Movements like climbing stairs, carting a trash can out to the curb and squatting down to load the washing machine may seem like second nature.

But as you age, grow more sedentary or change your lifestyle, those seemingly simplistic tasks can feel as difficult as scaling a mountain or pushing an Olympic bobsled.

Enter: functional fitness, a training style meant to help you move easily and live pain-free.

Here, pro trainers break down the key elements of the fitness approach, why it’s so beneficial and how you can start incorporating functional fitness into your routine with a six-move workout.

Simply put, functional fitness is a type of training that preps your body for the movements you perform in your everyday life, says Tina Tang, CPT, a NCSF-certified personal trainer and strength coach.

In a functional workout, you might practice movement patterns such as squatting, hinging, pulling, pushing and carrying — which translate to real-life actions like standing up from a chair, bending over and picking up your cat, pushing your kid’s stroller down the street and lugging heavy grocery bags to your car.

“Functional training really refers to doing exercises to help you make everyday life easier or everyday activities stronger,” she says. “So for a someone who wants to be able to pick up their grandchild, functional training would be squatting with a biceps curl, for instance.”

Functional fitness can also be training specific to an activity, according to Steve Stonehouse, CPT, a NASM-certified personal trainer and the director of training at Body Fit Training.

Say you’re traveling to Hawaii next month and you have a few kayaking excursions on your itinerary. You might adjust your workout routine to include more pushing and pulling movements so your body can tackle those outings with ease, he explains.

What’s considered a “functional” fitness program is specific to the individual. Someone who works as a package delivery person may prioritize more pulling, lifting and carrying movements than an elementary school teacher who squats down to interact with small children all day.

As a whole, though, the focus is on exercises that allow you to move better and without pain, Stonehouse says.

When training for functional fitness, strength work will most definitely be included in your program. But instead of planning your workouts around muscle groups, you’ll base them on specific movement patterns, Stonehouse says.

That means you might walk into the gym with the goal of performing squatting exercises (think: sumo squats, split squats) rather than targeting your glutes and quads.

The exercises in functional fitness workouts may also be performed for time (say, 30 to 60 seconds) rather than reps, Stonehouse says. After all, building muscular endurance — a muscle’s ability to produce and maintain force for long durations — is just as important for your daily functioning as muscular strength. (Activities like mowing the lawn and climbing up your apartment’s five flights of stairs call on muscular endurance.)

Though it’s not a hard-and-fast rule, “if you’re doing muscle-specific stuff, you probably want to be in the rep-counting game,” Stonehouse says. “And if you’re doing functional stuff — you’re not training for anything [specific], you’re just wanting to be a more dynamic human and live longer and move better — you’re typically going to want to do your work for time.”

A functional fitness routine may incorporate the same pieces of equipment as a straight-up strength workout, including kettlebells, dumbbells and barbells. You’ll also utilize tools like your own body weight, resistance bands and sandbags, according to the experts. Still, “it’s not so much about the tool as it is about what your body’s doing,” Tang says.

With generic strength training, you might perform three sets of 10 reps of squats on a Smith machine. The exercise exhausts your muscles’ strength, but the bar has a predetermined path of motion, so your body doesn’t need to work harder to provide stability, Stonehouse says.

On the flip side, your functional fitness workout might feature three sets of 10 reps of walking lunges with a sandbag on your back. The exercise not only tests your muscles’ strength, but it also challenges your balance, stability, coordination and flexibility, he explains.

Regardless of your overall fitness goals, engaging in some functional training is worthwhile, according to the experts. It gives you the strength to put your carry-on in a plane’s overhead compartment, open a heavy door and pick hefty moving boxes up off the ground.

But it’s particularly valuable for folks over 50 years old, when joints are stiffening, balance is declining and muscle mass is naturally atrophying, Tang says.

By practicing squats, lunges and the like, older individuals may feel more confident and capable of walking up and down the stairs or sitting on the toilet without crashing down, she says.

“As people get older, if they fall and break a bone, it [may be] because they’ve got a lack of reaction time or coordination or strength to grab something real quick and catch themselves,” she says. “You kind of have to train it as you get older because you just naturally lose it. So functional fitness is important for everyone — but [particularly] for those who are getting older — to just be able to have a higher quality of life.”

One surprising benefit of functional fitness: It trains your core without you even realizing it. By working with tools that allow for dynamic motion like sandbags, dumbbells and bands — rather than weight machines with set paths of motion — your body is able to move in any direction.

That that means you’ll need to activate your stabilizing muscles, namely your core, to stay upright and maintain good form, Stonehouse explains.

Consider the example of the walking lunge with a sandbag on your back. If you’re not intentionally bracing your core during the balance-heavy exercise — you’re just mindlessly lunging — there’s a good chance you’ll topple over as you step forward.

When programmed well, a functional fitness routine will challenge your body in every direction of movement — side to side, rotational and backward and forward (the latter of which most workout regimens overemphasize).

“Life happens in all three planes of motion, so it’s really important that we train in all three planes of motion,” Stonehouse says.

Consider this: If the subway you’re riding comes to a sudden halt, you’ll likely step one leg out to the side or behind you to keep your balance. Practicing lateral and reverse lunges will ensure you’re physically prepared when that moment comes.

“I really do believe that when you do hard things [such as a tough workout], more than just your muscles benefit,” Stonehouse says. “I think your mind really benefits from it. You’re regularly showing yourself that you can overcome and you can do hard things.”

In fact, studies have shown that exercise enhances mood and self-esteem and decreases stress tendencies, and people who exercise regularly have a better frame of mind, according to a January 2023 review in ‌Cureus‌.

