It only takes about 10 minutes a day to get benefits of this simple and very effective exercise
Most people think that push-ups are chest exercise. They are not wrong, but they are not correct either because it is not a chest exercise exclusevly. In very short time period you can workout your whole body by doing only push-ups.
This comes from personal experience because when I started training some 12 years ago I started with just push ups and I had tremendous results.
Push ups are hard to do in the begining but they are very simple and you don't need any special equipment. In addition to that you won't spend more than 10 minutes a day. The best way to verify this claims is to start now and report back in a month and you'll see the results for yourself.
Back strenghtening
Push ups are ideal exercise not just for chest workout but for lower back as well because they activate those muscles if the exercise is done properly. By doing this you strenghten your back and prepare yourself for everyday life and they also provide more lumbar stability.
Lower risk of injury
Push ups are very safe exercise because you do it with your own bodyweight. By doing them you reduce your chance to get back injuries or any other injury which usually happen to beginners who hit the weights before strengthening themselves with bodyweight exercises.
Higher rate of metabolism
When you do push ups not only you push yourself of the ground but you push your metabolic rate as well. If you do it everyday that helps with fat loss. In the same time you build muscle which increase your basal metabolic rate. Even when you sit there doing nothing your newly acquired muscles will burn calories and help with the weight loss.
Better posture
Reasons for bad posture in the modern world are not just bad spine and hips but weakened muscles in back, shoulders and in the neck as well. Regular push ups routine strenghtens all of those muscles and they help with reduction of pain in back and they improved posture.
Better balance
How long can you stand on just one leg? If that's only few seconds or if you can't do it at all means that your back muscles are weak. By doing push ups you strengthen those muscles and you will get better at balancing.
Increased mobility
Another advantage you get from doing push ups is better flexibility and mobility. Push ups simply mobilize all the muscles - shoulders, shoulderblades, chest and arms. Everyday movement becomes easier and risk from sport related injuries decreeses.
Sources:
- all data is acquired during my medical education and through fitness experience
- all images are found on Google and they belong to their respective owners
