BY: Jaci Sellenrick

Can you remember doing a push-up when you were younger or at your early teenage years? A push-up can help you indicate what kind of physical condition you are in. It tests the whole body by engaging muscle groups in the arms, chest, abdomen, hips and legs. It requires the body to be in a plank position with toes and palms on the floor. Best of all can tone your arms, shoulders and chest muscles really fast and truly demonstrate your own physical strength and power.

In reality, not every person can do a push-up. Fitness experts have noted that people should be focusing on their upper-body fitness and strength. Aerobics and cardiovascular fitness is not the only key to successful exercise. The focus has been more about strength training exercises.

                   

Push-ups are great for older people as well. The ability to do them more than once and with proper form is an important indicator of your overall strength. If the floor-based push-up is too difficult, start by leaning against a countertop or door frame at a 45-degree angle and pressing up and down. Eventually you can move to stairs and then the floor.

Increasing your strength and endurance with push-ups can be great added benefit to your daily routine workouts. Sometimes the simplest techniques may be the key to a stronger, leaner body. So get moving on those pushups today!