“Why else should someone think about fitting some functional fitness training into their lifestyle? Of course, you’re going to get stronger and move better and live longer — all those great things that everybody knows. But I think you’re going to be a lot happier, too,” Stonehouse says.

To get a taste of functional fitness, try this six-exercise workout created by Tang.

Grab a pair of light to medium weights, depending on your fitness level, and perform three rounds of the first superset, taking a 60- to 90-second break in between rounds. Then, repeat the process with supersets 2 and 3. (FYI: A superset is when you perform two back-to-back movements with little rest in between.)

While Tang recommends performing 10 reps per set of each exercise, you can also work for time; consider 30- to 45-second intervals and work your way up from there.

‌1. Push-Up‌

This functional fitness exercise builds strength in, you guessed it, the pushing movement pattern. If you can’t do a full push-up on the floor, try performing the exercise against a wall or on your knees.

‌2. Forward Lunge‌

As you age, it can become difficult to lower down onto one knee (e.g., when you’re playing with your grandchildren) and stand back up again. The forward lunge will help you build strength in the movement pattern.

Note: In your typical training routine, remember to practice a variety of lunges, including lateral, reverse and curtsey versions. You can also test your body in the transverse (aka rotational) plane of motion by twisting your torso toward the front knee at the bottom of your forward lunge.

‌1. Bent-Over Row‌

Training the bent-over row, a pulling-focused functional exercise, will give you the strength necessary to open a heavy shop door or move your couch across the living room. To make this exercise harder, you can do a single-arm row.

‌2. Deadlift‌

You may not realize it, but you perform a deadlift every time you bend over to pick up a dog toy or a bulky laundry basket off the floor. If you’re new to the deadlift, you can perform the move without weights to get the hang of the movement.

‌1. Overhead Press‌

Practicing an overhead press will get your upper-body muscles ready to put a heavy box of holiday decorations back onto your closet’s top shelf.

‌2. Single-Arm Racked Squat‌

This functional exercise mimics real-life movements like dropping down to look at your cupcakes through the oven window or to pull a weed from your garden bed, especially when you’re carrying a bowl of batter or freshly picked veggies in one hand.

To make the move easier, you can squat onto a chair or box. To make the move harder, consider combining the squat and press into a thruster.

A functional fitness routine can benefit practically everyone, as its goal is to help you feel and move at your best in your everyday life. Still, older individuals who are noticing that day-to-day movements or tasks are becoming more difficult may want to prioritize functional exercises, Tang says.

The same goes for people who are in a more sedentary stage of life due to age, a career change, kids, or an injury, Stonehouse adds.

“Certainly older people and anybody in the middle that, due to circumstances, are moving less — they need to add [functional fitness] in,” Stonehouse says. “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”

Sometimes your body needs a little movement to help you relax before catching some shut-eye. However, engaging in an invigorating sweat session before your head hits the pillow often isn’t the answer.

That’s because doing high-intensity workouts in the evening (if you work the day shift, that is) can elevate your heart rate and may ultimately disrupt your sleep cycle, a small May 2014 study in the ‌European Journal of Applied Physiology‌ found.

However, some types of workouts may not leave you feeling “amped up” for hours on end. Exercise that requires light to moderate effort — rather than strenuous activity — was shown to help induce sleepiness, according to a February 2019 review in ‌Sports Medicine‌.

Ahead, we share a comprehensive, 20-minute workout created by Staci Alden, CPT, PCT, a personal trainer, Pilates certified teacher and Balanced Body educator, that you can do before cracking open a book, washing your face and hitting the hay.

We’ve also got tips on how to make evening exercise work for you, plus the many benefits you can reap by working out at this time.

You won’t need any gym equipment (think: dumbbells and jump ropes) to perform the following movements. A yoga mat with a flat surface underneath and a wall for you to prop your legs up on at the end of the session is all that’s necessary.

Before getting into the bulk of the workout, Alden recommends doing a 4- to 5-minute warm-up, consisting of four core movements. Each exercise should be performed for 60 seconds. You won’t need to do more than one round of these warm-up exercises unless you feel like you could benefit from doing another set.

For the actual workout, you’ll also perform each exercise for 60 seconds. Once you’ve made it through all of the exercises once, you have the option to repeat them in a second round. Just be sure to save the final exercise, legs up the wall, for the very end of your workout.

“Feel free to stay in this position as long as it takes to feel your heart rate come down and begin to feel more relaxed and ready for bed,” Alden tells LIVESTRONG.com.

She also advises performing each exercise slowly to keep your heart rate low and engage in your mind-body connection — having control over your movements requires your brain to cooperate with your body.

‌1. Torso Rotation to Roll-Down‌

This movement can help recruit core muscles, stretch your hamstrings and lower back and lengthen your spine, Alden says.

‌2. Reverse Lunge With Reach and Twist‌

Performing this exercise can help strengthen leg muscles as well as lubricate those in the shoulders and lower back, Alden says.

‌3. Inchworm‌

Doing the inchworm as a dynamic warm-up exercise can help activate and strengthen your upper body and core, Alden says.

‌4. Cat-Cow Pose (Bitilasana Marjaryasana)‌

Cat-cow pose will help you slow down your heart rate and recover from the above movements, Alden says. It can help you mobilize your spine as well.

‌1. Cossack Squat‌

This squat variation is great for strengthening your glutes and opening up your hips and inner thighs, according to Alden.

‌2. Side Plank‌

Side planks target your obliques (the muscles located on the sides of your abdomen) and shoulder muscles, Alden says.

‌3. Child’s Pose (Balasana)‌

Child’s pose is a hip-opening movement that will allow you to breathe deeply and calm your body, Alden says.

‌4. Plank to Alternating Ankle Reach‌

Move slowly through this exercise to help initiate a recovery effect, Alden says.

