Dallas Chiropractor;
Proper Push Up Form
Video by Dr. Anthony Vasile
If you were like many others during the Covid-19 shutdown looking for some type of workout equipment, you quickly found that they were in high demand and hard to find. I couldn’t find a dumbbell anywhere. After searching the internet for weeks, it was clear that I needed to focus my workouts elsewhere. I thought why not just use something that I have with me all the time. And that is me. Body workout exercises are cost effective and can produce great results if performed correctly. The push up is a simple and effective strengthening exercise to stabilize the shoulders so you can perform movements that are conducive for everyday life activities like feeding, grabbing, carrying, pushing, and pulling. Just remember to use Proper Push Up Form!
The push up is a great start point to be able to add other exercises based around the concept of bracing and torque. The push up can also serve as a diagnostic tool for assessing motor control and range of motion. If you understand the basic concepts and apply them correctly you are less likely to default into bad positions when your training takes you to more complex movements like a dip, overhead press, or even a handstand pushup. Positioning hands about shoulder width apart is a good start. The goal is to establish a position that allows you to perform movement with proper technique. Once proficient you can start switching up the width of your hands from time to time to create different feedback to the brain.
A research study published in JAMA in 2019 looked at the relationship between push-up capacity and subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD) event incidence in active adult men. A total of 1562 participants underwent baseline examination, and 1104 with available push-up data were included in the final analyses. Participants able to complete more than 40 push-ups were associated with a significantly lower risk of incident CVD event risk compared with those completing fewer than 10 push-ups. Although larger studies in more diverse cohorts are needed, push-up capacity may be a simple, no-cost measure to estimate functional status and risk of future CVD events.
References:
Yang J, Christophi CA, Farioli A, et al. Association Between Push-up Exercise Capacity and Future Cardiovascular Events Among Active Adult Men. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(2):e188341. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.8341
Starrett, K., & Cordoza, G. (2015). Becoming a supple leopard: the ultimate guide to resolving pain, preventing injury, and optimizing athletic performance. Second edition, updated and expanded. Las Vegas: Victory Belt Publishing Inc.
Our Message
Our Chiropractors in East Dallas, located near the corner of Mockingbird Ln. and Abrams Rd., take a natural approach to getting rid of soreness caused by low back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, etc. Through Chiropractic adjustments and education, we teach our patients the best ways to relieve pain with Chiropractic and without medicine. We know how important getting the right amount of movement is to your health so try this Proper Push Up Form to Avoid Back Pain!