Assessing your fitness level doesn’t always require costly medical evaluations or braving the chilly outdoors for a timed run.
An effective way to evaluate your physical strength and cardiovascular health can be accomplished almost anywhere, simply by performing push-ups.
This exercise not only targets your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core muscles but is also considered by the Mayo Clinic as an excellent way to ‘measure muscular strength and endurance’.
The number of push-ups you should aim for varies with age and serves as a useful benchmark for those who haven’t practiced in a while. Remember, they must be done consecutively to count.
Beginners may find it beneficial to start on their knees, but aim to complete the full exercise with proper form as you progress.
Begin by lying flat on the floor, with your toes tucked and hands positioned slightly wider than shoulder-width. Push up until your arms are straight, maintaining a parallel alignment with the floor, then lower yourself back down and repeat.
For a fit and healthy 25-year-old, women should aim for approximately 20 push-ups with correct form, while men should target 28, according to common guidelines.
Fitness specialists Freddie Chatt and Adam Clarke have detailed in Women’s Health the number of push-ups women should be able to perform, broken down by age:
The Mayo Clinic also outlines expectations for men:
These push-up benchmarks are a useful tool for tracking progress within a fitness plan.
“If your pushup count is below the target number, use the target as a goal to work toward. Counts above the targets mean better fitness.”
Regardless of your initial results, utilizing them as motivation to increase physical activity can create a positive feedback cycle. You may even find yourself achieving push-up counts typically associated with someone much younger.