‌5. Back Extension With Side Bend‌

This move allows you to strengthen the muscles located in your mid and lower back, Alden says. It’s also good for postural support.

‌6. Roll-Up‌

This move helps activate your deep core and initiate purposeful breathing, Alden says.

‌7. Glute Bridge‌

Performing glute bridges can help strengthen the backs of your legs and stretch your hip flexors, Alden says.

‌8. Legs Up the Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)‌

Consider legs up the wall pose your cool down. “Prop yourself with as many pillows and blankets as you like and stay in this position as long as needed to slow down your heart rate and feel ready for bed,” Alden says.

Doing gentle, body-weight exercises and moving your spine in all directions can help promote healthy circulation and prepare your body for rest, Alden says.

Findings from a December 2022 review in ‌Nature and the Science of Sleep‌ even noted that engaging in moderate-intensity physical activity in the later hours can help lull you to sleep.

Physical activity before bedtime may even help regulate body temperature, which can also help you fall asleep.

An August 2023 review in ‌Cureus‌ pointed out that it takes 30 to 90 minutes after a workout for body temperature to come down. And, as your body prepares for sleep, it begins to drop in core temperature, per a classic April 2004 review in ‌Sleep Medicine Reviews‌. By this logic, doing a workout a few hours before bedtime may help to set the stage for a healthy sleep cycle.

No matter what time of day your workout is, it’s important to ensure you eat the right balance of foods before and after your workout. When it comes to fueling before an evening workout, registered dietitian Amanda Sauceda, RD, recommends eating a few hours before your workout to ensure everything has properly digested.

“The more active you are, the more [calories] you need to eat. So, a pre- and post-workout snack is helpful for fueling your muscles,” Sauceda tells LIVESTRONG.com. “Have a snack with easy-to-digest carbs and protein to help replenish your energy and aid with muscle recovery.”

For instance, peanut butter toast could be a great snack to have after an evening workout. Just make sure you stop eating at least two hours before bedtime, she says. This way, you give your body some time to digest the food so you don’t experience heartburn while laying down or other issues falling asleep.

Consider working out at least three hours before you plan on going to bed so your heart rate has plenty of time to come down and so that you can eat a snack or meal.

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Donkey kicks to inchworms and bear planks — there’s no shortage of exercises inspired by animals. Now, you can add alligator crawls to the list.

The full-body exercise – named for the low-to-the-ground movement pattern that mimics an alligator’s walk – combines a plank, a push-up and a crawl.

“This dynamic movement works all the major muscles in your body,” with a particular emphasis on strengthening your core, shoulder and triceps, says Meggan Berg, CPT, a personal trainer and yoga instructor at Life Time Champions in Houston.

It also improves hip flexibility and doubles as low-impact cardio. Talk about a bang-for-your-buck exercise.

Because the alligator crawl is an advanced body-weight exercise — it requires full-body strength and coordination of multiple muscle groups — it can be pretty strenuous. To avoid getting too tuckered out, Berg recommends mixing the movement into your regular strength routine once or twice a week.

Here are the top reasons to add the alligator crawl to your weekly exercise rotation.

Berg calls the alligator crawl “a core-strengthening superhero” because it recruits your entire core. And we’re not just talking about your rectus abdominis (i.e., your six-pack muscles)

This move works all the muscles deep within your abs ‌and‌ back. This includes the transverse abdominis (deepest ab muscle), obliques (muscles on the sides of your torso) and multifidus muscle (deepest low back muscle) just to name a few.

Both planks and push-ups are stupendous for shoulder strength and stability. The alligator crawl, which takes both these exercises to the next level, delivers double the shoulder benefits.

The alligator crawl targets the front and middle portion of your shoulders, along with the muscles that surround your shoulders, to enhance stability and strength, Berg says.

Prioritizing shoulder strength and stability can help offset the effects of slouching at a computer all day ‌and‌ minimize your risk of injury and pain.

Like traditional push-ups, alligator crawls target your triceps. But your triceps get an even bigger burn because of the increased load (when you lift one leg, your weight is redistributed among three limbs, with your arms bearing most of the burden).

For an even tougher triceps workout, slow down your pace. This will increase your triceps’ time under tension (the amount of time a muscle is under strain) to build greater strength and muscle.

And while traditional push-ups primarily tax your triceps, the alligator crawl also works your biceps as well, Berg says. That’s a big bonus.

Alligator crawls build core and upper-body strength, but they also have lower-body benefits. Specifically, they help loosen your hip flexors.

With this exercise, “you get a stretch with your hip flexors as well as the opportunity to work on hip mobility,” Berg says. Because many of us contend with tight hips (due to sitting all day), any opportunity to improve hip flexibility and mobility is a great thing.

Just keep in mind, loose, limber hips won’t happen overnight. “Increasing mobility and flexibility takes time,” Berg says.

Move over treadmill; you can get a killer cardio session with alligator crawls. “The alligator crawl not only offers strength benefits, but it also offers cardiovascular benefits,” Berg says.

Best part, you don’t even have to jump. “Because you are working your whole body, your heart rate will increase,” Berg says. Working all the major muscle groups also results in greater endurance, she adds.

To boost the cardio benefits, simply increase your speed and feel your heart really start pumping.

There tends to be a stigma around body-weight exercises, but the truth is, you can get stronger and build muscle with just a 15-minute body-weight workout — and if you challenge yourself enough, build as much strength and muscle as you can with a barbell.

Science proves it: In a small August 2023 study published in ‌Scientific Reports‌, sedentary young women who trained with a body-weight squat program for six weeks were able to build similar muscle as another group that trained with a barbell.

And in a randomized controlled trial published March 2018 in the ‌Journal of Strength and Conditioning‌, moderately trained men were able to grow their chests about as much with push-ups as another group did with the bench press.

