10 Best benefits of push-ups

Introduction

Hello everyone and welcome to my website Sportsevery. In this article, we will discuss the 10 best benefits of push-ups.

What are push-ups?

Push-ups are a bodyweight exercise that targets the muscles of the chest, triceps, shoulders and core. Push-ups can be done anywhere without any equipment. Push-ups help in building strength, endurance, and muscular development.

How to do a push-up

• Start with lying face down on the floor.
• Place your hands more than shoulder-width apart.
• Keep your leg extended, with your toes touching the ground.
• Keep your body in a straight line from your head to your heels.
• By bending your elbows start lowering down.
• Go down until your chest almost touches the ground.
• Take a push from the ground and go back to the starting position.

Muscles targeted by push-ups

1. Chest(Pectoralis major and minor)
   • Pectoralis major: This muscle of the chest is responsible for movements of the shoulder joint. Depending on hand placement, push-ups emphasize the lower and middle portions of this muscle.
   • Pectoralis minor: This is the muscle located beneath the pectoralis major and helps with the scapular movements during push-ups.
2. Shoulders(Deltoids)
   • Anterior deltoid: During push-ups, the front portion of the shoulder muscle is highly activated and helps in pushing movements and stabilizing the shoulder joint.
   • Lateral deltoid: The side portion of the shoulder provides stability during exercise and helps in arm movement.
3. Triceps(Triceps brachii)
   • The triceps are engaged during push-ups and as you push yourself up, they are responsible for extending the elbow joint.
4. Core muscles
   • Rectus abdominis: During the movement, this muscle helps to stabilize the torso.
   • Obliques(Internal and external): These muscles are present on the sides of the abdomen and help to maintain balance and posture during the push-up.
5. Back muscles
   • Serratus anterior: These muscles are present on the sides of the chest and these muscles are involved in the movement of the scapula(shoulder blades).
   • Rhomboids and trapezius: These muscles help to stabilize the shoulders and scapulae.
   • Latissimus dorsi: During the exercise, these muscles assist in the overall stability of the shoulder.

10 Best benefits of Push-ups

1. Improves upper body strength: By targeting the muscles of the chest, shoulders, and triceps and also biceps and upper back, push-ups help in building upper body strength and muscle endurance.
2. Core strength and stability: Core muscles, including the abdominal and lower back muscles, are engaged to stabilize your body while performing a push-up. This increases the strength of the core and overall balance.
3. Boosts cardiovascular health: When push-ups are done in higher repetitions or as part of a circuit workout which helps to increase heart rate, which promotes cardiovascular endurance improving heart and lung function.
4. Mental benefits: Physical activity like push-ups triggers the release of endorphins which improves mood and reduces stress.
5. Promotes functional fitness: Push-ups to improve movements that are part of everyday life(e.g., pushing, lifting) as push-ups are a functional exercise.
6. Increase metabolic rate: Push-ups increase the heart rate and target multiple muscle groups that boost metabolism and help burn calories. Push-ups support fat loss and help to maintain a healthy weight.
7. No equipment required: Push-ups can be done anywhere without needing equipment. Anyone can do push-ups whether a person is a beginner or an athlete.
8. Improves posture: Push-ups increase the strength of muscles of the chest, shoulders, triceps and back which helps to improve the posture.
9. Builds mental toughness: Push-ups improve mental toughness and perseverance, as when push-ups are performed in higher repetitions, they require focus, discipline, and resilience.
10. Increases shoulder stability: Push-ups reduce the risk of injury and improve shoulder health by increasing the strength of stabilizing muscles around the shoulder joint.

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed about 10 best benefits of push-ups. Push-ups are a bodyweight exercise that targets the muscles of the chest, triceps, shoulders and core. There are so many benefits of push-ups. Push-ups improve the strength of the upper body. Push-ups boost cardiovascular health, push-ups trigger the release of endorphins and enhance mood. Push-up also improves the metabolism level. A person can do push-ups anywhere as push-ups require no equipment.