How to Do Hindu Pushups

Hindu pushups are widely acknowledged as being one of the most beneficial and comprehensive body-weight exercises out there. The Hindu pushup not only increases upper body strength but also promotes flexibility in the back and, according to practitioners, allows the internal organs to open and a feeling of energy and peacefulness to wash over the body.

Instructions

1. Do a full body warmup. Since the Hindu pushup is both a full body and a very challenging exercise, it's important to do a well rounded warmup before you start. Do about ten minutes of cardiovascular exercise and then spend a few more minutes stretching your back, hamstrings and chest muscles.

2. Start in the up position. Start the Hindu pushup with your legs wide apart, your hands planted on the ground and your midsection raised high into the air so that your body forms an inverted "V." Make sure to keep your head down so you don't strain your neck.

3. Swoop down. Swoop down from the starting position in a controlled and paced way. The descent places lots of tension on your arms and upper chest so you might be tempted to just fall into the descent. Despite this, you should maintain control so that you end up in the down position with your back straight. From here, swing forward so that you arch your back and look up to the ceiling.

4. Push back up. This final stage is where the difference between the Hindu and the famous dive-bomber pushup comes in to play. While the dive-bomber requires that you bend your arms to come back to the starting position, with the Hindu version you keep your arms straight and bend your back to get to the starting position.

5. Get back to the starting position and repeat. Once you're back in your starting position you should immediately descend into the swoop and begin the process again. Aim for sets of 12 or 15 reps and increase the number as you improve.