Most Effective Exercises: Push-Ups

Why it’s a winner: Push-ups strengthen the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core muscles.

How to: Face-down, place hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Place toes or knees on the floor, creating a smooth line with your body, from shoulders to knees or feet. Keeping rear-end muscles and abdominals engaged, lower and lift your body by bending and straightening your elbows, keeping your torso stable throughout the move.

Beginners may start doing push-ups leaning into their kitchen counters, then working their way down to a desk or chair, onto the floor with knees bent, and on the floor on their toes. To make it harder, put your feet on a stair, bench, or couch while maintaining good form.

I often alternate between squats, push-ups and jumping jacks when I’m at work to get my heart rate and energy up. It’s a good mix of cardio with an upper and a lower body exercise that can be done anywhere anytime. I usually do 20 seconds of each with only a 5 second break in between for as many sets as I can in the time I have (usually only a couple of minutes in between tasks).