A push up is a commonly performed fitness exercise . It is performed in the prone position and uses the arms to lift the body up and down. This exercise is used as basic training exercise. In the military and in some schools it is also used as a form of punishment. When done correctly, pushups are a great way to tone the pectoral muscles, the triceps, and the anterior deltoids. Though this form of exercise primarily targets the chest, arms, and shoulders, there are other muscles that play a supporting role and thus get integrated into the exercise regimen. In any push-up training, the muscles in the abdomen contract while the body is held off the floor. The rectus abdominis that spans the front of the abdomen and the transverses abdominis that lies deep in the abdomen are flexed in the process. In short, during the pushups, the entire body is used and the result is an increase in overall strength. In this article, we will be heading to push up training and learn how to do push ups correctly.
These pushups should never be performed during pregnancy or immediately after delivery. For keeping oneself fit and getting back to normal shape soon after pregnancy, ladies can follow Shilpa Shetty Yoga explained here.
How to do push ups correctly
To do pushups, all that is need is your own bodyweight. So it can actually be done anywhere. There are many variations that you can include in the exercise to keep the interest alive. Although they look deceptively simple, you need to get proper training for push ups. This holds true for all exercises because one wrong step can have adverse effects. It is, therefore, important that you learn how to do push ups correctly from a professional. Here push up training is being given to help you follow the right techniques only and to avoid all the possible push ups mistakes that may lead to any injury to muscles or overall health.
However, it is equally vital to follow a balanced diet chart along with pushups and exercises. The diet may not necessarily be non-vegetarian. Read here how Being Vegetarian Is Good For Muscles.
Training for push ups – step by step
1. Start off in the plank position – Place your hands on the floor in line with your shoulders. Lift the lower half off the floor with the help of your toes. In this position your core should be tight, the glutes and hamstrings engaged and the back straight.
2. Lowering the body – While lowering the body towards the floor, keep the back flat and focus your eyes about 3 feet in front. Inhale as you go down. Your elbows should be tucked close to your body. Do not dip the butt or stick it out while going down.
3. Rising up – With the core muscles still tight, exhale and go back to the plank position.
Repeat this 10-20 times or as much as is convenient
Avoid the common push ups mistakes – Push up training
Even if you think, you know very well how to do push ups correctly, still, there are some push ups mistakes that you might be making unknowingly. Let’s have a look at five such most common push up mistakes.
1. The angle of the arm and elbow position- Keep the elbows close to the body. Often elbows tend to flare out forming a ‘T’ with the upper body. When the elbows are closer to the body, making a 20-40 degree angle with the body, you get an advantage while doing push ups. Similarly, let the elbows be on top of the wrist at all times. Failure in doing so results in unwanted stress in the elbow joint and can cause injury. It also reduces the effectiveness of the pushup because the chest and shoulder muscles have a lesser role to play and it is triceps that dominate the movement.
2. Arch or sag in the back – If your body is not positioned in a straight line, you are not getting maximum benefit from the exercise. Tighten the glutes and the leg muscles to ensure that the lower back does not arch while performing the exercise.
3. Wrong head positioning – If your chin is too nearby your chest region, you may strain the neck muscles. So, keep a proper distance between your chin and chest, restrict these push ups mistakes to avoid neck injury.
4. Breathing – Inhaling and exhaling at the right time also hold the key to the effectiveness of the exercise. Make sure to inhale while going down and exhale on your way up.
5. Avoid half pushups – It is generally seen that most of the people performing pushups have just begun doing them without getting proper push up training or training for push ups. They do half pushups and do not care to complete them. This way it becomes impossible to attain that desirable physique which they had been yearning for badly. So, instead of not going enough lower and rising enough higher, put in a little more efforts and go appropriately low and then rise properly.
Although as per studies Inactive People May Be More Intelligent but, exercising is necessary for everybody who wants to enjoy a long and great, healthful life. So, do the pushups properly and correctly and maintain a healthy and fit body forever.
Hope you have now learnt how to do push ups correctly and what push ups mistakes to avoid with the push up training delivered to you above in the article. Do it right and stay in an enviable shape. You can also read Actress Drashti Dhami Fitness Tips here.