- To do a standard push up, begin on your hands and knees and then step both legs backward so that you support yourself on both toes and your hands. Your arms and legs should be fully extended before you start the push up, and your back and legs should be aligned at all times, like a board. Your hands should be placed in line with your chest, around shoulder-width apart. (It is okay to be slightly further than shoulder with apart.) Bend at the elbows, lowering the chest to the floor, then push back up after coming an inch from the floor with the chest. You can touch the floor with the chest lightly if you wish--do whatever is most comfortable for you. As you do your push ups, keep the back and legs as straight as possible, resisting the urge to let the legs sag. Look straight ahead instead of down at the floor to keep the neck in alignment with the back.
- Knee push ups are a type of push up where the legs are supported on the knees instead of the toes, which puts less pressure on the upper body, making the exercise easier. To do knee push ups, starting on your hands and knees, walk your hands forward until your back and upper legs are aligned. Proceed to bend at the elbows and lower your chest toward the floor. Keep your back and legs as straight as possible while you lift. Since you are supported by your knees instead of your toes, which provide some elevation off the ground, it is possible that your belly will touch the floor before your chest. Go down as far as you can, touching your chest if possible, and push back up until your arms are fully extended.
- Another way to perform push ups is to use a stability ball to support the legs. Stability balls are large inflated balls of flexible material which are available at many gyms. To do ball push ups, start by getting on your hands and knees and place the stability ball behind you, in between your legs. Plant your hands on the floor, then lift one leg up and place it on top of the ball. Next lift the other leg and place it on the ball, so that your lower body is supported entirely by your legs resting on the ball, and your upper body is supported by your palms, with your arms fully extended. From this position, bend at the elbows, bring the chest as close to the ground as you are able while maintaining comfort, and then push back up to full arm extension. You can adjust the resistance of the push ups quickly by rolling the ball forward or backward. Placing the ball closer to your toes will make the push ups harder, and placing it closer to your belly will make them easier.
