5 Best Exercises to Stay Injury-Free & Super Fit
2025 was an interesting year for me. I faced big changes in my life and accepted great challenges from my peers. Let's just say I lived outside of my comfort zone for extended periods of time.
One thing remained constant for me throughout my journey — fitness. There were so many moments this past year when I did not want to move because my back hurt, or my knee hurt, or I was too sore or too tired. The list of excuses was long.
Below are my 5 favorite exercises that kept me moving, feeling healthy and staying focused on my goals and challenges in front of me.
Single Leg Glute Bridge: This is one of the best exercises for injury prevention because it corrects muscle imbalances in the hips and knees. It strengthens your glutes, lower back, and core — all essential for protecting your joints and improving stability.
Perform this movement for 3 sets of 10–15 reps per leg. You can lie flat on the floor or elevate your shoulders on a bench or couch for added range of motion. Bonus: a stronger glute bridge doesn’t just reduce back pain — it helps you build a strong, toned posterior.
Inchworms: These are a full-body core strengthening movement that can bulletproof your lower back and shoulders. The more you extend the body, the harder it has to work to remain stable. By extending your hands above your head, you are working your stabilizing muscles from your fingers to your toes. At the same time, it improves the mobility and flexibility of your joints and muscles.
Perform 5-8 inchworms in a row, pausing with your hands above your head for 3-5 seconds. Did someone say rock-hard, tasty abs?
Supine Torso Rotations: The body needs and wants to move through all planes of motion. In sports and life, these are mandatory. However, the transverse plane is often skipped. By moving the torso through the transverse plane (rotating your body from side to side), you will activate and strengthen your core stabilizing muscles, especially the multifidus.
These are a set of small muscles that connect your vertebrae to one another, allowing them to stabilize the hip, back, and spine. If you are experiencing any low back pain, this a the perfect exercise to start with to rehab/prehab your lower back.
Perform 3 sets of 10-20 torso rotations, keeping your feet together and exhaling and reaching the opposite direction from your feet for each repetition.
Single Arm Dumbbell Thrusters: This full-body compound movement will torch calories and boost your power by working the prime movers (shoulders, triceps, glutes, and quads) and stabilizing muscles (rotator cuff, subscapularis, transverse abdominus, gluteus medius).
Compound movements are important because they work several joints and muscle groups at one time.
Dumbbell training is a complex motor activity that requires a greater degree of control, strength, and coordination to execute efficiently. Many activities in sports and life involve single-arm movements - shutting a car door, spiking a volleyball, reaching overhead, etc. Both alternating and single-arm dumbbell thrusters provide a unique training stimulus compared to that of a barbell.
Perform 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps, resting 45 sec between sets. If you can do 10 reps, it's not heavy enough.
Strict Pull-Ups: Pull-ups are to your upper body what squats are to your lower body. Fundamentally, no other exercise will make your upper body stronger like a pull-up. Pull-ups are one of the most convenient exercises around. You can do a pull-up anywhere and anytime, off a tree branch or a public bathroom stall.
I once did a pull-up off a broom handle between two chairs in a hotel room in China. I managed about 10 or so from a seated position on the floor before I broke the broom handle. Yikes! The pull-up focuses on core strength, stability, body control, and awareness. The ability to contract and control one's body in space without losing tension in their core is the key to most athletic moments in life.
Perform 3-5 sets for maximum repetition, resting 45 secs between sets. Enjoy the pump!
Note: If you’ve ever wondered “how can you prevent injuries while training?”, the answer is simple — stay consistent with your workouts and do functional exercises that keep your body strong and balanced.
Don’t just read about results - Get Started at CrossFit Sanitas and begin your journey toward being stronger, fitter, and injury-free.
Why These Exercises Matter for Functional Fitness
These movements aren’t just about building muscle; they improve functional strength, the kind you need for real life and sports. Each exercise challenges your balance, coordination, and core stability, which translates directly to better performance in everyday activities and workouts.
For example, the single-leg glute bridge and inchworms help build hip and shoulder stability essential for safe and powerful movements in CrossFit, running, or weightlifting. Dumbbell thrusters and pull-ups develop total-body strength and coordination, helping you move more efficiently through daily tasks like carrying groceries or climbing stairs.
Functional training improves:
Core stability: The foundation of all strength
Mobility and flexibility: Reduces stiffness and improves performance
Injury prevention: Strengthens stabilizing muscles that protect your joints
Athletic performance: Enhances power, endurance, and coordination
Think heavier always means stronger? Think again. Learn why proper form is the real key to progress and longevity in CrossFit training.
Train Smarter at CrossFit Sanitas
If you’re serious about staying injury-free while getting stronger, faster, and more confident, try CrossFit in Boulder at CrossFit Sanitas. Our expert coaches focus on safe, functional movement and smart progressions to help you move better and feel amazing - both in and out of the gym. Whether you’re new to fitness or a seasoned athlete, we’ll help you train for life, not just for workouts.
👉 Experience the difference. Visit CrossFit Sanitas and see why it’s Boulder’s top spot for functional fitness and long-term health.
Training too much can hold you back. Find out the warning signs of overtraining in CrossFit and simple ways to keep your body performing its best.
How to Stay Consistent with Your Workouts
Staying consistent is often harder than the workouts themselves. Here’s how you can keep your motivation alive even when life gets busy:
Set realistic goals. Focus on progress, not perfection. Whether it’s doing your first strict pull-up or improving your mobility, small wins build confidence.
Prioritize movement. Even 10–20 minutes of exercise counts. A short circuit of glute bridges, inchworms, and torso rotations can make a big difference.
Track your progress. Use apps like Wodify or a simple journal to note your reps, sets, or how you feel post-workout.
Recover smart. Mobility work, proper nutrition, and sleep are as important as training. Listen to your body and scale when needed.
Find a supportive community. Joining a CrossFit gym or a group class can boost accountability and make workouts more fun.
Tip: Pay attention to signs like pain, fatigue, or stiffness. Listening to your body instead of pushing through discomfort is key to preventing exercise injuries and keeping your training sustainable.
There you have it, folks. My 5 favorite exercises that helped me through small injuries and kept me moving and feeling healthy and focused on my goals throughout 2025. Stay tuned for my next post. Rock hard tasty abs: Are they made in the kitchen or forged in the gym?