Only a small number (around 24%) of adults engage in adequate aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This piece of information can reveal a lot about a person’s health. For example, strength and endurance have a direct effect on longevity. It’s a well known fact that joints and muscle mass deteriorate with age, and that’s why flexible and strong muscles are a must if you want to live a healthy adulthood.
However, most of us cannot accurately determine where exactly we are on the fitness scale. Perhaps you’re an passionate hiker, cyclist or a runner so your cardio is good, but your strength not so much. According to experts, push-ups can be used to assess muscle strength, endurance, and even heart health.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the amount of push-ups you should perform varies depending on your age and gender. According to their chart, 25-year-old women should aim for a total of 20 push-ups, while males of the same age should shoot for 28. If you can manage to reach these numbers you’re probably in “good fitness”, according to the health agency.
Those numbers obviously drop as you age. Around the age of 35, women should aim for 19 push-ups, while men should aim for 21. Women in the 45-year-old age group should complete 14 push-ups, while men should be able to complete 16. At 55 years old, aim for 10 and 12, respectively. But for both men and women, the number equals 10 at age 65.
According to a 2019 study, middle-aged, active men who can complete 40 push-ups are less likely to get a cardiovascular disease than those who only complete 10.
According to a press release from the study’s author, Justin Yang, their findings “provide evidence that push-up capacity could be an easy, no-cost method to help assess cardiovascular disease risk in almost any setting.” Surprisingly, push-up capacity was more strongly associated with cardiovascular disease risk than the results of submaximal treadmill tests.”
There are two ways to perform push-ups: the traditional method on your toes, or on your knees, which is ideal for beginners or people with weak knees.
To begin, lie down on your belly on the floor, place your palms next to your shoulders with your elbows bent. With a straight back, extend your arms till they reach their maximum length. The Mayo Clinic advises lowering your body until your chin touches the floor.
Here’s how to master the proper push-up form for optimal strength and results.
The objective is to perform as many push-ups as possible without taking a break. You’ll notice that you’re doing more push-ups and taking less rest periods as you start to develop muscle strength and endurance.
Related:
A 100 Push Ups Workout Program
5 Ways to Make Push Ups Harder
