This series of exercises focuses on important muscles in the legs and torso we use every day. No equipment (and very little space) necessary.
A good strength workout should check a lot of boxes. It should improve your metabolism, challenge your body and leave you feeling good. But it should also make you feel stable on your feet and able to move freely.
This workout, which was originally created as a preparation for ski season, focuses on basic strength and stability we use every day, especially in the legs, hips and core.
“It’s actually not that different from what I’d program for soccer players,” said Bob Poehling, manager of high performance for U.S. Ski & Snowboard.
Many of the exercises, such as the inch worm, the body saw and the Copenhagen, build trunk strength that can help improve posture and prevent back pain. And several of them, like the single-leg glute bridge and Romanian deadlift, focus on balance, which can minimize age-related declines in stability.
It’s also useful for any activity that requires power in the lower body and dynamic movements — such as skiing, tennis, biking, hiking or running.
Exercises like this, that build strength and muscle over time, have long-lasting effects on metabolism, said Mr. Poehling. Many of them can be made harder by holding a dumbbell, he added.
Beginner workout
Start with a few warm-up exercises, listed below. Do each one in order (which constitutes one set) and then repeat once more.
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Single-Leg Glute Bridge: 10 reps on each side
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Inch Worm: 5 reps
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Leg Out T-Spine Rotation: 6 reps on each side
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Tall Plank Hip Extension: 10 reps on each side
Next, repeat the following four exercises three or four times, depending on your fitness level, taking a 15-second break between each exercise and 30-seconds between each set.
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Reverse Lunge into Single-Leg Jump: 6 reps on each side
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Reverse Fly Bridging: 10 reps
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Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift: 8 reps on each side (with or without a weight)
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Body Saw: 8 reps (You can use paper plates or a towel under your feet.)
Advanced workout
Complete the beginner workout, plus two to four sets of these exercises, again with a 30-second break between each set.
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Squat to Lateral Lunge: 6 reps on each side
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Copenhagen: hold for 15 seconds
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Single-Leg Sit Down (Two-Leg Stand): 10 reps on each side
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Hamstring Walkout: 8 reps
Jenny Marder is an editor, science writer for NASA and freelance journalist.
Videos by Gritchelle Fallesgon for The New York Times