1. Playground Push Ups
Place your hands about shoulder-width apart on a playground platform that is about waist high. You'll keep your feet planted about four feet away from the platform and your elbows straight. Keep your body straight and slowly bend your elbows until your chest just about touches the platform, then push yourself back to your starting position. Be sure to avoid arching your back or sagging through your midsection and for the most benefit, make a good effort to go through the full range of motion. (It's considered "cheating" to stop after only dropping half way down!)

Note: The great thing about playground pushups is that you can make them harder or easier by varying the height of the surface you use for your hand placement. If you're a beginner, choose something fairly high, so that you are standing almost straight up for the starting position. For a real challenge, choose a low platform so that your body is much closer to horizontal, as with traditional push-ups.

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