The key to body-weight greatness is making each workout a true challenge: In both of these programs, study participants didn’t just go through the motions. They performed exercises that got harder and harder over the course of the study — the same way someone training with barbells or dumbbells would add more weight as they progressed.

Another way to amp up the body-weight pump (and to get stronger and healthier in new ways) is to do exercises you’ve never done before, says Greg Pignataro, CSCS, owner of Never Past Your Prime.

“My philosophy is that the wider variety of movements you can perform, the healthier you probably are,” he says. Challenging the body in new, unusual ways also has another benefit: “It leads to feeling good.”

So instead of a traditional body-weight workout loaded with lunges and squats, let’s get unusual: Strengthen your body from your feet all the way up to your shoulders with this seven-move workout from Pignataro.

In the spirit of new, novel movements that can build new, novel strength, it’s made up of six exercises you’ve probably never tried before plus the push-up, the undisputed king of body-weight upper-body moves.

Perform one set of each exercise, then move to the next exercise in the workout. Rest as little as possible between exercises. Try to get through at least two rounds of each exercise in 15 minutes.

When you’re a back squat beginner, you probably don’t put much forethought into your barbell’s positioning. There’s a good chance you place the bar in a spot on your backside that feels the most comfortable, adjust your grip then power through your reps without a worry.

It may seem insignificant, but the exact placement of the barbell really does matter. Whether you rest the bar on your upper traps (aka a high-bar squat) or on your rear deltoids (aka a low-bar squat) can alter your technique and, in turn, some of the benefits the lower-body move has to offer.

Ahead, strength experts break down everything you need to know about high-bar versus low-bar squats, including the differences in form and muscle activation. Plus, they share the instances in which you’re best off using a high-bar squat over a low-bar version and vice versa.

A high-bar squat is a type of barbell back squat in which the bar rests on your upper traps, which act as a “muscular shelf,” Michael Mash, DPT, CSCS, founder of Barbell Rehab, tells LIVESTRONG.com.

During any loaded squat, the goal is always to keep the weight in line with your midfoot, Erin Taylor, CPT, CSCS, a powerlifting coach, tells LIVESTRONG.com. “That’s our strongest position,” she says. “When we shift forward and the bar is over our toes or we shift backward and more of our weight is in our heels, we’re not as strong.” To maintain this alignment, you’ll need to tweak your squat technique slightly, depending on where, exactly, the load is situated.

During a high-bar squat, the bar is already well-aligned with the midfoot, so your torso will stay upright throughout the movement, Taylor says. By maintaining this upright torso, your knees will drive forward more over your toes and your ankles will experience more dorsiflexion (read: your shins will draw closer toward the tops of your feet), Mash says.

Need help visualizing the exercise? Watch Taylor demonstrate the high-bar squat below and pay careful attention to the bar’s location on her back and the position of her torso, knees and ankles.

Performing the high-bar squat will help you target specific muscle groups in your lower body without causing upper-body joint strain or discomfort, according to Mash and Taylor. Here’s what to know.

Because the high-bar squat allows your knees to drive forward more than a low-bar squat, the exercise targets your quadriceps (the muscles that run along the front of your thigh) slightly more than its counterpart, Taylor says.

“The quads are still utilized in the low-bar squat, but with more knee flexion, you might have a higher emphasis on the quads,” she says.

The high-bar squat is generally the more comfortable technique for beginners and folks with limited mobility, Mash says. Because the bar sits higher up on your back, barbell newbies may feel like it’s more secure and less likely to fall off their body, Taylor adds.

Plus, it doesn’t require too much shoulder, elbow and wrist mobility to grasp onto the bar, making it ideal if you lack upper-body mobility or are experiencing tightness in those areas, Mash adds.

A low-bar squat is similar to a high-bar squat, but the barbell will rest slightly lower on your back, across your rear deltoids, Taylor says.

To keep the bar aligned with your midfoot, you’ll need to shift your hips back further (increasing hip flexion) and lean your torso forward slightly. This technique tweak reduces the amount of forward knee drive and ankle dorsiflexion, according to Mash.

To get a better idea of the move, watch Taylor demonstrate the low-bar squat below, taking note of the bar’s location on her back and the position of her torso, knees and ankles.

By practicing the low-bar squat, you’ll target the muscles along the backside of your body and potentially hit a new PR for your barbell load, the experts say. Here’s what to know.

Because the low-bar squat is a hip-dominant exercise, you’ll rely more heavily on your hip extensors, like your glutes and hamstrings, to complete the move, according to Mash.

“When you shift the barbell down on your back, you’re forcing yourself to use more flexion at the hips,” Taylor says. “The barbell is just further away from the midline of your body, so your posterior chain is going to have to work more to move that load.”

Your posterior chain is a group of muscles that run along the back of your body, including your low back, glutes, hamstrings and calves, according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE). And training these muscles can help ease low-back pain, per a March 2021 review in ‌Sports Medicine Open‌, support good posture, reduce injury risk and ensure peak performance, according to a medical report in the July/August 2017 issue of ‌ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal‌‌.‌

Again, these muscles will all be called upon during a high-bar squat, but they may activate slightly more during a low-bar variation.

There’s a reason powerlifters often use low-bar squats: You’re generally able to handle more load with the bar resting across your rear deltoids than when it’s on your traps, Taylor says. In fact, a small July 2019 study in the ‌Journal of Strength and Conditioning‌ ‌Research‌ found that exercisers could lift more load when performing low-bar squats than they could with a high-bar technique.

This perk may be thanks to the higher engagement of the hip extensors, the researchers noted. So, if you’re looking to lift as heavy as possible, low-bar squats should be your go-to.

