The push-up is a classic exercise most of us learned way back in gym class, and it\u2019s stood the test of time as a symbol of strength and physical fitness.\n<\/p>\n
Lately, push-ups have received even more attention than usual, thanks to viral TikTok challenges<\/a> and one launched in August by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., which involves doing 100 push-ups (and 50 pull-ups) in under 10 minutes.\n<\/p>\n Experts largely don\u2019t recommend<\/a> that level of intensity for the average person, but they widely agree on the benefits of push-ups in general. \u201cThey\u2019re the perfect exercise,\u201d said Liz Hilliard<\/a>, a certified Pilates teacher and owner of Hilliard Studio Method in Charlotte, North Carolina.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n John Hinson, MD, a Florida-based board-certified orthopedic surgeon, agreed. \u201cIt\u2019s difficult to identify a single exercise that engages as many body areas as a push-up,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n But here\u2019s the thing: Push-ups aren\u2019t for everyone. Some people can\u2019t do them due to physical limitations\u2014and others simply find them unpleasant.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n The good news is you can modify a push-up to reap the same rewards and build your way up to doing more. Here\u2019s what Hilliard, Hinson, and three other experts told Health is the best way to tweak a push-up.\n<\/p>\n Before we get into how to modify a push-up to gain the same perks, it\u2019s important to understand how a push-up changes your body for the better.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n You might think of push-ups as arm exercises, but they do a lot more than just buff up your biceps. \u201cPush-ups are a bodyweight exercise that builds strength in several areas at once<\/a>,\u201d said Denise Chakoian<\/a>, a master trainer and the founder and owner of CORE in Providence, Rhode Island.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n According to Chakoian, the movement works like this: When you lower your body during a push-up, the chest and shoulders control the descent while the elbows bend. As you press back up, the chest and triceps do most of the work. Your core and legs stay tight so your hips don\u2019t drop or rise.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n That\u2019s how you get an exercise that works your core, legs, chest, shoulders, and back of the arms\u2014all at once.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n But the particular focus on the upper body is precisely what makes push-ups so difficult, explained Milica McDowell, PT, DPT, C-EP<\/a>, a Montana-based physical therapist and exercise physiologist. \u201cMany individuals struggle with adequate chest and shoulder strength or lack adequate wrist mobility to do them with proper form,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n If you have a physical limitation that makes push-ups especially challenging, such as an injury affecting your back or elbow, it\u2019s best to talk to a doctor about the right modification for you.\n<\/p>\n But if you simply find push-ups uncomfortable or awkward, you can still get the bodyweight-strengthening benefits of the exercise by doing a modified version.\n<\/p>\n For true beginners, experts agreed the ideal starting point is a wall push-up.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n