walk and jump.
The medius is smaller and assists in more lateral movements such as skating, tennis, or basketball.
The minimus is the smallest of the three, and used when you rotate your leg outward from the hip.
Strong glutes support your back, power your walk, and help you get in and out of chairs.
Since your glutes are the largest muscles in your body, strong glutes are like your calorie burning engine.
Without strong glutes, you will not have much leg endurance and you may have lower back pain.
Hip flexors: These are located opposite your glutes.
They assist in lifting your leg towards the front.
Every time you climb a stair you are using your hip flexors.
Since many of us sit throughout the day, our hip flexors tend to be tight and short.
It is equally important to stretch your hip flexors as it is to strengthen them.
Quadriceps: These are located in front of your thighs.
They are actually four different muscles that work together.
They allow you to extend your leg from the knee.
Hamstrings: These are opposite your quadriceps, in the back of your thighs.
Their function is to bend the knee and bring your heel towards your buttocks.
Your hamstrings and glutes often work together to extend your leg behind you.