Benefits of push-ups for cardiovascular health
Dr. Vidya Suratkal, a cardiologist at Lilavati Hospital Mumbai (India) - said that exercise is very beneficial for the heart.
In particular, push-ups are an effective way to train the body's strength and endurance, which is the foundation for overall cardiovascular health.
Sharing the same view, Dr. Chirag D, a cardiologist at Aster Whitefield Hospital, Bengaluru (India) - said that for men, push-ups are not difficult. Practitioners can do push-ups every day to achieve cardiovascular health as well as burn excess fat in the body.
“Doing push-ups every day requires a lot of practice and perseverance. Moreover, one must maintain the correct posture while doing push-ups, otherwise there is a risk of injury and muscle spasms,” explains Dr. Chirag D.
If you are new to push-ups, you should divide the process into 3 - 4 sets, each set should include about 14-15 push-ups.
Meanwhile, a study by Harvard Health, a medical website of Harvard University (USA), shows that men with the ability to do more than 40 push-ups in a row have a 96% lower risk of heart attack, stroke and heart disease than men who can only do less than 10 push-ups.
Do push-ups alone improve heart health?
According to doctors, there is a lot of information that says that just doing push-ups will help improve cardiovascular health. However, this process mainly targets the chest, shoulder and arm muscles, which may not directly affect cardiovascular health.
Therefore, to maintain a healthy heart, according to Dr. Chirag D, in addition to doing push-ups, it is essential to participate in regular physical activities such as strength training, cardiovascular exercises combined with a proper diet as well as healthy living habits in general.
Meanwhile, Dr Vidya says, “Apart from exercise, we should also develop healthy eating habits to take care of our heart. Try to include fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils and nuts in our diet.”
Avoid junk food, packaged food, and processed food. Avoid soft drinks and desserts like pastries. Drink plenty of water and avoid stress by practicing yoga, meditation, and getting enough sleep to keep your heart healthy.