There’s no right way to barbell back squat, and either bar placement can help you achieve your goals of building strength and muscle. That said, there are a few instances in which you may want to opt for a high-bar versus low-bar squat and vice versa.

Both Taylor and Mash typically teach barbell newbies to back squat with a high-bar technique.

“It’s a little bit more difficult to teach somebody the low-bar [variation] because they tend to feel like the bar is rolling off their back,” Taylor says. “And if you don’t have big upper-back musculature already, it can be difficult to create a shelf for the bar [to rest on] with the low-bar squat.”

Essentially, it’s easier for a beginner to position the bar on their traps — and keep it there as they squat.

The goal of powerlifting is to lift (specifically, squat, bench press or deadlift) as much weight as you possibly can for one single rep (called a one-rep max). That’s why these athletes will want to train using a low-bar technique, which generally allows you to lift slightly more weight, according to the experts.

“All of your competition lifts are going to be [based on] how much max effort you can put on your back and squat,” Taylor says. “So, if somebody is wanting to get into the sport of powerlifting, chances are, we are going to have them play around with the low-bar squat at some point.”

To ensure your squat is as pain-free as possible, try the high-bar variation if you’re lacking mobility in your shoulder or wrist joints, according to the experts.

When the bar is positioned lower on your back, across your rear deltoids, it’s typically more difficult to position your hands on the bar and hold them there comfortably, particularly if you have upper-body mobility limitations, Mash says.

The high-bar squat requires good ankle mobility, as the movement involves a high amount of flexion in the joint, Taylor says. That’s why “if somebody has tight ankles or is recovering from an ankle injury, they’ll be able to do a low-bar squat more comfortably than a high-bar squat,” Mash adds.

That said, if you have ankle issues but want to prioritize high-bar squats, you can still practice the exercise. Just wear sneakers that have a higher heel lift while using the high-bar technique, as this feature allows you to maintain an upright torso and still keep the bar aligned with your midfoot without aggravating your ankles, Taylor says.

The low-bar squat requires you to lean your torso forward and places a bit more stress on the lower back. That’s why you may want to opt for the less-taxing high-bar variation if you have low-back discomfort or pain, Mash says.

Dealing with knee discomfort or injury? Try the low-bar squat, Mash suggests. “With an inclined torso, the knees don’t come as far forward,” he says. “So, a low-bar squat puts less stress on the knees compared to a high-bar squat.”

In the high-bar versus low-bar squat debate, there’s no clear winner; both squat variations are worthy of a spot in your routine, the experts say.

During your first lower-body workout of the week, you could do a few sets of five or so low-bar squats with heavy loads to challenge your strength. Then during your next lower-body session, you could reduce the load, add on a few reps and switch to high-bar squats to promote muscle growth and ease the lower-back stress, Taylor says.

A high-bar squat might be a better option than a low-bar squat in some circumstances, and the opposite may hold true, as well. But ultimately, you should choose the back squat variation that feels most comfortable for you and syncs with your goals, according to Taylor.

“It’s really about finding the bar placement that works the best for your body type and your anatomy,” Taylor says. “One that helps you achieve your main goal, such as advancing in your sport or loading the most weight on the bar possible.”

Deadlifts get a lot of praise for their hamstring-building ability. But if you really want to give your hamstrings a muscle-twitching challenge, the leg curl is a must-try exercise — just get ready for some post-workout soreness.

• ‌What does the leg curl do?‌ It’s a hamstrings exercise that isolates and strengthens these muscles by bending your knees or “curling” your feet to your hips against resistance.
• ‌What muscles does the exercise work?‌ This exercise focuses on your hamstrings, the three long muscles across the back of your legs that connect your hips and knees, says California-based physical therapist and personal trainer Jereme Schumacher, PT, DPT.
• ‌Are leg curls bad for your knees?‌ Generally, leg curls are pretty safe for your knees, and are actually a common knee-friendly rehab exercise — so long as you’re using safe leg curl form. When you’re lying down, your knees should be flat on the floor.

A little-known leg curl benefit? They can actually help relieve knee pain, according to Schumacher. Strengthening your hamstrings helps build stability in your knees and pelvis. This helps improve your knee alignment (and reduces your injury risk) when you do other forms of exercise, like walking or running.

Most forms of activity happen in front of your body, like jogging or mowing the lawn. On their own, these exercises can make the front of your body (your anterior chain) stronger than your backside (posterior chain). These imbalances can cause poor posture and lower-back pain.

By strengthening your hamstrings and glutes, this leg curl variation can help take some of the pressure and stress off your lower back, Schumacher says. When your glutes and hamstrings are strong, your body can (and should) use these muscles, rather than your back, to perform daily activities or exercises in the gym.

During hamstring injury rehab, the goal is to prevent future re-injury. And to do so, you want to increase the strength of this muscle when it’s fully lengthened, according to a June 2012 study in the ‌International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy‌.

This is where hamstring curls come in. As you bring the dumbbell closer to the ground and straighten your knees, you challenge your hamstring muscle in its fully extended state.

Whenever you get up from a chair or get down on the floor, you’re using your hamstrings to help stabilize your hip and knee joints. Adding some hamstring-focused exercises to your workout routine can help make these daily motions even easier.

The main benefit of the lying leg curl is increased hamstring muscle strength, according to Schumacher. These muscles play a big part in producing power in other exercises you may be doing in the gym.

Deadlifts and hip thrusts, for instance, demand a lot of power and strength from your lower body, but especially your hamstrings and glutes. By isolating the hamstring muscles, leg curls can help improve your strength in these (generally) harder lifts.

For those who prefer cardio-based exercises, strong hamstrings are necessary for generating power in plyometric movements, like box jumps.

