Push Up Modifications For Older Adults
Today’s Topic Highlights:
The push up is an excellent strength building exercise for people of all ages.
No matter what your age or fitness level, the push up exercise can be modified to appropriately match your current abilities.
Modifying the push up is simple once you understand correct push up form. The key lies in the angle of the body.
Placing the hands on a higher surface, such as a kitchen countertop or wall, makes the push up less intense and more manageable.
Next time you are preparing dinner on the kitchen countertop, do a quick set of 10 push ups on it between tasks. This is a simple way to supplement your exercise routine.
The push up is an excellent strength building exercise for people of all ages. What many don’t realize is that push ups do not have to be performed exclusively on the floor. There are less intensive ways to profit from their benefits. No matter what your age or fitness level, the push up exercise can be modified to appropriately match your current abilities.
Much like the jumping jack, push ups are a staple of the US military training for a reason. They are highly effective. Push ups require the core and rotator cuff muscles to stabilize the shoulder and spine throughout the movement. They build upper body strength in a way that carries over directly into everyday life.
Modifying the push up is simple once you understand correct push up form. The key lies in the angle of the body. In the standard push up the hands are placed on the ground, which positions the body roughly parallel to the floor.
If you place the hands on a higher surface, such as a kitchen countertop or wall, the angle of the body becomes more vertical. This reduces the amount of pressure applied to the upper body. As a result, the push up becomes less intense and more manageable.
The 3 push up variations provided below are listed in order of increasing difficulty. Try all three to see which one is the best overall fit/challenge for you. Once you can perform 20 repetitions without reaching failure, progress to the next variation.