A pushup is an exercise that effectively challenges your upper body strength, but its difficulty may make it prohibitive for people who are beginning a workout program or who are older. A modified version of the pushup is a wall pushup, which you can perform against most flat surfaces. Wall pushups engage the same muscles that traditional pushups do, but without the excessive strain on your body.
Traditional Pushups
Traditional pushups are performed while the body is horizontal, typically starting from a position prone on the floor. Place your hands on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your legs straight and place your weight on your toes. Keep your back straight as you push against the floor to extend your arms until they are straight. Lower your chest to the floor to complete one repetition.
Wall Pushups
Wall pushups are performed from a standing position while facing a wall. Stand 2 to 3 feet away from a wall with your feet together. Place your palms on the wall slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and bend your elbows to lower your chest toward the wall. Lower yourself until your nose almost touches the wall. Push against the wall to straighten your arms and return to the starting position.
Muscles Engaged
Wall pushups work the major muscles of the chest, called the pectorals. They are assisted by the deltoids in the shoulders and the triceps in the back of the arms. You also engage the quadriceps in your legs and the rectus abdominis in the abdomen which work to keep your body still and straight.
Considerations
You can change the difficulty of wall pushups in several ways. For greater difficulty, perform the exercise while braced on your fingertips rather than your full palms. Step further away from the wall to lift more weight as you do each pushup. Spread your hands wider than shoulder-width apart or move them closer together in front of you for variation.
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