The humble squat. 

It’s a simple exercise that’s part of almost every full-body workout, and for good reason. It efficiently activates some of your most important muscles, including the ones we use everyday for sitting, standing, walking, dancing — you name it. Yet the squat often gets short shrift. 

“Lots of people think squats are too simple, too basic,” says Lindy Royer, a physical therapist and pilates instructor. They may be a bit boring, but they’re still one of the best ways to build up your lower body strength and endurance, which is especially important as we get older. 

In this installment of our healthy aging series — developed by Lindywell Pilates exclusively for the Katie Couric Media community — Royer is giving the squat its due. First, she’ll run you through a short test so you can get a sense of how strong your thighs and glutes are, and then she’ll instruct you through a couple different sets of modified squats you can do to build up those hammies.

Like every routine in this series, these exercises are designed to be done quickly and with little to no equipment. So take a few minutes to do something good for yourself, hit play, and feel the burn. 

Stay tuned for more from Lindy and the Lindywell team in Body and Soul, our free, weekly health and wellness newsletter.