Struggle to Get Up? The Strength Many People Lose First (Not Your Legs)

Dr. Alyssa Kuhn, arthritis expert, explains:

Pressing on

For most people, getting up off the floor relies heavily on upper-body pushing strength (chest, triceps, and shoulders), not just your legs.

Ideally, you will be able to get up without using your hands at all (see the “learn more” section below for several ways of doing that) as being able to do so is a good predictor of healthy longevity. However, if you’re not able to comfortably do that all the time, it pays to be able to get up “by any means necessary”.

So, with this in mind, here’s how to be strong enough in upper-body pushing movements, starting with the easiest exercise and building up to the harder exercises:

1. Wall push-ups: stand an arm’s length from a wall and bring your forehead towards it, then press away while keeping your body in a straight line and your elbows close.
2. Counter push-ups: use a stable surface like a kitchen counter, bring your chest all the way down, then push back up with control while maintaining a straight body and full range of motion.
3. Floor push-ups: hold a plank position with your hands under your shoulders, lower your chest fully, then press up while keeping your hips aligned and your elbows close.

Note that this is a good place to leave your ego aside, especially if you’re a man (men being broadly expected to have upper body strength). There are a lot of people who cannot really do a single good form push-up, but they will balk at the idea of doing easier versions, which they see as being beneath them. To this we say… Nobody’s watching. Train in secret if you like. It’s fine. Just start with what you can do, and work up. You’ll find the progress comes quickly with a progressive approach. However, if you do nothing because full push-ups are too hard and the others are “too easy”, then of course you’ll never progress.

For more on all of this, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

You might also like:

• 4 Tips To Stand Without Using Hands
• How To Stand Up From The Floor Without Kneeling (3 Simple Methods)
• How To Get Out Of Any Low Chair Without Help

Take care!