5 common push-up mistakes you must avoid

Push-up is a bodyweight exercise that engages the muscles of your entire body. It primarily targets the muscles of your core and is equally effective on legs and arms.

This compound exercise might look simple to perform but isn’t easy to master. Not only beginners, even trained fitness enthusiasts sometimes make mistakes when performing this exercise.

Incorrect form or putting too much pressure may reduce the effectiveness of the workout. If push-ups are a part of your daily workout routine, here are some mistakes that you must avoid.

1. Hand placement
When performing this exercise, hands should be placed perpendicular to the shoulders to target the correct muscles. Keeping the hands incorrectly may reduce the benefits of the exercise. However, for beginners, it may be difficult to keep the wrist directly under the shoulders due to stiff muscles and inadequate internal rotation. If you have just begun your fitness journey, you can keep your wrist a little inclined. But do not make this a habit.

2. Unstable neck
Looking downward while performing the exercise indeed makes it easier for you to go up and down. In addition to this, it also makes the exercise less effective. Besides, it puts unnecessary strain on the neck and increases the risk of pain and injury. When performing push-ups, try to keep your neck stable and look ahead.

3. Saggy hip
In push-ups, you have to keep your body aligned. From tip to toes, it should be in a straight line. But most people drop their hips while going down. Saggy hips are mainly caused due to weak or stiff hip muscles. Working on these muscles may help you maintain your posture and target the right set of muscles.

4. Pressing your hips towards the ceiling
Taking the hips toward the ceiling is another common mistake people make when performing this full-body exercise. While going up they just push their hips towards the ceiling. This does make the exercise easier, but at the same time does not engage your core muscles. It targets the wrong muscle and reduces the effectiveness of this exercise.

5. Being too fast
No matter what exercise you perform, you must complete the repetition nicely. Going too fast may compromise your form and put you at the risk of injury and muscle pain. Always perform the exercise at moderate intensity and make sure your form is correct. Increasing the number of repetitions won’t matter if your form is not correct.