The most common mistake Schumacher sees with this exercise is an overarched lower back. When you do a lying hamstring curl, it’s really easy to let your core relax, causing your lower back to overextend. But this can add pressure and stress to your lower back, causing some painful side effects.

Even though you’re lying down on the ground, keep your core tight. In the lying-down position, tuck your tailbone slightly and squeeze your glutes a bit to help contract your abs.

If you’re swinging your legs and smacking your hips with the dumbbell, your form likely needs a tweak. After all, you want to use your muscles (not momentum) to raise and lower the weight. That’s how you build strength.

Keep your motions controlled both when you lower and raise the dumbbell, Schumacher says. You can opt to increase the weight a little bit or try an eccentric progression (more on that below), lowering the weight for a 3-second count.

You can most likely find a lying or seated leg curl machine at your gym, which is a great option if you want to really isolate your hamstrings.

The free-weight and machine versions of the leg curl exercise are pretty similar, Schumacher says. Typically, machines are set up with your torso at an angle, which can increase hamstring activation. However, the dumbbell version also develops core and inner-thigh strength, as your body works to stabilize the weight.

You don’t need to use a machine (or even a dumbbell) to try leg curls. These variations can be done with equipment you might already have at home.

When you curl against a resistance band, your hamstrings have to work harder the closer your heels get to your body (a dumbbell keeps the resistance consistent throughout the curl). Your hamstrings are naturally strongest in this position, so using a band can help your muscles stay challenged through their entire range of motion.

Nordic curls don’t actually use a weight at all — just your body. This variation definitely puts your hamstrings through the ringer. Only lower your body as low as you can with good form, maintaining a straight line between your knees, hips and head.

Whereas the other curl variations above really focus on your hamstrings, this one engages your glutes, too, as these muscles work to keep your hips up. Plus, the movement of the ball triggers your abdominals because they need to work to keep your body stable.

Biceps and triceps, high-intensity and recovery, warmup and cooldown: You need opposites for a balanced workout. If you’ve been doing a bunch of reps for our 30-Day Push-Up Challenge (or doing a lot of upper-body work on your own), you need to stretch the muscles you’ve been strengthening.

To give your arms, shoulders and/or chest muscles a little relief, below, Maillard Howell, personal trainer, CrossFit level 2 coach and owner of Dean CrossFit in Brooklyn, New York, demonstrates some of the best upper-body stretches you can do to ease muscle soreness after doing daily push-ups.

The number of push-ups you can do is often tossed around as a benchmark for strength — and with good reason. Push-ups are one of the best upper-body exercises, building muscle size, strength and endurance — without any equipment.

In fact, a February 2019 study in ‌Nutrition, Obesity, and Exercise‌ found a relationship between push-up ability and future heart disease. The study tracked how many push-ups more than 1,000 participants could do over 10 years. Those who were able to complete more than 40 push-ups had a much lower risk of cardiovascular disease events compared with those who could do fewer than 10 push-ups.

We put together this month-long challenge to help you take advantage of all the impressive benefits of push-ups. You’ll build upper-body strength in just 30 days ‌and‌ you’ll get the bragging rights after you knock out 60 push-ups in one day. (Don’t worry, you’ll build up to that!)

We’re starting our next official round of this challenge on Thursday, February 1, 2024, but you can participate in the challenge any time you want on your own!

In this push-up challenge, you’ll start on Day 1 with 5 push-ups. Each day, you’ll add about 2 reps to the previous day’s total, and every seventh day, you’ll rest. On the very last day of the challenge (Day 30), you’ll finish with 60 push-ups.

That may seem like a lot if you’re just starting out, but the goal of this challenge is to build strength throughout the month and push you beyond what you think is possible. Plus, you don’t have to do all of your daily push-ups in one go: You can break them into smaller sets throughout the day.

Keep your calendar somewhere you can see it, so you never forget what day you’re on. Cross off the days as you complete them, so you always know how many reps you have to do the next day.

Our community of more than 60,000 members is here to support and motivate you through this challenge. Share your progress by posting photos or videos of your push-ups or simply tell the group how the day’s reps went.

Make sure your form is flawless before you add more reps. At best, poor form makes an exercise ineffective. At worst, it puts you at risk for injury.

Don’t worry about pumping out full-on, military-style push-ups right from the start. If you find yourself struggling, try the incline push-up until you build more upper-body and core strength.

Doing the same exercise over and over (and over) again is a recipe for boredom and burnout. That’s why you might want to mix things up with push-up variations.

Beginners can modify with incline push-ups (see above), while more advanced exercisers can try variations like stability ball or plyo push-ups. Experiment with the best push-up variations to keep this challenge from getting stale.

After busting out a bunch of reps, you’ll want to stretch the muscles you’ve been strengthening. If your arms, shoulders and/or chest muscles need a little relief, try these upper-body stretches to ease muscle soreness after doing daily push-ups.

You made it to the end of the 30-Day Push-Up Challenge! Take some time to appreciate that accomplishment — and let us know how it went in our Challenge Facebook Group.

‌When you’re ready, keep your momentum going with a new challenge, such as:‌

By now, you’ve probably heard that “sitting is the new smoking.” Indeed, according to the Mayo Clinic, research has shown that sitting for long periods of time is linked with health concerns ranging from high blood pressure and obesity to a higher risk of death from heart disease and cancer.

Unfortunately, roughly 80 percent of jobs are now considered sedentary, and many involve sitting most of the day, per an older May 2011 report in the journal ‌PLoS One‌, which reviewed workplace trends over five decades.

