If you are looking for a simple full-body workout that doesn’t require equipment, look no further than the push-up.
This exercise has been around for centuries and is still one of the most popular exercises today.
Not only does the push-up tone your chest, arms, and abs, but it also provides a host of other benefits that you may not have known about.
This blog post will discuss 20 benefits of the humble push-up that will blow your mind.h
Table of Contents
1. Builds Upper Body Strength
Push-ups are a great way to build upper body strength. They work your chest, shoulders, arms, and back muscles simultaneously. If you want to increase the number of push-ups you can do, start with smaller sets and gradually add more reps as you get stronger.
2. Improves Posture
Good posture is important for both your health and your appearance. Push-ups can help improve your posture by strengthening your back and shoulder muscles.
3. Prevents Injuries
By strengthening the muscles around your joints, push-ups can help prevent injuries. That’s a significant advantage because our wrists get frailer as we get older.
Besides, you may want to lift heavy weights at the gym at some point or swirl your partner around like in a romantic comedy; and you’ll need strong wrists for that.
4. Boosts Brain Power
Push-ups can also help improve your cognitive function by enhancing your balance and coordination. Your brain will have to juggle a host of variables to maintain good posture throughout a single push-up.
And that mental effort makes your brain get smarter with every push-up you do.
5. Burns Calories
Another push-up benefit is that they can help you burn calories. While the number of calories you’ll burn depends on your weight and intensity level, push-ups are a great way to add some extra calorie-burning to your routine.
6. Lowers Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. Fortunately, push-ups can help lower blood pressure by improving the health of your heart and lungs.
Why?
Because push-ups are a form of cardio, especially if you do them back to back.
7. Improves Heart Health
Push-ups also improve heart health by increasing the strength of your heart muscle. A stronger heart muscle pumps blood more efficiently throughout your body. This lowers your blood pressure and reduces your risk of heart disease.
8. Increases Lung Capacity
Push-ups also increase lung capacity by forcing you to take deep breaths. This helps improve the function of your respiratory system and can even help alleviate asthma symptoms.
9. Builds Bone Density
Push-ups are a weight-bearing exercise, which means they help build bone density. Good bone density is especially important as we age because the risk for osteoporosis increases. Push-ups can help prevent this disease by building strong bones.
10. Reduces Back Pain
If you suffer from back pain, push-ups may be the exercise for you. Push-ups can help alleviate pain and improve your posture by strengthening the muscles in your back.
11. Builds Core Strength
Push-ups build core strength because they simultaneously work your abs, obliques, and lower back. If you want to increase the number of push-ups you can do, start with smaller sets and gradually add more reps as you get stronger.
12. Burns Fat
Push-ups are a great way to burn fat because they help tone your muscles and improve your metabolism. If you want to lose weight, push-ups are a great addition to your workout routine.
13. Improves Flexibility
Another push-up benefit is that they can help improve your flexibility. By stretching your muscles, push-ups can increase your range of motion. And that will help you with your daily life; you won’t wake up stiff and sore anymore, plus you will be able to do more of the things you love that require good flexibility.
Studies also show that older adults with an increased range of motion are less prone to fractures and falls. Basically, push-ups are your nest eggs for your ripe old age.
14. Makes You Look Good
Push-ups can help you achieve the toned, muscular physique you desire. They help build muscle and burn fat, giving you the definition you want.
And women love how sculpted muscles look under office shirts or casual tank tops.
15. Gives You More Energy
If you’re feeling tired, push-ups may be just what you need. They increase your heart rate and get your blood flowing. This can give you more energy and help you feel more alert.
16. Boosts Confidence
When you start seeing results from push-ups, it can boost your confidence. You’ll feel proud of your accomplishments and motivated to keep going. This increased confidence can carry over into other areas of your life, like work or romance.
17. Improves Motivation
In addition to boosting confidence, push-ups can also improve motivation. Setting and achieving goals can give you a sense of accomplishment that can spur you on to do more.
18. Improves Balance
Push-ups can improve your balance by strengthening your legs and core muscles. This improved balance will help you in other activities, such as running and playing sports.
19. Reduces Stress
Push-ups help you clear your mind and focus on the task at hand. This can be a great way to de-stress after a long day or week.
20. You Don’t Need Equipment
One of the best things about push-ups is you can do them anywhere, anytime.
You don’t need a gym membership or fancy equipment. You can do push-ups at home, in the park, or even at the office.
You don’t even have to schedule a time to go to the gym. You can do push-ups whenever you have a few minutes.
21. You Can Scale Up or Down Your Effort
Push-ups have many variations that make them easy for a wide range of fitness levels. For example, you can do push-ups on your knees if you’re starting or have wrist pain. As you get stronger, you can move to full push-ups.
You can also make push-ups more challenging by adding weight, such as wearing a weighted vest. Or you can try one-arm push-ups or other variations.
That means you can always improve your muscle strength and fitness using the humble push-up as a basis for your upper body training.
Push-Up Drawbacks and Risks
Push-ups are not risk-free, though. While most people can do push-ups without problems, there are a few things to remember.
- If you have any injuries or medical conditions, talk to your doctor before starting a push-up routine.
- Be careful not to overexert yourself. Start slowly and gradually increase the number of push-ups you do. If you start to feel pain, stop and rest.
If you’re doing push-ups with proper form, there’s no need to worry about them being bad for your joints. However, if you have joint issues, talk to your doctor before starting a push-up routine.
Besides, push-ups may not be the best exercise for full-body strength because your legs and butt don’t get as much work done that the rest of your body.
Your biceps may also need additional work, but we wrote at length about that issue here.
Wrap Up
As you can see, the many push-up benefits make this exercise worth doing. So what are you waiting for? Start doing push-ups today. You’ll be glad you did.
Did we miss any push-up benefits? Let us know in the comments below.
It wasn't until his late twenties that he found the passion for strength training, which helped him get into great shape and stay there.
Besides sharing his favorite exercises and routines, John also provides tips on staying motivated, overcoming plateaus, and progressing in your strength training journey.
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