Can Do Health Benefits of Push-Ups For Seniors?

Push-ups are a straightforward upper body strength-training activity that just require the use of your own bodyweight. But do older people benefit from using them? Continue reading to discover out.

In the previous entry of this series, “Exercise Bank,” I discussed the lat pulldown for senior citizens. The lat pulldown is an excellent exercise for the upper body. This exercise engages practically the entire upper body, however it focuses primarily on the pulling muscles of the upper back as well as the biceps when performed in a vertical plane.

Although the shoulder press is the ideal complement to the lat pulldown in terms of movement patterns, it does have one key flaw that needs to be addressed. It does not activate the chest muscles to their full potential, which prevents an increase in horizontal pushing strength.

The push-up is the pushing exercise that feels the most natural when performed in the horizontal plane. It makes use of all of the pushing muscles in the upper body, with the pectoral muscles, triceps, and shoulder muscles, among others.

Push-ups need you to stabilize your entire body by contracting the muscles in your abs, glutes, and legs in order to complete the exercise. Because of this, it is an excellent and efficient compound exercise that can help develop functional strength.

The fact that senior citizens need to have a good deal of strength, mobility, and body control in order to perform push-ups effectively is by far the most significant disadvantage of this exercise. It may be difficult for certain seniors, particularly those with shoulder pain and mobility issues, to complete push-ups in a comfortable manner.

You will be able to progressively develop your mobility and strength until you are able to complete a full push-up, thanks to the fact that there are varieties of the exercise that demand significantly less strength.

What Exactly Are Push-Ups?

The push-up is a type of bodyweight calisthenics exercise which is often performed on the floor or on the ground. The workout requires you to lift your body off the ground by pushing off with your arms.

Although it may appear to be a straightforward movement, the push-up actually entails a great deal more complexity. To develop your upper body pushing strength, push-ups should be your primary focus when practicing this exercise.

Your pushup form needs to be good in order for you to attain this goal in a safe and effective manner. Common mistakes include bringing the forearms too far out to the sides, which puts unnecessary strain on the shoulder joint.

Allowing your middle region to sag is yet another mistake that’s fairly common. A correct push up is achieved by contracting the abdominal muscles and glutes while keeping the hips completely extended, because butt is not higher than the back.

The final step is to complete the push-ups using the entirety of your available range of motion. Because of either a lack of strength or mobility, or both, it is very commonly can see people doing push-ups with a very limited range of motion. This is due to a lack of either strength or mobility.

The ordinary push-up, the wall push-up, and the bent-knee push-up are three forms of the exercise that are appropriate for older citizens. You might even try jumping push-ups or one-arm push-ups if you are still relatively young and are essentially a gymnast. However, keep in mind that even the majority of young and fit people are unable to perform these exercises correctly, so you should exercise some prudence.

Read more: Lat pulldowns for Seniors

Instructions On How To Accomplish A Push-Up.

You can start a push-up from either the top of the body or the bottom. Both are valid starting points. From this starting posture, you will slowly lower your body until either your chest or your knees come in contact with the earth (or the wall in a wall push-up). or at the very least, it gets very close to being the same, depending on the dimensions and approach that you choose.

If you begin in the most basic position, which is on your hands and knees, your chest will be in contact with the earth (or the wall). Because of this, the beginning of the first repetition will be more difficult than usual because you will be eliminating the stretch reflex. And it is starting from a dead stop without any potential energy, similar to the way it is when you are performing a deadlift.

Let’s have a look at how each variation is executed, beginning with the easiest and working our way up to the most difficult.

1. Perform Wall Push-Ups

To complete a wall push-up, you should begin by standing close to a wall that is strong enough to support the body weight. Because you just use a portion of your body weight while standing up, the wall push-up is the push-up version that requires the least amount of strength to complete.

1. Take a position facing the wall and approximately arm’s length away from it.
2. Position your hands on the wall in front of you so that they are just below your shoulders and slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Your shoulders will be better protected if you keep your elbows slightly pointed towards your sides rather than outward.
4. Contract the muscles in your abdominal region as well as your glutes.
5. Put your back against the wall and lean forward until your face is almost touching it.
6. In a measured and controlled manner, pull yourself away from the wall until you are in the beginning position.

2. Perform Bend Knee Push-Ups

The regular push-up can be simplified into the easier form known as the bent-knee push-up. The leverage point is at your knees rather than your feet, which takes a significant amount of body weight off of the lift, making it more simpler to do.

You shouldn’t attempt the push-ups with bent knees until you have completed at least 30 wall push-ups in a row without stopping.

1. The movement begins with you kneeling on the ground before rising to your feet.
2. Put your hands on the floor in front of you, somewhat below your shoulders and slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Your shoulders will be better protected if you keep your elbows slightly pointed towards your sides rather than outward.
4. Contract the muscles in your abdominal region as well as your glutes.
5. Bring your chest or face into contact with the earth and then continue lowering yourself until you reach this position.
6. Perform a slow and controlled push-up to bring yourself back to the starting position.

3. Perform Regular Push-up.

The standard push-up is the most challenging of the different versions we provide. Because of the longer lever, they require a large amount of upper body strength in addition to a greater degree of control in the core.

