Press-up facts for kids

Navy Midshipmen doing push-ups after the Navy football team scored a touchdown.

A push-up (also called a press-up) is a common exercise where you lower your body towards the ground and then push yourself back up using your arms. It's a great way to build strength in your chest, shoulders, and the back of your arms (called triceps). Push-ups don't need any special equipment, so you can do them almost anywhere!

How to Do a Push-up

Doing a push-up correctly helps you get the most benefit and avoid injuries. Here are the steps:

• Starting Position: Lie on your stomach with your hands flat on the floor, a little wider than your shoulders. Your fingers should point forward.
• Body Straight: Push up onto your hands and toes, keeping your body in a straight line from your head to your heels. Don't let your hips sag or stick up too high. This is like a plank position.
• Lower Down: Slowly bend your elbows, lowering your chest towards the floor. Keep your elbows close to your body, or slightly out to the sides. Go down until your chest is just above the ground.
• Push Up: Push through your hands to straighten your arms and lift your body back to the starting straight position.
• Repeat: Do this movement again for more push-ups!

Tips for Beginners

If regular push-ups are too hard at first, don't worry! You can start with easier versions:

• Knee Push-ups: Instead of resting on your toes, rest on your knees. Keep your body straight from your head to your knees.
• Wall Push-ups: Stand facing a wall, place your hands on it, and lean in to do a push-up against the wall. This is the easiest way to start.
• Elevated Push-ups: Place your hands on a raised surface like a sturdy bench or a low table. The higher the surface, the easier it will be.

Why Push-ups Are Good for You

Push-ups are a fantastic exercise because they work many muscles at once.

• Muscle Strength: They mainly strengthen your pectoral muscles (chest), triceps (back of your arms), and shoulders.
• Core Strength: To keep your body straight, your core muscles (like your abs and lower back) have to work hard. This helps improve your balance and stability.
• No Equipment Needed: You can do push-ups anywhere, anytime, without needing weights or gym machines. This makes them a very convenient exercise.
• Overall Fitness: Regular push-ups can improve your overall physical fitness, making everyday activities feel easier and helping you stay healthy.

Different Types of Push-ups

Once you master the basic push-up, there are many variations you can try to challenge yourself or work different muscles more.

• Wide-Grip Push-ups: Place your hands much wider than your shoulders. This puts more focus on your chest muscles.
• Narrow-Grip Push-ups: Place your hands closer together, sometimes even touching. This works your triceps more.
• One-Arm Push-ups: This is an advanced move where you perform the push-up using only one arm. It requires a lot of strength and balance.
• Hindu Push-ups (Dand): This is a flowing movement that starts in a downward dog-like position, dips down, and then pushes up into an upward dog-like position. It's great for flexibility and strength.
• Decline Push-ups: Place your feet on a raised surface (like a chair or bench) while your hands are on the floor. This makes the exercise harder and works your upper chest and shoulders more.

Images for kids

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  Animation of a full push-up (the wide positioning of the hands increases the push-up's use of chest muscles as opposed to arm muscles)

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  Side view of a push-up

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  Military recruits will often perform push-ups as part of their physical training. Here, U.S. Marine recruits at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego perform push-ups in May 2005, as a part of their basic recruit training.

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  Planche position

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  The Hindu push-up, also known as a dand. This is the most basic version, similar to that used by Bruce Lee who referred to it as a cat stretch.

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  A U.S. Army employee demonstrates a one-arm push-up in an extended position.

See also

In Spanish: Flexión de codos para niños