The good news? The Mayo Clinic reports that about an hour of moderately intense physical activity per day can help counteract the effects of too much sitting. And it seems that not all sitting is equal: A study of 3,500 Black individuals, published June 2019 in the online version of the ‌Journal of the American Heart Association‌, found that those who plopped themselves in front of the TV for lengthy periods of time were significantly more likely to die of of heart disease than those who sat all day at work.

The takeaway: You may not be able to break up with your desk chair, but you can choose exercise over TV time outside of working hours — and your health will likely be better for it.

Whether you have 15 minutes or a full hour to spare, try incorporating the following moves into your exercise routine. If you’re a beginner (or just strapped for time), start by setting a timer for 15 minutes and try to get through as many exercises as you can (10 to 15 reps each) with as little rest as possible in between. As you advance, challenge yourself by adding more time to the clock, more moves to your routine and reducing your rest time.

Before you jump into bigger movements, you’ll want to prepare your body with a few mobility and stretching drills. This first stretch is designed to target the front of the hip, which is shortened when sitting.

‌How to Do It:‌ Start with one knee on the ground and the foot of the other leg flat on the ground so that both knees are at 90 degrees. Place both hands on your hips and engage your abs as you squeeze the glute of the knee-down leg. Push the hip forward a couple of inches while you keep the low back from arching. Return to the start and repeat for eight to 10 repetitions per side. On the last repetition, hold the end position for a 20-second stretch.

‌Related:‌ 22 New Lunges to Supercharge Leg Day

This stretch helps get the spine in proper alignment, which is often compromised after sitting for long periods.

‌How to Do It:‌ Start standing with your feet about six inches from a wall (you can also do this exercise seated on a weight bench). Grab some lighter weights (this isn’t a strength-building exercise). Lean back so your low back, upper back and head are in contact with the wall or the bench. Engage your abs to flatten your back to the wall. With your palms turned toward your face, keep your elbows in line with your shoulders as you reach your hands overhead. Only go as high as you can without letting your lower back come off the wall. You may notice that you can start to go higher as the repetitions add up. Repeat for eight to 10 repetitions and hold the last one overhead for 20 seconds while you take deep breaths.

The goal of this and the two following core exercises is to achieve a proper posture and hold it against an outside force (gravity in this case). The exercises are presented in a progressive format, with the plank being the easiest of the three.

‌How to Do It:‌ Your body should be in a straight line from the ears through the shoulders and down to the hips, knees and ankles. Concentrate on keeping your lower back from arching and your hips from sagging as gravity tries to pull them toward the ground. Work to keep the upper back from rounding, as this is a sign you’re using primarily your rectus abdominus muscle instead of your deeper core muscles. Start this from the push-up position and work your way down to the forearms (or stay on your hands, if that’s more comfortable for your shoulders and arms). Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds.

‌Related:‌ 20 of the Best Body-Weight Exercises

Kicking your ab work up a notch, the birddog challenges you to keep your hips from rotating or sagging while moving both an arm and leg — two out of four pivot points!

‌How to Do It:‌ From all fours, reach one hand out overhead with the thumb toward the ceiling while simultaneously lifting the opposite leg. Replace the hand and foot and repeat on the opposite sides. Continue alternating sides, visualizing not spilling an imaginary cup of hot coffee on your back, and reach out as far as you can (not just up toward the ceiling). Go for 10 to 12 reps per side.

This push-up variation is a progression from the standard plank and an advanced core exercise.

‌How to Do It:‌ From the push-up plank position, spread the feet so they are about six inches wider than hip distance apart. Do a standard push-up, and then, without letting the hips sag, rotate to one side and raise your top hand off the floor and up to the ceiling. Rotate back, replace the hand on the floor, do another push-up and then repeat on the other side. Continue alternating sides for six to 10 repetitions per side.

For the lower-body exercises, your goal is to achieve as much hip extension as possible. Hip extension is the opposite of what happens when you are sitting (hip flexion), and the glute bridge is the perfect way to start counteracting that. Keep your hips neutral (engage your core), and work the muscles of the hips and legs.

‌How to Do It:‌ Lying on your back with your knees bent to about 45 degrees, engage your core so that you are posteriorly tilting your hips. You should feel that the lower back is flat on the floor. Keeping your feet hip-width apart, drive through your heels as you contract your glutes and push your hips off the ground. You should be in a straight line from the shoulders through the hips to the knees — all while keeping your low back from arching. Lower your hips with control and repeat for eight to 10 reps.

‌Related:‌ The Top 15 Moves to Tone Your Glutes

The squat is similar to the glute bridge in muscle recruitment, but now you’re on your feet.

‌How to Do It:‌ Start standing with your feet hip width apart. Keeping your core engaged, push your hips back and down as if you were going to sit in your chair. Think about driving your weight into your heels as you return to a standing position. Focus on squeezing the glutes at the top before descending back into the next rep. Throughout the entire movement, keep the knees from caving in or diving forward excessively, and keep your back flat — no arching or rounding. Go for 10 to 12 reps.

This version of the squat is more challenging because you now have to control the hips from tipping or rotating. The focus and mechanics of the single-leg squat are the same as the squat, but now you must focus on keeping the hips level and square.

‌How to Do It:‌ Lift one foot off the ground and balance on the other leg. As you descend into the squat, imagine that you have headlights on your hips. Keep the beams pointing straight forward throughout the entire exercise. Use extra focus to keep the knee from rotating inward. Try six to 10 reps per side.

‌Related:‌ 8 Unilateral Exercises to Challenge Your Balance

The following upper-body exercises are all variations of one classic move: the push-up. At the most basic level, the push-up is a dynamic plank. For that reason, you must perform these exercises with the same considerations as the plank, focusing on keeping the body in a straight line from the ears to the ankles.

