The magic number of push-ups for your health
Bottom Line: Ok, full disclosure. This study was released in February and I just found it – so technically some have known for five months. But hey, I figured if it’s new and compelling to me, there’s a good chance it’s useful to you. A ten-year study of fitness and exercise in men conducted by Harvard researchers produced an interesting takeaway.
- One’s ability to perform push-ups is more closely linked with heart disease than one’s ability to run/walk
Given that’s the case there’s a magic number of push-ups that come into play to separate the men from the, well men with much higher risk of heart disease. That number... 40.
Men who can perform 40 consecutive push-ups have a 96% lower risk of suffering from heart disease within ten years. That’s a big number. Both of them actually but if applied it makes sense. If you’re a combination of out-of-shape and or overweight, the ability to perform 40 or more push-ups consecutively is nil. Those two factors contribute significantly to heart risk. What the 40+ push-ups represent is probably a good fitness/weight barometer if you’re attempting to maintain a reasonably healthy lifestyle.
So, get down and give me 40! For your health.