#FITNESSAPPLIED

The deadlift is one of my favorite movements on the list of 7, mostly because you're already doing it constantly and probably don't realize it. Lifting one end of a couch? Deadlift. Picking up a heavy box off the floor? Deadlift. The only question is whether you're doing it in a way that protects your back or wrecks it. The one rule that matters most: keep your back straight and hinge from the hips, not the spine. Done well, the deadlift is a whole-body exercise that challeng

The third movement on my list is one people love to skip: the lunge. A lunge is simply dropping a knee in the middle of a step — to pick something up, step under something, or keep your body low to the ground. It looks basic. It is not. Try this quick test: do a lunge with each leg. Is one side noticeably harder than the other? Did you need to grab something nearby, or push off the ground with your hands to stand back up? Those are all signs your legs are compensating for eac

You squat more than you think. Every time you sit down in a chair or stand back up out of one, that's a squat. It's the second movement on my list of the 7 functional movements everyone should master, and it might be the one with the biggest payoff for the least effort. A strong squat pattern makes ordinary life easier: walking, climbing stairs, getting off the floor. It strengthens the hips and glutes, which helps protect the SI joint as you age, and it drives bone density g