As parents, the majority of our responsibility is to teach our children. Manners are expected, but can be inconsistent. Fostering independence requires patience, and matures over time. Healthy living is a lifestyle, not a magical transformation. Despite frustration or setbacks, you try and demonstrate doing life well as consistently as possible. Since you want your children to learn well as they go through life, why do you not do the same for yourself, especially when it comes to exercising?

As a former certified personal trainer, teaching clients the right way to exercise was a priority. Many people do not use proper form and form really matters! Use proper form and see the transformation take place.

What is proper form?
Proper form is performing an exercise correctly. It is positioning your body properly, using a range of motion specific to the exercise, and having the correct amount of resistance to create tension for the muscle(s) being exercised.

Why is proper form important?
Proper form helps you establish a fitness foundation. Proper form is an instrumental component to the overall success of any workout program.

Great form gives you great results. When an exercise is performed with proper form, you can actually feel the muscle at work, increased blood flow delivers more oxygen­‐rich blood to the muscle(s) at work, and you build muscle. That muscle then goes to work to burn body fat, even when you are resting.

Proper form minimizes injuries. When exercises are performed with proper form, you condition/train muscles that act as secondary joint stabilizers. And proper form can help reduce your risk of overuse injuries. Of course, you should always check with your physician before beginning any exercise program.

Remember to listen to your body. If you feel any discomfort, or unnecessary pain specific to the exercise movement, stop immediately, check your form, and make any necessary adjustments, including reducing the weight or modifying the movement to make it easier for you.

How do I perform exercises with proper form?
Find a good instructor or instructional video so you understand the proper mechanics and get the greatest benefit from the time and money you invest.

Focus on the specific muscle the exercise targets. If you are unsure, research what muscle should be engaged while performing the exercise. Then, as you perform the exercise, think about that muscle, and feel the muscle engage without unnatural stress/tension/pain.

Proper form is about quality, not quantity. Quality training will positively influence your progress. Your goal is to perform as many repetitions as possible with good form, and the last 2­‐3 repetitions should be challenging, but not impossible. Your repetitions should not cause you to break proper form.

Maybe after reading this, you cut and paste proper form when exercising to parenting. These tips can be used not only in the gym, but everyday in life, to help you become the strongest mom.