A natural follow up to my The Perfect Plank article is a discussion of The Perfect Pushup. Here it is.
The pushup is “pushed” by personal trainers everywhere and is a basic staple in many people’s personal training program. I like the pushup. When done correctly, it encourages core and upper body strength, both very important to an overall wellness program. People at all stages of fitness can benefit from pushups. For example, if you lose your balance, you need core and upper body strength to grab something and stabilize yourself. Remember falls can lead to fractures for people with osteoporosis or osteopenia.
My concern is when I see people on a personal training program that emphasizes quantity of pushups and not the quality. When someone is pushed to hard to hit a target number of pushups in a set period of time, the person frequently loses form and loses proper postural alignment.
Take a look at my video where I explain (and demonstrate) The Perfect Pushup in some detail. If you are considering a personal training to improve your fitness, remember to keep in mind the importance of quality.
Pallavi: Thanks. Glad you like the article. Keep at your program.