Tag Archive for: push-ups

Overcoming Discomfort

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Last month, I did 70 push-ups on my 70th birthday. They were not full push-ups; they went about halfway. It took a year to be able to overcome shoulder weakness and discomfort because of torn bicep muscles in both arms. But by doing push-ups every day, I gradually pushed out the number every few weeks, beginning with 10 and culminating with 70. Most importantly, I don’t have any pain nor discomfort when I do them now.

I attempted to do full push-ups this past Sunday. I was able to do four with the shoulder discomfort starting on the fifth one. But I know the process and I know over time, by gaining strength in the other muscles and with a consistent effort, I will do 70 full push-ups before this year is out.

Now, I’m turning attention to my right knee that’s bone on bone. I saw my physical therapist yesterday to get his direction in strengthening my knee. There’s a lot of work ahead of me, but I’m determined to make my knee function better than it currently does—15 minutes at a time.

While all discomfort is not the direct result of soft tissue problems, many are. The only thing you can do is to get the best direction from physical therapists and other health professionals and then get to work. It will take time and you must be consistent. It may get worse before it gets better.

But stop and think: what if you had 50% less discomfort or 30% more range of motion or 60% more strength? Would it be worth the effort? Only you can decide, but from nothing you get nothing. What can you get from 15 minutes per day?

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

What Do Tests Tell Us?

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Based on last week’s push-up challenge, many of you have emailed me to let me know how you did. No matter how many or how few push-ups you did, it’s a start that can help you increase your muscular strength and stamina. All you have to do is to continue to do them as part of your exercise plan.

You may have seen an article in the Washington Post that examined another test associated with increased mortality. The idea is that you’re supposed to start by standing and then lower yourself to a sitting position on the floor with your legs crossed; then rise again. You start with 10 points and deduct one point every time you have to use your hands, arms, or sides of your legs while getting up or down. The fewer the points, the higher your risk of dying sooner.

I’m a dead man if that’s the case. I couldn’t get down because my knee couldn’t handle the stress, hands or no hands; Paula has two bad knees, so she’s out of luck, too. If you can’t get down, you can’t get up.

Maybe you couldn’t do any full push-ups. Are you toast as well?

Understand what the tests mean. If you have strength, you’ll have better balance. If you’re flexible, that helps with core strength and also balance. Stamina indicates you have aerobic fitness. These all speak to your quality of life as well as your cardiovascular fitness, and those are associated with living longer. The simple tests provide a snapshot of where you stand in relation to other people 50 and older. If these tests don’t play to your strengths, there are other tests to assess your strength, flexibility, and balance; don’t give up until you’ve tried those.

Want to live longer? Make fitness a part of your everyday life. Maybe you’ll live longer, maybe not, but you’ll have a better quality of life in however days you live.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Drop and Give Me 41

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The study on firefighters, push-ups, and CVD was interesting—not only for the relationship between push-ups and CVD, but also for the other relationships between the number of push-ups and other variables. Here’s a summary:

As the number of push-ups increased:

  • Body mass index decreased
  • Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased
  • Blood sugar decreased
  • Total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides decreased
  • HDL-cholesterol increased

One more thing: age decreased as well. In other words, the men in the study who could do more push-ups were younger. Was that the real reason—they were younger so naturally they could do more push-ups? They accounted for age in the statistical analysis, so it doesn’t appear to be so.

Does this study show cause and effect? No, because it’s observational. What it shows is that the lifestyle of the subject is important in the development of CVD. The subjects who had the greatest reduced risk had the highest aerobic and strength fitness, which may be reflective of an overall healthy lifestyle. Because push-ups require no equipment, progress can be easily tracked in a physician’s office. That was the actual point of the study: a simple test that could be predictive of CVD among other factors.

Here’s my challenge to you. After you see how many you do as a baseline, work at doing push-ups every day until you can hit 41. If you can’t do one, start with knee push-ups, push-ups from an exercise ball or chair, or wall push-ups (stand more than an arm’s length from the wall). As you can get to 41 one way, move to the next more difficult type.

When you get to 41, send me an email saying you did it and I’ll send you a coupon code good for 30% off the Optimal Performance Program; Member and Insider discounts apply. I’ll take you at your word, no selfies and no videos. After all, the only person you would be cheating is yourself and your risk of heart disease. I know age doesn’t matter; one of my readers in his 80s can already do this challenge. All it takes is a little sweat equity. Check with your doctor and get started.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.8341.

Push-Ups and CVD

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On Tuesday, I asked you to see how many push-ups you can do before you can’t do any more (if you’re fit enough with no real orthopedic issues). How did you do? I have torn biceps in both arms, but I managed to eke out 21. But you may be wondering why I asked you to do push-ups.

A study published in JAMA Online periodically tested a group of 1,500 firefighters between 21 and 66 in 2000 to 2007. They were given several tests including maximal exercise capacity, height, weight, blood pressure, blood glucose, and the number of push-ups they could do. They were tracked for 10 years.

Researchers divided the results into quintiles based on the number of push-ups. They found that as the number of push-ups increased, the rate of CVD decreased. While not all comparisons were statistically different, there was a definite pattern of benefit.

That wasn’t the only data that proved to be interesting in the study. I’ll finish it on Saturday, along with a challenge.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.8341.

Once a Year, No Matter What!

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I was in the gym locker room recently when I heard a guy ask a question: “Can I use any locker or are they assigned?” I turned to see if he was talking to me, but another guy told him there were no assigned lockers and to use whatever is open. That’s when the locker seeker said, “I couldn’t remember because I’m here only once a year.”

I thought maybe he uses this gym only when he visits this area. Then I realized he meant he gets to the gym only once a year, probably making light of his infrequent visits. The problem is that seems to be what most Americans do: buy gym memberships and never use them.

That’s why a study just published this past week is important. Researchers examined a number of physical variables in a group of firefighters and tracked them for ten years; the goal was to look at factors related to cardiovascular disease. I’ll talk about that study this week.

In the meantime, if you’re fit enough with no real orthopedic issues, see how many push-ups you can do before you can’t do any more.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet