If You Only Did One Exercise: The Power of the Squat

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Welcome back to The Rich Minimalist. Today I want to play a little thought experiment with you. If I had to pick just one exercise for everyday strength and long-term health, something you can do almost anywhere, with zero or minimal equipment, what would it be?

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

I did some research and the answer is quite clear. It’s the squat. Super simple, almost boring. But if you stick with me for a few minutes, I’ll show you why this one move is such a powerful, minimalist tool for staying strong and free in real life, not just in the gym.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

At The Rich Minimalist, part of my philosophy is about high-leverage habits. What are the small things that give you the biggest return? In your finances, in your time, and especially in your health. The squat fits perfectly into that. One simple pattern that pays you back every single day, especially as you get older.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Think about how often you actually squat in real life, even if you never go to the gym. You sit down and stand up from a chair, from the couch, from the toilet. You bend down to pick up groceries or your kid or your dog. You get in and out of your camper van, or up and down from a bench in the forest. All of that is some version of a squat pattern.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

So when you train squats, you’re not just training for “leg day.” You’re training the pattern that keeps you strong, healthy, and independent. If you fast-forward a few decades, being able to stand up from a chair without help is not just fitness—it’s dignity and freedom. And I really mean that. That’s why this one exercise matters so much more than it looks on the surface.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Let’s quickly break down what the squat actually works, in normal language. Your thighs in the front, the quadriceps—that’s what helps you stand up. The back of your thighs, the hamstrings, and your glutes—your butt—are the big engine that drives you up and down. Your calves and your feet stabilize you. And then your core, all the muscles around your midsection, keep you upright so you don’t fold forward like a wet noodle.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

So with one movement you’re training a big chunk of your whole body. In strength training, we call this a functional movement, because it mimics what you do in daily life. It’s not some isolated, fancy machine exercise where you sit and push a lever. It’s you, moving your own body through space, the way you were designed to move.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Now, why is that so important for long-term health? First, you’re building stronger muscles in the legs and hips, which carry you around all day. That means walking, climbing stairs, hiking to your tiny house, or carrying firewood all feel easier and safer. Second, you’re training your balance and posture. A good squat teaches your body how to stack everything nicely, from your feet up to your head, instead of slouching and dumping all the stress into your lower back.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Third, squats keep your joints moving. Your hips, your knees, your ankles go through a healthy range of motion instead of slowly getting stiffer from sitting all day. Over time, that’s huge for keeping your mobility. And because the squat is a weight-bearing exercise, it also signals to your bones, “Hey, we still need you!” That helps keep them dense and strong and reduces the risk of fractures later in life.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

And on top of all that, because you’re using such big muscles, your body burns more calories compared to many other exercises. So you get a small cardio-metabolic boost as a side effect, without doing anything fancy. It’s like the Swiss Army knife of movements: strength, balance, flexibility, bone health, and a bit of conditioning—wrapped into one.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Now, let’s connect this to minimalism. Squats require basically nothing. You don’t need a gym membership, you don’t need machines, you don’t even need shoes if you’re on safe ground. You just need your body and a bit of space. If you want more challenge, you grab whatever is heavy and available—a water container, a backpack with books, a rock, a box of tools—and suddenly, you’ve turned your minimalist home or your campsite into a gym.

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When I’m living in the camper van or in my tiny house setup, I love this. I don’t have room for any machines, and I don’t want them—maximum a kettlebell. I might be parked by a lake somewhere, and my “gym equipment” is literally a full water canister or some firewood. I’ll do a set of squats holding that, and that’s it. Super simple, very effective, and totally in line with the Rich Minimalist style.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

One habit I really like and that I recommend in my article about squats is what I call the movement toothbrush. Just like you brush your teeth every day, you can “brush” your joints and muscles. For example, do three sets of twenty bodyweight squats in the morning. That’s maybe three, four minutes of your life. But if you do that most days, the long-term impact on your strength and mobility is significant.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Okay, so maybe by now you’re thinking, “Fine Manfred, squats are great. But every time I try, my knees hurt, or I feel weird, or I’m scared I’ll do it wrong.” Let’s make it really simple and walk through how to do a basic squat safely, step by step, in a totally beginner-friendly way.

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First, let’s set up your stance. Stand tall with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Toes can point slightly out, like ten to twenty degrees. It doesn’t need to be perfect; we’re not in a bodybuilding competition. Just find a stance where you feel stable and relaxed. Spread your toes a little, feel the whole foot on the ground—heel, ball of the foot, and your little toe.

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Next, imagine there’s a string pulling the top of your head up toward the sky. Lift your chest gently, but don’t arch your lower back aggressively. Think “tall but soft.” Then brace your core—as if someone is about to poke you in the stomach. Not a full crunch, just a bit of tension to protect your spine.

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From here, we start the actual squat. The simplest cue I know is: sit back as if you’re aiming for a chair behind you. So you push your hips back, bend your knees, and let your body lower toward the ground. Keep most of your weight on your heels and mid-foot, not on your toes. You should be able to wiggle your toes inside your shoes if you had to.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

How low do you go? Ideally, to a point where your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. If these initially feels comfortable, then go as low as possible. But challenge yourself to get deeper every time until to reach at least parallel.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

As you lower, keep an eye on your knees. They should track in the same direction as your toes. So if your toes point slightly outward, your knees also gently follow that line. What we want to avoid is the knees collapsing inward and knocking together. If you notice that, slow down, reduce the range of motion, and focus on pushing the knees slightly out as you come up and down.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Now, let’s talk about the upper body. A very common mistake is to fold forward and round the back, especially if your hips or ankles are a bit tight. A nice, simple cue is to imagine you are holding a logo on your shirt and you want that logo to stay visible in front of you. Look roughly straight ahead or slightly down, not at the ceiling, not at your feet. That helps keep the spine in a more neutral, safe position.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Breathing is another big one. Don’t overcomplicate it. Inhale before you start. Then hold your breath as you go down and push through your heels. Exhale as soon as you up again.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

If you’re still feeling a bit unsure, or if your knees complain, use a real chair as your training partner. Stand in front of a chair with your back to it. As you squat down, just tap your butt lightly on the chair and then stand up again. This teaches you the right direction of movement—hips back, then down—and gives you a safety net. If you lose balance, you simply sit down. I use this a lot with beginners, and it works wonders for confidence.

