Pushups – Are They Necessary
to Measure Strength in
Adolescent PE Programs?
By Katie Greeley DC, CACCP
Many Children from the fifth grade through eighth grades are required to perform pushups as part of their PE curriculum. The debate is whether this type of exercise really does our kids more harm than good. While I will agree that pushups tend to be the favorite strength training exercise and the pushup has the ability to work several muscle groups at once, I also see many middle school aged kids in my office who are becoming injured by doing this type of exercise incorrectly.
Pushups, if done correctly, can be a total body exercise involving strength and endurance in the chest, shoulders, and arms while also working the core of the body. However, if these areas are not strong enough, the result is not a total body work out, but a recipe for injury. The good news is there are many variations to a traditional pushup that can also strengthen the surrounding muscles. In order to do a proper pushup, the child must possess a good deal of upper body strength as well as a good strong core. If these muscles are lacking, then a traditional pushup is not the exercise to start with, and a modification must be used. A child should not feel pain during the exercise; if they do, a modification is required.
To perform a proper pushup, the head must stay in neutral form and the back in a straight line. Improper pushups could lead to wrist pain, upper back and neck pain, and even low back pain. Some of the most common mistakes occur when the muscles start to fatigue or get tired.
When these mistakes occur it is better to move to a modified pushup than to continue doing the pushup the wrong way. Improper form could include locking elbows at the rise to give the body a rest, sagging the torso toward the ground, only going part-way down, or moving the neck to look toward the ground or wall.
According to The American Academy of Pediatrics, “Studies have shown that strength training, with proper technique and strict supervision, can increase strength in preadolescents and adolescents. Appropriately-supervised programs emphasizing strengthening of the core are appropriate for children and theoretically benefit sports-specific skill acquisition and postural control.”
Unfortunately, with the ever-increasing class sizes in our schools, it may not be completely realistic to be able to watch every student perform a traditional pushup. Our youth is not as active as they once were. Many preadolescents are mostly indoors on gaming systems or doing homework, so PE may be their only physical activity for the day.
Most preadolescents and adolescents have very weak core and postural muscles. How do we fix this lack of muscle tone and improve the biomechanics in our youth? Instead of being rigid in our old ways of doing exercise, let’s embrace what we can do to enhance strength and at the same time reduce injuries.
For starters, a teen can start their pushup against the wall. This allows the adolescent to move a smaller percentage of their body weight and enables them to practice their form without straining their core.
Keeping in mind proper hand position, the hands should be even with the shoulders and not underneath the head or with the chin in front of them which can cause injury to the shoulders. Another common mistake is locking the elbows, which can cause wrist and joint strain.
Once the wall pushup is mastered, the student can move to a modified incline pushup which allows the upper body to be inclined on a wall or platform. The next step is doing the pushup with knees on the floor, which adds intensity. It’s still important to keep in mind all the proper techniques—otherwise injury may occur.
When an adolescent can do at least 20 modified pushups and not stop halfway, maintaining proper form, the intensity can be increased they can attempt the next level. If at any time pain occurs, first look at the form, then go back to the previous modification.
Pushups done on a yoga ball can help strengthen the muscles. Perhaps a better way to strengthen and develop the muscles needed for a pushup is to use a common Yoga position called the plank. The plank helps to strengthen the abdomen, arms and shoulders, and spine—especially the lower back.
The plank pose is the “up” part of a pushup where your hands are directly under your shoulders and your back is straight—not sagging toward the ground. This position is best for the abdomen when the adolescent can hold their stomach in toward their spine. This position can be held anywhere from 15 seconds to 5 minutes. It is best to start out in intervals of 15 seconds and work up to minutes.
Another modification of the traditional pushup is a yoga pose known as the cobra pose. This pose could be the first to perform when the upper body is not yet developed. In this pose, the adolescent lies on the ground face down, positions their hands underneath their shoulders, and lifts their upper body in an arch-like motion while keeping their hips and legs on the ground. This type of exercise should also start out with 15 second intervals with rest periods in between until the child can hold the pose for a few minutes.
The American Academy of Pediatrics goes on to state that guidelines for strength training should be learned initially with no load or resistance. Once the exercise is mastered then incremental loads can be added using either body weight or other forms of resistance.
I think as we move forward with exercising our youth, we must take into consideration their muscle tone coming in, as our adolescents are no longer climbing trees, making forts or riding bikes for hours on end, but rather sitting at computers, watching TV or texting their friends. We must start with building up postural muscles and core strength in order to decrease injury.
Dr. Katie Greeley is a family wellness doctor of chiropractic and mother of two. She is Webster and Pediatric technique certified by the Academy of Chiropractic Family Practice and the Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics (C.A.C.C.P.). Dr. Greeley has participated in numerous practice-based research projects. She is a featured guest speaker at numerous events on natural alternatives topics. A copy of this article can be found at http://www.anmolmehta.com/blog/2008/11/12/yoga-plank-pose-yoga-arms/
Sources:
American Council on Exercise. (2003). ACE Personal Trainer Manual, 3rd Edition. San Diego, CA: American Council on Exercise.
American College of Sports Medicine. (2006). ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness ; Strength Training by Children and Adolescents ; Pediatrics Elk Grove Village, Il; 2008; 121;835-840
Cogley RM, Archambault TA, Fibeger JF, et al. Comparison of muscle activation using various hand positions during the push-up exercise. J Strength Cond Res. 2005 Aug 19(3):628-33