How to perform a proper push-up: Lie chest-down, with hands shoulder-level, slightly more than shoulder-width apart, palms flat. Feet should be together. Start the motion by straightening your arms, which pushes your body off the floor. Then, lower your body. Look forward, not down; if any part of your face touches the ground, it should be your chin, not your nose. During the push-up, palms should remain in their original position, and your back should be straight. Ask someone to watch and check your form; you might be told that you are letting your core sag or that your butt is too high in the air. Try to make the upward motion quick or even explosive, while keeping the downward motion, a bit slower and controlled.

Why you should do them:

• Push-ups work your core. Not only do push-ups increase general upper-body strength but core muscular strength as well. They are necessary to keep a straight back during repetitions as well as to maintain balance.
• Push-ups are versatile. There are many ways to modify the standard push-up. In order to make them easier, one could use knees and hands as contact points instead of toes and hands. Increasing the distance between one’s hands also can make them easier. Conversely, bringing your hands closer together will make them more difficult. Likewise, doing them up an incline, or down an incline, will affect the difficulty and involvement of your core muscles. Looking for a real challenge? Wear a weighted body vest, try performing them on one hand, or add some claps in between push-ups.
• Push-ups are always free and can be performed anywhere, anytime. Push-ups are less cost. In fact, they are generally free. You don’t need a special gym in which to do them. They can be incorporated into any schedule; do them before exercise, after exercise, before a shower, in the morning after you wake up, or simply every time you walk into a particular room of the household (perhaps the pantry).
• Push-ups can help you work on balance. Performing them on a balance ball, with hands close together, or simply on one hand will provide the added challenge of staying balanced.
• Push-ups are safe. Push-ups do not involve heavy free weights that can be dropped. Push-ups generally only involve one’s own weight. A person performing a push-up can choose to stop at any point in the push-up, without being at risk for an injury.

Who needs a bench press?