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Let’s talk about regressions and progressions. If basic squats are easy, don’t worry, we can still challenge you without any machines. You can slow down the tempo—three seconds down, one second pause at the bottom, then stand up. You can add a backpack with books, or a water jug, and hold it like a goblet in front of your chest. Or you pause for two, three seconds in the bottom position to build strength and control where it’s hardest.

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A simple beginner routine might look like this: three sets of twenty squats, three times per week. Start with something you are sure you can complete with good form. Maybe that’s eight reps, maybe it’s fifteen. Rest a minute between sets, breathe, shake out your legs, and then go again. After a week or two, add a couple of reps, or one extra set, or hold some weight. Just a progression, nothing crazy. But keep progressing otherwise your body adapts and there is no more growth stimulus.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

The key is consistency, not heroics. We don’t need you to destroy yourself in one workout. We want you to be able to walk the next day, still enjoy your life, and come back for more. Over months, this slow, steady approach builds a very solid base of strength and resilience. And all you did was practice sitting down and standing up, with intention, a few times a week.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Now I want to zoom out a bit and look at where squats can live in your broader lifestyle, especially if you’re into tiny houses, off-grid living, or just spending more time outdoors. Because out there, your body really is your capital. If you’re injured or weak, everything gets harder. If you’re strong and mobile, life gets lighter and more fun.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

One thing I love about off-grid or semi-off-grid life is that a lot of daily chores are already exercise: carrying water jugs, chopping firewood, hauling gear, climbing on the roof to check the solar panels. This is functional fitness in its purest form. But there’s a little trap here. It’s easy to think, “Ah, I’m doing enough, life is physical,” and then slowly stop doing any deliberate training. Over time, that can catch up with you.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

So I like to combine the two: use nature and your chores as your gym, but also add a bit of structure. Squats are a beautiful anchor for that. For example, if you’re carrying water from a source to your cabin or your van, you can do a quick set of squats when you arrive—hold the jug, do ten squat reps, then put it down. It costs you maybe thirty seconds, but it reinforces strength in the exact muscles you use all day.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

You can build simple “fitness in the wild” circuits around squats. For example: You do fifteen bodyweight squats. Then you drop down for a set of push-ups or wall push-ups if you’re starting out. Then you hold a plank for twenty or thirty seconds. Then you walk or jog up a small hill and come back down. That’s one round. Do two or three rounds, and you’ve had a powerful full-body session without touching a single machine.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

You can also play with animal-style movements like bear crawls over uneven terrain, lunges while carrying groceries from the car to the house, or glute bridges on a log or bench. All of this is super minimalist. You use what you have: your body, some gravity, and whatever rocks, logs, or water canisters are lying around. It keeps training fun and very real-world oriented.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

But there’s another piece to this puzzle, and that’s motivation and discipline over time. Daily consistency is king, but nothing accelerates your commitment like a clear challenge and a deadline. This is where events like a Spartan Race—or any kind of competition or challenge—can be incredibly powerful catalysts for growth.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

The moment you sign up for something with a date on the calendar, your brain shifts from “Yeah, I should probably work out” to “I have to prepare, or this is going to hurt.” You tell your friends, you’ve maybe paid an entry fee, and suddenly skipping your squat session feels different. There’s a bit more urgency. And that’s good. Especially if you live a very chill off-grid lifestyle, a little pressure can help you stay on track.

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Personally, I’ve done this many times. I’ve completed several Spartan Races, which are obstacle course races that mix running, obstacles, and tough terrain. They can look intimidating from the outside, but they’re also incredibly rewarding. You crawl, you carry heavy things, you climb, you get muddy—it’s like a playground for adults with a suffer component built in.

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Over time, I even put together a simple Spartan Race preparation structure, mostly based on bodyweight training and minimal gear, to help people who don’t have access to a big fancy gym. It combines things like squats, lunges, push-ups, planks, some running or hiking, and specific obstacle practice into a clear twelve-week plan. The important idea isn’t that you must follow my plan specifically, but that having any clear and realistic plan linked to a concrete event is a game changer.

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So maybe for you, the next step is not immediately signing up for a Spartan Beast in the mountains. Maybe your first challenge is much simpler, and that’s totally fine. For example: “For the next thirty days, I will do at least three sets of squats, five days a week.” Or: “I will build a little outdoor circuit in my backyard or near my tiny house, with squats, push-ups, and a short hill walk, and I’ll complete it twice a week.”

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

If you feel a bit more adventurous, you can look for a local 5K run, a small obstacle race, a hiking challenge—something that excites you and scares you just a little. Use that as your deadline. Then build your training around the basics we talked about today: strong squats, simple bodyweight movements, and using your environment creatively as your gym.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

To wrap this up, if you remember just one thing from this episode, let it be this: if you only picked one exercise for everyday strength and long-term health, the humble squat is an incredibly powerful choice. It supports your health and independence, it fits perfectly into a minimalist, off-grid lifestyle, and it’s accessible to almost everyone.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Your body is your capital out there. Strong legs, strong core, strong mind—that’s what buys you freedom. One squat at a time. Thanks for listening, and as always, stay healthy, stay frugal, and keep building your rich minimalist life. Talk to you in the next episode.