Whether you’re doing push-ups or any other exercise, making a commitment to the decision is on you. Once you’re clear in your head of why you want to go ahead with any commitment, you’ll be able to power on through any setback that comes your way.
Before we go into how to build a habit of doing daily push-ups, let’s take a few moments to discuss what benefits push-ups can have on the body and how frequently should one do them.
As Healthline puts it, “Traditional pushups are beneficial for building upper body strength. They work the triceps, pectoral muscles, and shoulders. When done with proper form, they can also strengthen the lower back and core by engaging (pulling in) the abdominal muscles.”
This is what makes push-ups such a great exercise. They are a super fast and insanely effective exercise for building strength. The best part is that they can be done from virtually anywhere and don’t require any equipment.
This post discusses some tips and tricks you can implement right now to build a habit of doing daily push-ups.
1. Focus on form
Taking time to watch YouTube videos or employ a personal trainer to teach you to apply the perfect form will go a long way in ensuring that you don’t injure yourself while making certain you get the maximum benefits from your workout.
There are many ways to do a push-up. Pick one that suits your body type and stamina, and give it your hundred percent.
2. Rest for at least one day
You can’t work your chest and shoulder muscles all days of the week. Take one day off each week and designate it to self-care, rest, and healing. This will give your body ample time to build muscles and become stronger than before.
3. Train the opposing muscle group
Push-ups don’t just work out your chest muscles, they train your shoulders too. Your shoulders are unstable and fragile and you need to train them harder to balance your strength and improve stability. For that, it’s important that you should include some upper back and rotator cuff work in your exercise regimen.
4. Do a proper warmup
This is true for any exercise you’re planning to do. Without a proper warmup, you risk the chance for injuries and not properly working out the target muscles.
Before you start your daily push-ups, stretch your body properly. This might seem like too much work, or even unnecessary. But if you don’t take care of your body properly and take preventive measures against injury, you might wake up one day in too much pain and unable to continue your exercise regime.
5. Reward yourself
Once you complete your daily push-ups, reward yourself with something that you really enjoy. This could be some uninterrupted time with your dog, a bite of your favorite meal, an episode of a sitcom you love, and so much more.
Get creative with your rewards so your brain and body are trained in a way that they know what needs to be done before they can get what they so strongly desire.
6. Get an accountability partner
No matter how hard you’re pushing yourself, doing something so big and challenging all by yourself can get tough at times. To make sure you don’t lose motivation midway, have a friend who is working on the same body goals. Working on a shared goal is a great way to ensure that you don’t lose hope even if you don’t immediately see results.
If you aren’t able to find a friend working towards the same goals, you can hire an accountability coach to help you keep on track. They are trained professionals who will hold you accountable each day and make sure you don’t fall off the wagon even if you are demotivated.
You can also download a habit tracker where you check off the days on the calendar when you managed to stick to your goal of daily push-ups. You’ll soon start craving for an unbroken streak. This can act as a great trigger and a cue for your body and mind to start your habit immediately.