This simple routine from Mom Squad fitness expert Sharon Monplaisir can be done at home or at a playground. Challenge yourself (and have more fun) by including your toddler in each exercise! (Best for toddlers 18 months or older, with good neck control.)
Bent-Knee Pushup
Benefits: Tones chest and triceps.
Ready: Get on hands and knees, with ankles crossed and palms on floor slightly wider than shoulders.
Go: Contract abs, and without overarching your lower back, bend your arms and lower yourself until your chest is in line with your elbows. Lower in 3 counts, hold for 2 counts, and push up for 3 counts.
Challenge: Have your toddler straddle your hips, horsie-style, and hold on to your shirt collar. Work up to 2 sets of 10 reps each; when you can do that with ease, switch to straight-leg pushups.
Tip: To really work your triceps, when lowering your body, your elbows should rub against your rib cage as if scratching an itch.
Next: Plank Pose With Moving Arm
