Tips for the Perfect Push-Up

When I started my fitness journey two years ago, having just come off a few months of bed rest, my first goal was to be able to do one push-up off my knees. It took quite some time, but I have gotten to the point where I can do a few before having to modify by going down on my knees.

Today, I wanted to share a few tips on how to get that proper form with a push-up.

Whether you're on your toes or on your knees, proper form is extremely important.                                                                             

1. Get into a plank. Be sure your hands are aligned with your shoulders, and then just wider than them. Tighten your core.
2. Lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor, tucking your elbows in as you do. When you're at the bottom, your arms should be at 45-degree angles.
3. Keep your back flat and do not let your back or hips sag. If you can't do a push-up on your toes yet, don't give up! You're still getting a great workout.

For those of you who want to make your push-up more challenging, here are some tips:

1. Slow down. By taking more time to do each repetition, you increase the time that each muscle must stay contracted.
2. Bring your hands and feet closer together to move your center of gravity forward and make your shoulders, pecs, back, and triceps do more work. Tighten your core to protect your lower back.
3. Change the angle. Place your feet on a stable surface and keep your hands on the ground. This puts more of your weight onto your shoulders.
4. Move away from a stable surface and do your push-ups on a balance ball. These exercises will challenge those muscles groups and force you to tighten your core to stay balanced.
5. Do handstand push-ups!