Today, we will learn about what happens to your body when you do pushups every day. Now, let’s begin Do you have a daily exercise routine? If you want to improve your physical fitness and see noticeable changes in your body, you need to create a fitness routine that challenges your muscles and builds your endurance every single day. Most people don’t think they have enough time or energy to meet their fitness goals. You see athletic people online or on TV that maintain a strong and attractive physique, and you may shudder at the hours they must have spent grinding in the gym.
But maintaining a fitness routine and reaping real rewards isn’t nearly as time-consuming or effort-intensive as most people think. In fact, practicing one exercise for a few minutes every day can change your body shape and help you achieve long-term fitness. If this is something you dream about — if you are unsatisfied with your health, or just want to make a change, then it’s time to try this simple but powerful exercise that has changed the lives of thousands of people.
It’s something we’ve all done before, yet this one exercise has allowed people all around the world to finally, after years of frustration, meet their fitness goals. Pushups are one of the most basic forms of self-weighed calisthenics, which uses your body weight to strengthen your upper body as well as your core, back, and legs. What separates pushups from every other exercise routine is the accessibility. Pushups are simple to learn and easy to master. They don’t require any equipment. You don’t need to go to the gym, gather a group of people, or wear any special clothing.
It’s an exercise you can do anywhere with anyone and still get a full-body workout in a matter of minutes. Simply by doing a few sets of pushups every day, you can increase your muscle tone, trim excess fat, and improve your endurance. A 2019 study from the JAMA Network found that doing as little as one set of pushups every day can also improve your cardiovascular health and lower your risk of cardiovascular episodes. Other studies have shown that pushups even strengthen your joints, like the balls of your shoulders.
Across the board, pushups can have a profound impact on your body, inside and out, but there’s a catch. This exercise is simple and equipment free. It takes hardly any time and can be performed anywhere without any preparation. But doing daily pushups is only going to transform your body if you do them correctly. This is where many people make mistakes. Instead of learning the correct techniques, they rush through these exercises, use improper form, and ultimately fail to achieve the level of fitness that they’re looking for.
Since they’re not seeing progress, they end up lapsing on their routines and giving up their everyday fitness habits. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can start making real progress within days. If you’re consistent and motivated, you may see real changes in your body faster than you thought possible. But only if you take the time to learn what a perfect pushup really looks like and feels like. Let’s talk about the most common pushup mistake: bad form.
When getting into pushup position, many people instinctively relieve pressure on their arms by arching their back and raising their hips, almost like you’re creating a big V with your body. Not only does this poor form decrease the effectiveness of your workout, but it significantly raises the risk of back and shoulder injuries by contorting your body in awkward, unsupported positions. To do a perfect pushup, start in a kneeling position with your feet together. Next, lean your upper body forward into a high plank, with your elbows straight and your hands flat on the ground.
To do a standard pushup, try to keep your hands about shoulder-width apart and keep your body as straight as possible. Pull your abs in, keep your butt down, and stiffen your back to prevent unnecessary bending or arching. Now, start to lower yourself toward the ground. As you bend your arms, keep your body rigid and your abs pulled in. This is where the core workout comes into play.
While pushups seem like an upper body exercise, using the correct form turns every pushup into a full body workout. With your core flexed and your back rigid, lower your body until your chest or chin touches the ground. You may notice your elbows flaring out as you lower yourself to the ground. That’s okay. Allow your arms to bend comfortably. After your chin or chest touches the floor, press upward with your arms and chest, and lift your body at a consistent and controlled pace. Once your elbows are fully extended, return to plank position, then, when you’re ready, lower your body again to start the next repetition.
No matter how many pushups you’re doing, make sure that you always move up and down at a consistent speed. It’s tempting to rush through your workout, and it may feel like you’re getting more tired. But a faster workout is rarely ever an efficient workout. Speeding through exercises causes excess muscle tension and cardiovascular stress. Instead of challenging your muscles, you’re putting most of your weight on your bones and joints, which can also lead to upper body injuries. If you follow these recommendations, you can do the perfect pushup without exposing your body to unnecessary stress or injury. But one important questions remains. Obviously, one pushup is not enough to increase your fitness and change your body.
So, how many pushups do you need to do each day to see the full body effects of this daily exercise routine? Most people start with a baseline of three sets of 10 sequential pushups. In between each set, take a break, stand up, walk around, and stretch your arms. If you do your pushups correctly, and pay attention to your form, the entire routine should take no more than 5-10 minutes of your time. That’s 5-10 minutes every day. It’s hard to believe, but that’s all you need to see real changes in your body and overall fitness.
With no setup required, this is a feasible workout for everyone, no matter how tired you feel or how busy your schedule gets. You will always have 5-10 minutes to maintain this daily routine. Over time, you will build more strength and gain confidence. You may have started with three sets of 10, but you can slowly start to increase this number. If 10 pushups feels too easy, try adding three to five pushups to your daily exercises. When you find a number that feels difficult but not too strenuous, use that number as your baseline.
On the other hand, if three sets of 10 pushups leaves you feeling too sore or exhausted, try lessening your daily load. For example, instead of 10 standard pushups, many people start with 10 modified pushups, where your knees are placed on the ground to offer you extra support. Once you feel comfortable doing 10 modified pushups, slowly transition to standard pushups and continue growing from there. Remember: doing 10 perfect, slow pushups, even modified pushups, is more beneficial than 20 rushed, sloppy pushups. Either do them right or don’t do them at all.
Unfortunately, a standard pushup cannot build every single muscle group. In fact, doing only standard pushups often leads to something call plateauing. When you do too much of one exercise, your muscles no longer gain the same value. Instead, they adapt and improve, until the exercise is no longer challenging in the same way. This is common with repeatable calisthenics, because you’re often using the same muscle groups over and over again. To avoid plateauing, make small adjustments to your form and posture in order to activate different muscle groups.
A standard pushup, like the one we just described, is great for building upper body strength. It works your triceps, pecs, and shoulders as well as your lower back and core. But there are some muscle groups that standard pushups simply do not activate. To involve these forgotten muscles, use different pushup variations to challenge your body in different ways. For example, to perform wide pushups, place the hands wider than the width of your shoulders, so that you have less support directly underneath. Another effective variation is the backward pushup. In this exercise, your hands are placed flat on the ground about 10-20 centimeters behind your shoulders, so that you are leaning your weight slightly forward. Yet another variation is called a leg abduction.
While resting in a high plank, also known as “pushup position,” try to raise your leg off the floor and move it slightly beyond the width of your hips. As your raise and lower your body, keep your leg inthe air, so that you’re balancing on one foot. As you construct your daily pushup routine, mix in different pushup variations, like wide pushups and leg abductions, to ensure you’re challenging all your necessary muscle groups. For example, you might do three sets of Standard pushups every Monday, three sets of narrow pushups every Tuesday, and three sets of backwards pushups on Wednesdays, mixing in leg abductions as you go.
With a consistent routine and diverse variations, you can transform your body and meet your fitness goals with one simple exercise. Not only does this routine increase your health and fitness, but it develops and your improves your relationship with your body. As you start to see changes, you will gain confidence and motivation. Your real progress will motivate you to push harder and experiment with new forms of physical fitness. Ultimately, you may expand your horizons and add other exercises to your daily routine. But if you want to start seeing results soon, start doing pushups every day. If you’re patient and consistent, you’ll be amazed at how quickly your body changes.
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