One of my readers, who has been working to get back in shape, feels a question about doing push-ups, even though he has bad knees. He wanted to know how he could keep doing push-ups, but avoid hitting the floor. Fortunately, I have an answer to his question.
For each standard exercise, there is usually a variation of that exercise that you can do. For example, when many people start out with regular pushups, they can’t do them very well because they don’t have enough arm and shoulder strength to push themselves up and down. In this case, you should start doing push-ups with your knees on the ground and build up to the point where you can do regular push-ups. It won’t take long for this to happen, if you are exercising regularly.
If you have bad knees, you can do wall pushups. First, find the nearest wall, which shouldn’t be too hard. Then, you place your hands on the wall in the same relative position you would place them on the floor, that is, shoulder-width apart. Then, you move your feet away from the wall to create an angle.
When I started doing this my feet were about 24 inches from the wall. As I got better, I began to gradually move my feet back a bit more and can now easily do this with my feet 36 inches from the wall. You lean against the wall, balance on the balls of your feet, and begin to move, pressing up and down. You adjust your angle, so that your back is straight, as if you were on the floor.
You can do almost any push-up variation this way and it won’t hit your knees at all. I’ve done a ton of variations this way, like military pushups, wide arm pushups, diamond pushups, fingertip pushups, and…believe it or not…one-arm pushups and even one-arm pushups. , the tips of the fingers. At the moment, I’m working on one arm, two finger push-ups.
Exercise can be extremely creative, so don’t think that just because you have a problem area that you can’t exercise. Because with a little imagination, you can bypass the problem area and make the rest of you work like a top. Many times, this will even help the problem area.
Of course, if you have a very serious problem, you should first discuss what you are going to do with your doctor and get approval. There are many physical therapists and trainers who can also provide safe, alternative exercise programs to help you get stronger.
This morning while watching Imus on Fox, he took a big hit on fish oil. Since he was diagnosed with cancer years ago, he changed his lifestyle completely and it seems that he has beaten cancer. Fish oil is a big part of her routine and she said it has made a big difference in the way she feels. Before being diagnosed with cancer, Imus, by his own admission, was a role model of how NOT to be healthy and said that he was very lucky to get by with only one warning.
The body is extremely resistant. Six months of healthy eating, exercise, and proper supplementation can reverse years of abuse. Start now and make it easy for you.
