We’ve all heard the question:
“If you could only do one exercise for the rest of your life, what would it be?”
While this question is fun, it doesn’t seem very useful because we’ll never be limited to just one exercise. However, it is a very helpful way to focus on which exercises you want to prioritize when your time to exercise is limited.
While most of us don’t have to limit our workouts to just one or two moves, we do have to be smart with our time. That means prioritizing exercises that give us a high return—movements that improve strength, function, posture, and resilience in one shot.
Here are our top five functional strength exercises (video links are at the bottom) that deliver the biggest bang for your buck:
1. Split Squats
This one tops the list because it mimics how we actually move in life—one leg at a time. Walking, running, stairs—split squats build strength and control where it matters.
They’re also a smart alternative to traditional squats:
You don’t need as much weight to challenge your legs
Your core isn’t the limiting factor
It’s easier on the spine and knees when done right
Split Squats are a great way to build functional strength in your legs without the risk or time involved in with heavy barbell lifts.
2. Single Leg Hip Thrust
Strong glutes and hamstrings protect your knees and back, which is why training them is important for all people. The Hip Thrust is a great way to target the glutes and hamstrings effectively without a ton of risk to the low back! We like the single-leg version because it challenges each side individually and reveals imbalances. But if that bugs your hips or low back, the two-leg version is a great option.
3. Push-Ups
Push-ups are popular for a reason. Done well, they build upper body strength (chest, shoulders, triceps) and challenge your core at the same time.
Not only are they simple, which is a win when you’re short on time, they are one of the few upper body pressing exercises where your shoulder blades move. This makes push-ups one of the healthiest ways to train your shoulders.
4. Horizontal Rows (Rings or Dumbbells)
Rows are essential for shoulder health – they balance out pressing movements like push ups- and functional strength for life outside the gym. They build strength in the upper back, lats, and shoulders, and they support good posture.
We love Ring Rows because they’re easier to learn and harder to mess up—but dumbbells are a great option if you don’t have a ring set up and take the time to learn proper form.
5. Side Planks
There are a lot of great core exercises out there, but side planks are our favorite for some of their unique features.
They challenge your obliques, and builds shoulder stability, but they best thing about them is how they are unique among core exercises for helping to reduce low back pain. You also don’t need any equipment, which makes them very time efficient! If they bother your shoulder, try Half Kneeling Suitcase Holds instead. They train the core in the same way as Side Planks (which means less low back pain), but in a more shoulder-friendly way.
Final Thought
If you’re short on time and only able to get in one strength session a week, these five are a great place to start.
We recommend the “crawl/walk/run” approach. Start with lighter weights at a low intensity, and slowly progress by adding reps and weight. If you need ideas or specifics on how to adapt these exercises to your individual goals, please reach out. We’d love to help!
Exercise Videos