To change the challenge of the push-up, you can manipulate your angle to the floor, your speed and how many points are in contact with the floor. When the hands are elevated, there is a decreased pull from gravity, and that reduces the intensity of the move slightly.

‌How to Do It:‌ Starting with your hands on a chair, desk or other elevated surface and your feet on the floor, keep your core engaged and pull yourself into the push-up by bringing your shoulder blades together on the way down. Without letting your hips sink, push yourself back up to the beginning position. Go for eight to 10 reps.

This single-leg push-up variation now challenges you to keep your hips from sinking as well as rotating, placing an increased demand on your core, especially your obliques.

‌How to Do It:‌ Perform the standard push-up, but this time raise one foot a few inches off the ground and bend your knee to bring it up toward your rib cage. Don’t let the lower back arch or the hips sink or rotate as you perform the push-up. Bring your foot back to the start as you push back up to the top. Alternate sides on each rep and go for eight to 12 reps per leg.

Once you’ve gotten used to performing a standard push-up with hands on the floor, you can take it up a notch by adding a quick pause.

‌How to Do It:‌ Perform a standard push-up. At the bottom of the push-up, hold your chest a couple of inches above the floor (the bottom position) for two to four seconds before returning to the top position. Try six to 10 reps.

When you are trying to get your heart rate up, explosive movements are a good option. When muscles are working quickly, there is a higher demand for blood flow and oxygen, which requires an increase in cardiovascular response. The following exercises will further challenge your cardiovascular system.

‌How to Do It:‌ From the standard push-up position, keep the core engaged as you bring one knee toward your chest. Bring the knee in so that it is directly under your hip. Going too high will likely cause rounding of the low back. Quickly replace the foot to the ground as you simultaneously bring the other knee under your hips. Repeat side to side as quickly as possible without letting your hips sink or swivel. Try 20 to 30 reps per side.

Kick your cardio burn up a notch with this higher-intensity move.

‌How to Do It:‌ In a standing position, keep your core engaged as you sit your hips down and back. Make sure to keep your back from rounding and your knees from caving in as you explosively jump straight up. Focus on pushing the hips back and keeping the knees out as you land as softly as possible. Launch immediately into the next jump and repeat. Go for 10 to 15 reps.

‌Related:‌ 10 No-Gym Plyometric Moves for Explosive Strength

A further challenge to stability and coordination, the lateral bounds (often referred to as the speed skater) is an explosive side-to-side exercise.

‌How to Do It:‌ Start standing on one leg. Sink the hips back and keep the knee out as you bound sideways, landing lightly on the opposite leg. Absorb yourself into your landing before immediately bounding back to the beginning leg and repeating. Try going as quickly as possible, keeping the knees from collapsing in and focusing on sinking back into your hips. Try 10 to 20 reps per side.

‌Related:‌ The Ultimate Do-Anywhere Lunch-Hour Workout

There are about as many squat variations as there are flavors of ice cream. That is, there’s something for everyone.

But taking a hard look at various squatting techniques can help you determine the best addition to your repertoire of leg-day exercises, depending on your goals, experience, access and personal preferences.

This hack squat versus back squat comparison will introduce you to both movements, their advantages and disadvantages and some safety tips to keep in mind, no matter which move you choose.

You can do a hack squat on a machine or using a barbell.

With either variation, you’re primarily targeting the quads, but hack squats also work your glutes, hamstrings and calves, according to ExRx.net.

• Either type of hack squat better isolates your quads than other squat positioning, so you can build serious quad strength and size with this movement.
• If you use the hack squat machine, you can usually lift more weight than you could doing a free-standing squat, so over time, your body might acclimate to the heavier load, as LIVESTRONG.com previously reported.

• Using the machine takes away some of the full-body potential of a squatting motion: You won’t get as much core work because you’re stabilized by the machine instead.
• Most people have stronger muscles on the front side of their body than the back side already. Because the hack squat primarily trains the quads, you’re missing out on an opportunity to train your posterior chain.
• You may not always have access to a hack squat machine or a barbell if you like to exercise at home.

A barbell back squat is considered a more functional movement than a hack squat on a machine and more suitable to a wide range of exercisers than a barbell hack squat because the positioning is more beginner-friendly.

A back squat primarily works your quads, with additional work for your hamstrings, glutes and calves, according to ExRx.net. Plus, your core will fire to keep you balanced while holding the weight.

• A back squat works your hamstrings more than a hack squat, which can help prevent muscle imbalances if your quads are already stronger than the backside of your body.
• You can easily modify a back squat by using dumbbells or a resistance band.
• Because you don’t have the support of a machine to lean on, you’ll use more of your core muscles to maintain balance throughout this movement.

• You need some equipment to really reap the benefits of a back squat — otherwise you’re performing an air squat. Not to knock body-weight exercises, but you’ll build strength faster with a barbell or dumbbells, which you may not have access to.
• Loading a heavy barbell directly on your back could worsen existing back pain or other issues. If that sounds familiar, you might want to try a front squat instead of a back squat.

• No matter how you squat, keep your feet about shoulder-width apart or wider and your toes pointing straight ahead or slightly outward.
• Don’t let your knees drift in toward each other. Instead, keep them in line with your toes.
• Avoid overly arching your back and keep your chest up throughout the motion. Think about hinging at the hips rather than bending at the knees.
• Start with a squat weight you can comfortable lift for all of your reps. The last two should feel challenging, but not so challenging your form falters.

In the case of hack squat versus back squat, the decision ultimately comes down to the goals of your workout, the equipment you have access to and how comfortable you feel in either squat position.

Luckily, just like with ice cream, you don’t have to pick one flavor and stick with it forever. A well-rounded lower-body workout routine can include hack ‌and‌ back squats — as well as any other variations you enjoy and can do safely.