Why Pushups Are Good for You
Aloha to pushup fans or not. I’m writing to little note to encourage you and motivate you as to why pushups are so good for you. Before you grumble, moan and wince or whine, take a moment and see yourself as happy, full of energy and looking and feeling great. All that I just mentioned are wonderful reasons alone to drop down and give yourself 5 or ten.
We all the know the benefits of being healthy and strong and how amazing you feel after a fantastic workout. But if you’re short on time and want to elevate your mood, your energy and your outlook for the rest of day, a good ol’ set of pushups is just the thing to help. Below are some tips on how to perform a proper push up.
Just recently I posted to my Suzie Trains Maui Facebook Page a pushup challenge and wow wee did I get some
fantastic photos of some folks with amazing enthusiasm and inspiration for everyone. Click here to read all the great comments. In this photo is amazing all-star Molokai 2 Oahu cheerleader of my escort boat, all the way from the beautiful mountains of Canada, Cathy Gillis in great form.
Nice job Cathy. Cathy is a fitness maven and spends a lot of time on Maui training for all the sports she loves. She also does pushups to elevate her mood when the sun disappears for some time.
Pushups bring a lot of blood flow to the heart and increase total body circulation also inscreasing the levels of the feel good hormones, known as serotonin. Also it increases your chest, tricep and upper back strength. When I feel tired or sluggish, I will instantly drop down and do five standard pushups. Wow, the big boost of energy I get is amazing and helps me through to the next task.
You can do knee bent or the real deal. You can also use a bench or wall to modify your pushup. Try 5 a day then each time add one more. Pretty soon you’ll be up to maybe 10 in a blink. You’ll look and feel great too. Another added benefit is that a standard pushup can burn approximately
I like to pushups and will do them also do a few on the beach before I enter the water to help pump me up as a pre-surf or paddlesurf warm up. I feel super strong even with just 3.
Here is my training tip on “how to perform a solid pushup” You can perform knee bent or standard:
Progression 1: Knee Bent: You can also place hands on a bench. Begin by kneeling on the mat with both knees shoulder width apart. Place hands on the ground ( see photo ) in front of you palms-down on the floor, approximately shoulder width apart. They should be about next to your shoulders, with your elbows pointed towards your feet behind you. Your head and neck should be a neutral state. Engage your core muscles and lower your body to the ground and don’t allow your butt to fly into the air, and bring your chin towards the ground. Slowly push up to your start position and repeat. Maintain a straight back and keep tempo smooth and controlled. Push a big breath out. Do not allow head to drop or jut forward.
Progression 2: Standard Push-Up:
Begin in a plank position on the floor with your feet together and hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Engage your core muscles. Keeping your back flat and head neutral slower lower your body toward to the floor. If you can’t make it all the way as if your chin is touching the floor, push back up to starting position. Do not allow head to drop or jut forward or let your hips sag. Exhale a big breath out.
Various hand positions: You can also change up the standard push-up with different hand positions underneath you. For example, the triangle position, hands more wide, or hands closer to the interior of your chest. Find the right one for you and mix it up. Each one offers more stress to the tricep region and the others more stress on the chest.
Lastly, you can also place your feet on top of a the BOSU to mix things up and recruit the core muscles at a higher level.
Good luck and let me know how you’re doing. Mahalo for stopping by and keep up the good work!
Suzie Cooney
Owner of Suzie Trains Maui
