--- title: 6 Ways to Get More Out of a Push-Up description: Pay attention to your breathing canonical: https://time.com/3943419/push-up-exercise-workout/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-02T14:00:20.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:05:08.067Z article:section: Health og:title: 6 Ways to Get More Out of a Push-Up og:description: Pay attention to your breathing og:url: https://time.com/3943419/push-up-exercise-workout/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3d63056c47f0ee15/698859585f570f7576b1c47c/woman-exercise-push-up.jpg?branch=production&width=492&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 492 og:image:height: 277 og:image:alt: woman-doing-push-up-exercise og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 6 Ways to Get More Out of a Push-Up twitter:description: Pay attention to your breathing twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3d63056c47f0ee15/698859585f570f7576b1c47c/woman-exercise-push-up.jpg?branch=production&width=492&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 6 Ways to Get More Out of a Push-Up > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=8edb8fc2-82db-4fdd-863c-603fb90e6859&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Does Jogging Cause Arthritis? [Watch (HLS stream): Does Jogging Cause Arthritis?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/FCOBKT7U.m3u8) (2:01)  _Published 2015-05-15. Is arthritis caused by years of running? How do you protect your knees and hips? Our healthy skeptic tracks down the facts about how running affects your joints._ by [Jennifer Cohen / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Jennifer Cohen / Health.com Contributor Jul 2, 2015 2:00 PM UTC  Caucasian woman doing push-ups Caucasian woman doing push-ups Getty Images by [Jennifer Cohen / Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Jennifer Cohen / Health.com Contributor Jul 2, 2015 2:00 PM UTC The push-up is one of the most overlooked exercises in the metaphorical exercise book. Sure, it looks pretty easy and most of us know the basics: heels together, wrists underneath shoulders, bend and press your elbows, and _voila,_ a move that works your entire body pretty much. But there are certain tweaks you can make to take your push-up technique to the next level. Here are 6 key ways to perfect this exercise—and get the most out of it. All you have to do is follow these tips. **Press Your Hands Into The Floor** When performing a push-up, you want to press the palms of your hands firmly into the floor as if to push away from your wrists. Simultaneously, rotate the arms externally so that the elbows and biceps face forward. This pressure provides a natural tension in your arms, shoulders, and upper back, which will help you maintain stability in the upper body throughout the exercise, which helps keep you working hard in proper form. **Squeeze your lats** Another way to stabilize the upper body is to engage your lats. These muscles are found underneath your armpits and run along the sides of your body. By pressing your palms firmly into the floor you can start to activate them. Then, in addition, think of squeezing your armpits as tightly as possible, like you are holding something in between them. This will keep your upper body completely stable. **Draw your shoulder blades down and back** Keeping your shoulders shrugged up to your ears puts excess strain on the neck, and makes it harder to work the muscles you’re trying to tone: your arms, shoulders, and core. The body needs to move as one solid unit. Before you bend your elbows, check to make sure your shoulder blades are pulled down and back away from the ears, engaging your back muscles. To do this, act as if you are trying to squeeze your shoulder blades together. **Keep your neck in line with your spine** Dropping your head too far down or tilting it too far upward can put too much pressure on the spine and put you at greater risk for injury—the opposite of getting stronger. Find a neutral spine: Instead of tucking your chin completely or looking straight out in front, gaze about 6 inches or so in front of your fingertips and keep your eyes focused there as you push up. **Keep your core engaged** The core is made up of more than just your abdominal muscles. It’s the entire midsection of your body, basically everything but your extremities. Activating all of your core muscles, including your obliques, abs, and glutes, takes stress off the lower back in addition to stabilizing your hips so your body stays in one long line, even as you lower down. By actively squeezing your navel towards your spine, the push up becomes just as much of an abdominal workout as performing a plank. **Master the breath** If we were listing these in level of importance, this would probably be number one. As with any exercise, breath is always going to help improve your form. It is what drives the movement. Remember to always exhale on the effort of the movement. In this case, that means inhale when you go down and exhale when you press up. As you exhale, you are essentially trying to empty the lungs of as much air as possible to help contract the core and give more power to your movement. **_Now that you know how to do the perfect push-up, you can try different variations with_** [**_7 Ways to Do a Push-Up_**](http://news.health.com/2015/03/17/7-ways-to-do-push-ups/) [_This article originally appeared on Health.com_](http://news.health.com/2015/06/29/6-ways-to-get-more-out-of-a-push-up/) _More from Health.com:_ * [20 Ways to Do a Plank](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20813896,00.html?xid=time) * [The Sexy Side Arm Push-Up](http://www.health.com/health/video/0,,20719558,00.html?xid=time) * [4 Ways to Get Awesome Arms](http://www.health.com/health/video/0,,20930976,00.html?xid=time) ## Transcript You're watching Everwell. Know more, live better. [ MUSIC ] I love to run. It makes me feel great. But some of my non- running friends tell me that I might be ruining my knees. If you're a runner like me, you know that hitting the trail can be good for your heart and your head. But what about your hips and knees. Does bringing this kind of stress on your joints make you more prone to arthritis as some claim? Well, the answer for most people, I'm happy to say, is no. [ MUSIC ] A number of long- term studies have found that regular joggers, including those who are older and run relatively long distances are at no greater risk of arthritis than non- runners. In fact, runners, overall, are less likely to have joint problems. One reason is that running leads to stronger bones and muscles, which means less pressure on joints. It also helps control weight, which has the same affect. Still running can pose a risk of arthritis and disability for certain people, including those with a history of joint injuries, and those with big bodies whose joints have to absorb more force. In many cases they can still run, but they need to be especially careful. To help protect your joints, try to run on even surfaces with more give, like a track or dirt trail instead of concrete. Buy good running shoes and replace them regularly. Take days off and stop if you feel pain. It's also a good idea to cross train. To include exercises that increase strength and flexibility, which make your joints less susceptible to injury. By taking the right steps, you and your joints can reap the rewards of running for a lifetime. [ MUSIC ] Helping you be a Healthy Skeptic. 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