Arms

As a runner, I tend to neglect my upper body. After I realized I could not easily push large doors open without leaning into them, I decided to start doing push ups every morning.

A co-worker pointed me to the 100 push ups website, which contains a 6 week training program to help you complete 100 push ups. Runners love training schedules, so this website quickly became one of our store's favorites.

I started with 3 push ups at a time (again, we are talking "girl" push ups). The next morning, my arms ached, but I stuck to the program. It was amazing how fast I gained strength (granted, there was a lot of room for improvement). I soon graduated to normal push ups, and I showed off my biceps "line" to Eric almost every day (I know, it's pathetic that I would be so proud of a line, not even a bump).

To encourage good push up form, we got a pair of rotating push up handles (sort of like these ones). They make a huge difference.

A welcome consequence of my push up routine is that my abs got stronger as well: you need to engage them to keep a straight back. And even better, I also noticed my posture improved.

The amazing thing is, you don't need a gym membership. All you need is 5-10 minutes every morning.

So, can I do 100 push ups? No. Not even close. But, I don't lean into doors anymore!