Do not let this dishearten you in any way. If they start with the easier varieties and work their way up to the normal push-ups, most older citizens are more than capable of executing the standard push-ups. If you are able to execute 30 straight bent knee push-ups with proper form, then you should attempt doing normal push-ups. Otherwise, you should stick to practicing bent knee push-ups.

1. You begin the movement by moving your feet across the floor.
2. Put your hands on the floor in front of you, somewhat below your shoulders and slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Your shoulders will be better protected if you keep your elbows slightly pointed towards your sides rather than outward.
4. Contract the muscles in your abdominal region as well as your glutes.
5. Bring your chest down to the ground as you lower yourself till it’s touching the floor.
6. Perform a slow and controlled push-up to bring yourself back to the starting position.

Muscles That Are Used In Performing Push-Ups.

The push-up works practically all of your muscles to some degree, but it focuses on building strength in the chest, triceps, and shoulders in particular.

Chest Muscles.

When performing push-ups, the pectoral muscles known as the pectoralis major are the primary movers. They are the ones that are in charge of creating the majority of the force that is used in pushing motions.

Arms Muscles.

Because they force you to extend your elbows when pulling yourself up from the bottom position, push-ups are an excellent way to strengthen the triceps brachii muscles. During the downward part of the movement, the triceps are also responsible for controlling the flexion of the elbow joint.

During the movement, the bicep brachii serves as a dynamic stabilizer for the upper arm. In other words, the push-up will indirectly work your biceps if you perform it correctly.

During a push-up, the anterior deltoids in the shoulder can contribute to horizontal adduction, whilst the other deltoids in your shoulder operate primarily as stabilizers of the shoulder joint.

Abdominals Muscles.

In order to prevent your body from caving in when you are working on your push-ups, your abdominal muscles, in conjunction with your glutes, act as a trunk stabilizer and prevent your body from falling forward.

What Are The Benefits Of Doing Push-Ups?

Push-ups are an excellent exercise for seniors since they build upper body strength and strengthen the shoulder joint.

While other types of strength, such as those in the lower body and the core, are more vital for day-to-day activities, pushing strength is not one of them. This helps you avoid getting hurt while also being incredibly useful for a variety of jobs.

As we age, it becomes increasingly important to maintain our strength and flexibility to maintain our overall health and wellbeing. One exercise that can be particularly beneficial for seniors is the push up. While it may seem like a challenging exercise, push ups can actually be modified to accommodate a range of fitness levels and abilities. Here are some of the benefits of push ups for seniors.

1. Increased upper body strength: Push ups work the muscles in your chest, shoulders, and arms, which can help improve upper body strength. This can be especially important for seniors, who may experience age-related muscle loss if they don’t engage in regular strength-building exercises.
2. Improved bone health: Weight-bearing exercises like push ups can help improve bone density, which is important for preventing osteoporosis and other bone-related issues that are more common in older adults.
3. Enhanced balance and stability: Push ups require core engagement, which can help improve balance and stability. This can be especially important for seniors who may be at risk of falls or other balance-related injuries.
4. Increased flexibility: Push ups require a range of motion in the shoulders and arms, which can help improve flexibility and mobility. This can be particularly beneficial for seniors who may experience stiffness or reduced range of motion due to conditions like arthritis.
5. Improved heart health: Push ups are a cardiovascular exercise, which means they can help improve heart health and overall cardiovascular fitness. This can be especially important for seniors, who may be at higher risk of heart disease.
6. Improved mood: Exercise in general has been shown to have positive effects on mood and mental health, and push ups are no exception. Regular exercise can help reduce stress and anxiety, and may even help improve cognitive function.

In order to maintain your shoulders in good condition and your posture in control, it is essential to work on strengthening all of the muscles that surround the shoulder girdle as well as the shoulder joints.

Because the upper body is used for less intense activity than the lower body, upper body muscle atrophy is especially common in those who are in their older years.

Simply going for daily walks is often all that is needed to maintain the level of leg strength necessary for good health. If we don’t have activities that take care of this, however, we don’t typically engage in anything that puts a lot of strain on our upper bodies in our day-to-day lives.

It is essential to have an equal amount of strength in the groups of muscles responsible for pushing and pulling. Because of this, it’s fairly normal for people to have some strength in their upper back but very tight and weak pectoral muscles as a result of carrying things.

The most effective way to address this issue is by combining activities such as rowing and push-ups in your workout routine.

Conclusion.

I really hope that you found this senior-friendly push-up tutorial helpful and that you decide to include this exercise in your regular workout routine. In the event that you have any inquiries, please do not be reluctant to post them in the comment section that follows. I am pleased to be of assistance!

It is crucial to add a pushing exercise like the push-up in your regimen if you are already practicing strength training for your back and legs. This will help prevent muscle imbalances.

Having a strong chest and shoulders, this will also benefit you when participating in hobbies such as swinging a tennis racquet, a golf club, or a fishing pole, or practically any activity that requires you to throw something or strike something.

If you want an easy strength training regimen that works your entire body, go here.

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