If you can do 40 push-ups in a row, you’re in great shape.
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Welcome to Play Smart, a game improvement column published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday by Game Improvement Editor Luke Kerr-Dineen (who you can follow on Twitter here).
It is one of the simplest and best known exercises of all time. And according to one study, it’s one of the key indicators of good health later in life.
According to a 2019 study published in JAMA Network Open, highlighted by the Harvard School of Public Health, the authors followed a group of more than 1,000 “professionally active men” with an average age of 39 for 10 years. The study asked the men to perform a variety of different physical tasks and to monitor their health periodically throughout the study.
At its conclusion, the researchers found that men who had the ability to do 40 push-ups were 96% less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease (CVD) – which includes heart disease and blood clots – than those who couldn’t. 10 push-ups. UPS. And those who could do 40 push-ups were less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease overall.
According to the study:
The researchers calculated that men who were able to do more than 40 push-ups had a 96% reduced risk of cardiovascular events compared to those who were able to do fewer than 10 push-ups.
Can you do 40 push-ups at once?
Besides giving you better overall health, push-ups can also be a great way to add power to your golf swing.
Mike Carroll, who runs the Fit For Golf app and is a fitness trainer for a number of PGA Tour players, says they work on key areas of the chest, shoulders, upper back, triceps and abs. He recommends making them part of your daily routine and, as you can see, recommends staying focused on your form.
A small amount of good reps is better than many bad ones, so start small and build up from there. Give it a few years and you’ll be glad you did.
