How to Do a Proper Push-Up

Posted on March 5th, 2009 by Carmelia

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Push-ups are one of the most common and arguably an integral part in any fitness routine. Push-ups are also one of the exercise routines that are done improperly, which is not a good thing. Doing push-ups improperly can cause you some serious problems in the future. Want to learn how do push-ups properly? Read on.

Materials

Exercise clothing
Towel
Exercise mat

Procedure

Lie down with your stomach and your arms flat against the floor.
Bring your palms to the level of your shoulders, each hand a little more than shoulder-width apart from its corresponding shoulder.
Look forward, chin up, and not down to the floor.
Put our feet together, heel to heel. Your legs should be straight and your toes should be tucked under your feet.
Inhale before you lift your self up.
Keeping your head level, straighten your arms and push your body off the floor. Your palms should keep a strong foundation and not shift in the push. Your arms should be perfectly straight, and your your back should not bend or arch in the movement of pushing.
Exhale as you do lift yourself up and your arms straighten.
Pause for a moment or a couple of seconds.
Lower your whole body back down to the floor. Again, your palms should be fixed, steady and unmoving flat on the ground. Exhale as you are going downwards.
Rest for a little while and repeat. Do not do too many too push-ups especially if you are new to the exercise. Do five a day for a week, and only add a few more in the next weeks.
An easier version of the classic push-up is to bend your knees so that your lower legs are vertical to the floor. Cross your ankles around each other and do your push-ups.
Another easy version of push-ups is called vertical push-ups. Simply find a sturdy wall, lean on it on a slight angle, and assume the same positioned mentioned at the start of the exercise.
Don’t forget to do proper warm ups before exercising.
Do not attempt doing push-ups if you have a condition that bars you from doing strenuous exercises or activities that may strain your chest, arms or leg area.