The Life-Saving Benefits of Push-Ups

Being able to perform push-ups can have a significant impact on your health—particularly your heart health.

According to a Harvard study, the number of push-ups you can complete is closely linked to your risk of developing heart conditions. Specifically, men who can manage 40 or more push-ups are at a staggering 96% lower risk of heart disease compared to those who can only perform 10 or fewer.

Justin Yang, the lead researcher and an occupational medicine resident at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, stated, “Our findings provide evidence that push-up capacity could be an easy, no-cost method to help assess cardiovascular disease risk in almost any setting. Surprisingly, push-up capacity was more strongly associated with cardiovascular disease risk than the results of submaximal treadmill tests.”

The researchers spent a decade studying over 1,100 healthy male firefighters, averaging 40 years old, none of whom had cardiovascular issues at the study's onset. The results showed that those who could perform the highest number of push-ups experienced a lower incidence of heart disease over the study period.

While the study focused on men, it’s reasonable to infer that the same principle applies to women: a higher push-up count may also correlate with a reduced risk of heart disease.

It's essential to note that the link between push-ups and heart health is more about overall fitness levels than the push-ups themselves. For example, if you are adept at pull-ups but struggle with push-ups, your heart health may still be in good shape.

To lower your risk of heart disease, increasing your overall activity level is key. You can achieve this by engaging in weight training, incorporating bodyweight exercises into your routine, jogging several times a week, or participating in sports activities.

Personally, I enjoy a mix of bodyweight workouts nearly every day combined with basketball sessions once or twice a week. The type of activity is less important than simply keeping your body active.

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Chapter 1: Push-Ups and Heart Health

What Happens To Your Body After 100 Push-Ups a Day For 30 Days

This video explores the effects of doing 100 push-ups daily over a month, detailing the physical and health changes that occur.

Chapter 2: The Impact of Push-Ups on Cardiovascular Risk

Middle-Age Men Who Can Do 40+ Push-Ups Have Lower Heart Disease Risk, Study Finds

This video discusses a study that highlights the connection between push-up capacity and reduced heart disease risk in middle-aged men, emphasizing the importance of fitness.