Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Traci Copeland is a fitness trainer based in New York. The health and fitness world is ever-evolving, with new diets, workouts, and wellness trends popping up and then fading away every year.
However, one exercise has sustained the test of time, continuing to be just as relevant—if not more—as it was over years ago when the exercise first earned its moniker. While most of us already know how to do a push-up, a little reminder about the whys of adding them to your workout routine might be the much-needed inspiration—or push—that you need.
Kelsey Wells , Sweat trainer and creator of the PWR Workout, explains that push-ups are extremely beneficial due to the fact that they are a compound movement, which means you activate multiple muscle groups at once, rather than targeting muscles in isolation. The more push-ups you can do, the more likely your cardiovascular health is spectacular. One study published in JAMA Network found that men who could complete at least 40 push-ups in under 30 seconds were at a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular problems—including heart attack and heart failure—compared with men who were able to complete only 10 or fewer.
However, Wells points out that unlike many other exercises, there are many different varieties and they can be easily modified to your fitness level.
For example, if you are a beginner, you could start with a wall push-up, or push-ups on your knees. There are many different push-up variations to modify or advance depending on your fitness level. Peloton instructor Olivia Amato points out that while push-ups are traditionally considered a body-weight exercise, you can actually adapt them into a cardio-style workout.
Anytime, anyplace, a push-up is a great exercise option, as you don't need equipment to make push-ups challenging. I really enjoyed reading it, you are a brilliant writer. I actually added your blog to my favorites and will look forward to more updates. Please note, comments must be approved before they are published. Be the first to know about special offers, product releases, fitness trends, contests, promotions, and more!
Seriously, ask us anything about fitness equipment! Contact Us contact livefit. Contact us. Black Friday Sales. A basic push-up looks like this: Get into plank position. Keep your arms straight — avoid locking the elbows. Your palms should be flat on the floor and your wrists, elbows, and shoulders should be aligned. Aim to maintain a straight spine from your neck to your hips.
Push yourself back up to the plank position. As you get stronger, you might work on holding the down position or bringing your chin or your chest all the way to the floor before pushing back up.
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Summer Workout Safety Tips. View All. Facebook Twitter Email. In the study, men who were able to bust out at least 40 pushups over 30 seconds had significantly lower risk of experiencing cardiovascular problems think heart attack and heart failure over the following decade compared with men who could do less than 10 pushups.
Keep in mind that this study focused solely on male firefighters a pretty niche population and that the results don't mean that pushups are your surefire ticket to good ticker health. But the results do suggest that your pushup abilities might predict your risk of developing cardiovascular problems. Pushups do more than build muscles and challenge your heart. Because they are a weight-bearing move, pushups can also promote good bone health— weight-bearing exercises can help build strong bones and slow bone loss, according to the National Institutes Of Health.
Thanks to today's tech-tethered world, many of us spend our days with hunched shoulders and a rounded spine, hallmarks of poor posture. Pushups, if done correctly, can help counteract this by teaching our bodies good positioning, says Zetlin.
A proper pushup, he explains, involves engaging the scapula and rhomboids two mid-back muscles that are typically underworked without relying as much on the muscles on top of your shoulders and neck which many of us typically overuse in day-to-day life anyway, especially when we're stressed.
Good posture also comes from quality core strength and stability, and as mentioned, pushups can definitely help with that. There's no one magic number of pushups that will give you the benefits mentioned above.
Instead, simply try challenging yourself. Zetlin suggests starting with eight reps, and then adjusting that number depending on how difficult the set feels. The goal, he says, is for the last two reps to feel challenging enough that you're struggling to complete them, though not too challenging that you aren't able to keep good form more on that below.
In terms of frequency, Zetlin suggests doing pushups one to three times a week. Though daily pushup challenges are popular, both he and Mansour aren't big fans of doing pushups every day as that frequency likely won't give your body the time it needs to properly rest and recover. Mansour suggests simply listening to your body to determine how often to do pushups—if yesterday's set left you feeling sore, wait until that fatigue subsides before you get back at it.
You can tackle pushups before a cardio workout or do them after weight lifting, says Zetlin. Or you can bust out sets of pushups as their own mini workout. Tip: If you're new to pushups, try to perform them next to a mirror, says Mansour, or record yourself on your phone, adds Zetlin. That way you can monitor your form and make sure you're properly aligned.
Pushups are a challenging move, and it's totally OK if you're not yet able to do them as described above. A popular regression is to simply drop to your knees and perform pushups from there. Mansour says this modification significantly reduces the strength demands on your body while still engaging the same muscles. Zetlin, however, isn't a fan of pushups on your knees as he says it can stress the lower back, increase your likelihood of rounding your spine, and reduce the core challenge.
As an alternative, he suggests simply holding the pushup starting position aka a high plank for 20 to 30 seconds at a time, keeping your heels together for added core challenge.
Or, if you have limited mobility, joint issues, or otherwise aren't ready for a high plank, you could try standing pushups performed against the wall, he adds. On the flip side, if you want to up the ante, there are many types of pushups that are more difficult. One suggestion: Place your toes atop an approximately inch bench or a box so that your feet are higher than your hips, suggests Mansour.
By performing pushups at this diagonal angle, you'll increase the strength demands on your upper body and core. As you progress with your pushups, know that you'll likely plateau at some point. If that happens, don't get discouraged, says Zetlin. Here's how to do that: Say, for instance, you've worked your way up to 30 consecutive pushups, and no matter how hard you try, you can't seem to make it to The next time you get to 30 pushups, lower yourself down and simply hold your form at the bottom of the movement for as long as possible without worrying about pushing yourself back up.
This will help you build stability in your muscles and challenge your body in a new way so that you'll ultimately be able to break through to the next level. If you're recovering from a major injury, talk to a physical therapist first before attempting pushups, says Zetlin.
And if you have joint issues around the wrists, elbows, or shoulders, start with the modifications described above, says Mansour. Also, if doing pushups causes any sharp pain, or if you hear a popping sound that's accompanied by pain, stop immediately, she advises.
When performed with proper form, pushups are a great way to strengthen your upper body and stabilize your core. They can also provide a solid cardio challenge, promote good posture, and support healthy bones density. But if you can't yet do a proper pushup, don't stress. There are several simple ways you can build up your strength—no middle school gym class or tear-inducing bootcamp workouts required. Want your passion for wellness to change the world?
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