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Push-up capacity is a no-cost, fast, and simple measure that may be a useful and objective clinical assessment tool for evaluating functional capacity and cardiovascular disease risk
There are several aspects of physical fitness that can be instructive for subsequent heart disease outcomes.
Calisthenics and resistance training are great ways to decrease blood pressure and stress put upon the heart. When performed correctly habitually doing push-ups can achieve the aforementioned benefits and even provide a dependable measure of an individual’s longevity.
“Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Robust evidence indicates an association of increased physical fitness with a lower risk of CVD events and improved longevity; however, few have studied simple, low-cost measures of functional status,” the authors wrote in the report.
In order to determine the most effective and affordable methods of maintaining fitness, the researchers began by reviewing health data from 1,104 male firefighters recorded annually between the years of 2000 and 2010. The average age of the participants was 39 and the median body-mass-index was about 28.7
Each participant was instructed to perform as many push-ups as they could in a single-try. These trials persisted over the course of ten years.
By the end of the study period, 37 participants developed a heart disease related condition — 36 of these firefighters were not able to complete 40 push-ups in the initial trial. Although the researchers additionally tested treadmill endurance no discernible association was established between these demonstrations and the development of cardiovascular diseases.
To perform a proper push-up make sure that your hands are shoulder-width apart or wider, your elbows are at a 45-degree angle as you bend towards the ground, and that your fingers are spread, with your middle finger pointing towards 12 o’clock.
“Push-up capacity is a no-cost, fast, and simple measure that may be a useful and objective clinical assessment tool for evaluating functional capacity and cardiovascular disease risk.”