Up... Down. Up.... Down. Up.... Down.

Confession.

I have a passion for push-ups.

And I'm not talking about these tasty little treats.

I'm talking about the up-down exercise we've been doing since elementary school.
Please allow me to share with you why I love them so much.

Last semester I had a roommate who was way into them. Her mom (who has had 9 children) can do 30 man push-ups without stopping. THIRTY! That right there was all the inspiration I needed. So I got down on my hands and knees and pathetically pushed out one... ok like half of one. It was hard! But from then on I decided that I was going to be able to top Mrs. Laufenburg and get up to at least 35 push-ups.

Also, check this out. A push-up works the following parts of your body.
1. Chest
2. Hands, forearms, biceps, triceps
3. Shoulders, traps, upper back, lower back
4. Abs
5. Glutes
6. Hamstrings, quads, calf, feet
7. Your heart muscle gets stronger and your mind get more 'clear', too

Wait, there's more. You can do push-ups anywhere, anytime, by yourself, or with others. You don't have to go to the gym. You don't have to go outside. You don't need other people. You don't need any equipment. You can do as many or as few as you'd like.

The more you practice them, the more you'll be able to do. It's so exciting when you can get more and more reps in each set.

So here's your golden opportunity. Like they say in the movies, "Drop and give me twenty!" Or ten. Or five. Get down there and do one for goodness sakes. Just try it out and keep it up!

This is my niece Molly. Check out that perfect form!