Push-ups belong to a class of exercises called calisthenics or body-weight exercises. Activities of this type increase the size of your muscles by forcing you to work against resistance provided by your own body. When you increase the size of your muscles through regular performance of push-ups or other forms of calisthenics, you increase your ability to lose weight.
Basics
Push-ups and all other calisthenics exercises belong to a larger class of activities called strength-training exercises. Other common strength-training categories include weightlifting with machines or free weights and resistance-band exercises, which you perform with various lengths and thicknesses of rubber tubing. When you perform strength training exercises in 20- or 30-minute sessions at least two or three times a week, you can significantly increase the size of your muscles over a period of weeks or months.
Push-ups and Weight Loss
Your muscles burn through calories at a relatively rapid pace, and when you increase the size of your muscles, you increase the amount of calories your body must divert to maintain their proper function. If you maintain or lower your daily food intake, your body will get the extra calories you now need from the reserves already stored in your body in the form of fat. In turn, when you burn through your fat reserves, you end up losing weight. Push-ups contribute to your weight-loss potential by forcing you to repeatedly engage the muscles in your arms and chest, as well as certain muscles in your hips, legs and abdomen.
Advantages
Unlike aerobic exercise, which only temporarily increases your calorie-burning abilities, the increased calorie burning associated with push-ups and other strength-training activities continues throughout your day, even after you stop exercising. This occurs because regular performance of strength-training exercises will help you permanently increase or maintain the amount of calorie-burning muscle on your body. When you're at rest, each pound of muscle on your body burns through roughly 37.5 calories per day.
Considerations
Limiting your strength-training routine to just push-ups may inadvertently limit your muscle-related weight-loss potential. For instance, to gain the full benefits of strength training, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you perform exercises that work all of your major muscle groups, including those in your back and shoulders. Seek your doctor's approval and advice before you engage in push-ups or any other strength-training activity. If your doctor OKs you for exercise, stay within your current physical limitations and gradually increase the demands of your routine as your strength improves over time.
References
- Military.com Fitness Center: Avoid the Gym By Using Calisthenics
- MayoClinic.com: Strength Training; Get Stronger, Leaner, Healthier
- Spine Universe: Strength Training for Weight Loss Success
- Spine Universe: Add Muscle to Your Game...and Your Life
- New York Times Fitness and Nutrition: An Enduring Measure of Fitness: The Simple Push-Up
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How Much Physical Activity Do Adults Need?
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