“This is the best full-body exercise if you can only do one thing a day”—an expert trainer on the most underrated move for improving strength and fitness

If there's one move that people roll their eyes at when they see it in a workout program, it's the burpee. But as someone interested in functional, time-effective exercise, it's one of my favourite moves.

Sara Haley is a trainer who focuses on workouts for midlife women and she agrees with me—burpees are underrated.

“It’s the best full-body exercise if you can only do one thing a day,” she says.

Haley isn’t talking about intense cardio burpees, which are done at speed to increase your heart rate. She says it’s better to slow the move down, to test your strength and control.

“In a cardio burpee, people are often just flailing their bodies on the floor or pushing themselves back up,” Haley says.

When you do the move properly at a reasonable pace, it takes you through functional movements, like squatting and pushing yourself up off the floor—things we need to be able to do as we age.

Throw in the cardio-boosting effect and the core-strengthening qualities of a slow-paced burpee, and it ticks a lot of boxes.

“If you want to take it a step further, you can add a push-up,” the trainer adds.

Here’s how to do a low-impact variation of a burpee, which is ideal for beginners.

How to do a low-impact lunge burpee

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and squat down low.
• Place your hands on the floor in front of you.
• Step your right foot straight back, so that you're in a low runner's lunge, as shown above.
• Step the same foot forward, so that you’re in the low squat position again.
• Push through your heels to stand.
• Repeat on the other side.

How to do a slightly harder low-impact lunge burpee

If you want to make it harder, try this:

Modified Burpee or Low Impact Burpee Exercise Demonstration - YouTube

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• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and squat down.
• Place your hands on the floor in front of you.
• Step your right foot back, so you’re in a low lunge.
• Step your left foot back, so you’re in a high plank position, with your body in a straight line from your shoulder to your heels.
• Step both feet forward into the squat position one at a time.
• Stand and reach up overhead.

To make it even more difficult, you can jump your legs back instead of stepping them back and add a push-up after the plank.

Haley recommends starting with 10 burpees, focusing on perfecting your form. When you're confident with the move, you can do a full 10-minute workout with the exercise.

“Do burpees for 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, for 10 minutes,” Haley recommends.

This fast and simple workout will help you build strength, mobility and cardio fitness.