Perfect Your Pushup

A lot of moms tell me they don't have time or money for the gym, so home workouts are their saving grace. Body-weight exercises like squats, lunges and especially pushups are all great exercises for mommies to do at home!

The prime movers in pushups are your pectoralis major, anterior deltoids and triceps (your chest, front of your shoulders and back of your arms).

Doing pushups on a regular basis will strengthen, tone and build your upper body, which can make daily activities like carrying your toddler that much easier!

Here's how to do a perfect pushup

1. Get into a plank position with hands planted directly under your shoulders (slightly wider than shoulder width apart). Ground your toes into the floor to stabilize the bottom half of your body. Engage your abs and back so your body is neutral.

2. Begin to lower your body — back flat, eyes focused about three feet in front of you to keep a neutral neck— until your chest nearly touches the floor. Don’t let your butt dip or stick out at any point during the move; the body should remain flat from head to toe all the way through the movement. Draw your shoulder blades back and down, while keeping your elbows tucked close to your body, so your upper arms form a 45-degree angle at the bottom of the push-up position.

3. Keeping your core engaged, exhale as you push back to the start position. That’s one! Now repeat for the set amount of reps and sets.