How to Do a Wall Push-Up

If you are incapable of doing a regular push-up whether it because of an injury, disability or poor upper body strength, learning how to do a proper wall push-up can help strengthen your upper body and prepare you for advancing to floor push-ups. Wall push-ups are also a safe prenatal exercise for pregnant women.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Stand approximately 2 feet away from the wall keeping your feet together. If you stand farther away, you will have to bend and reach too far creating poor posture and the possibility of pulling muscles in your thighs and calves. Standing too close to the wall will not allow you to extend your arms far enough to create a good workout.
2. Place your hands flat on the wall. You arms should be straight out at shoulder height and slightly more than shoulder width apart from each other.
3. Lean towards the wall while keeping your elbows tucked in until your nose is almost touching the wall. Hold this position and focus on your posture before finishing the push-up. You should feel a slight stretching in your calf muscles and in your upper chest. Check to ensure that your body is in a straight line all the way from head to toe.
4. Return to your starting position slowly. Continue practicing wall push-ups until you can comfortably do 20 to 25 of them at one time.
5. Move to a more advanced move like a regular floor push-up once you've mastered the wall push-up.

Tips & Warnings

• To make a wall push-up more difficult to do, practice moving your hands together until they are touching. This will require more upper arm strength to maintain correct positioning.
• Prevent injury doing push-ups by maintaining correct alignment in your body. Injuries can occur in your elbows, neck and lower back if you bend or arch your back while exercising.