Each Friday, we’ll have a new Workout of the Week (WOW) for you. We hope you’ll try it out over the weekend and then build it into your daily routine Monday through Friday of the coming week. These workout ideas will be simple, appropriate for people of various ages and abilities, and allow you to fit a little more physical activity into your week!
Push-ups are not only great for your chest, but they also do a tremendous job of defining your abs, triceps, shoulders and torso. The great thing about push-ups is that you can do them anywhere—in between commercial breaks of your favorite TV show, when you wake up in the morning, on your lunch break, and more…the possibilities are endless!
How to do push-ups:
- To begin, lie face down on the ground with hands placed as wide, or slightly wider than, shoulder width.
- Keeping your body straight, push your body off the ground by straightening your arms at the elbows. Hold this position for 1 to 2 seconds.
- Next, lower your body to the ground by bending at the elbows, controlling your weight and keeping your body straight. Your chest should barely touch the ground.
- Push up again by straightening your arms, and repeat this process 5-10 times.
Try doing 2 or 3 sets of 10 push-ups per set.
Tip: If you are having trouble doing a complete set, don’t be afraid to rest on your knees to do your push-ups. Keep your eyes focused straight ahead to ensure a straight line from your neck to your feet.
Need more help with push-ups? Check out http://www.hundredpushups.com/. They have a “7 week to 100 push-ups” program that can be tailored to people of all different strength abilities. They begin by testing your initial push-up abilities and set goals to reach each day for 7 weeks. They also have a downloadable app so you can track your daily progress from your mobile device.
Want more fitness ideas? If you’re a Health Advocate member with access to the Wellness Coaching program, reach out to your Wellness Coach for more healthy ideas to get—and stay—fit. And remember, talk to your doctor before beginning any new fitness regimen.
