Cómo hacer una flexión de brazos: una guía de Hinge Health

Flexiones: ya sea que las amas, las toleres o las temas, son un ejercicio bien conocido que muchas personas creen que no pueden hacer. Si ese es tu caso, podría ser el momento de reconsiderarlo. Las flexiones son un ejercicio versátil de peso corporal que consiste en subir y bajar el cuerpo utilizando los brazos mientras se mantiene el cuerpo en línea recta, paralelo al suelo. 

Si bien pueden parecer desafiantes, hay muchas maneras de modificar este ejercicio para satisfacer sus necesidades, para que pueda aprovechar los beneficios que ofrecen. Las flexiones fortalecen el centro (núcleo), el pecho, los hombros y los tríceps, y ayudan a facilitar las tareas cotidianas, como levantar objetos . Tampoco requieren ningún equipo ni mucho espacio, lo que los convierte en una forma conveniente de mejorar la salud cardiovascular, la resistencia muscular e incluso ayudar con el dolor articular y muscular. 

Sigue leyendo para aprender a hacer una flexión y descubrir modificaciones que se adapten a tu nivel de condición física.

¿Está interesado en obtener un plan de terapia de ejercicio personalizado? Obtenga más información sobre el programa digital de terapia de ejercicio de Hinge Healthy vea si es elegible.

¿Qué músculos trabajan las flexiones? 

Las flexiones son un ejercicio compuesto, lo que significa que participan en múltiples grupos musculares a la vez. Aquí están los músculos principales que funcionan las flexiones:

• Pectoral mayor. Este es el músculo principal del pecho. Está muy comprometido cuando haces flexiones. 

• Tríceps. Ubicados en la parte posterior de la parte superior del brazo, los tríceps te ayudan a extender el codo.

• Deltoides anterior, o la parte frontal del músculo del hombro. Se activa cuando empujas tu cuerpo hacia arriba y te ayuda a flexionar el hombro.

• Serrato anterior, que a veces se conoce como el "músculo del boxeador". Se encuentra a lo largo de las costillas, debajo de las axilas. Ayuda a estabilizar el omóplato contra la caja torácica.

• Recto abdominal. A menudo conocido como el " músculo del " paquete de seis, esto ayuda a estabilizar tu núcleo y mantiene tu cuerpo recto durante una push-up. 

• Obliques, que corren a lo largo de los lados del abdomen y te ayudan a rotar tu tronco. Ayudan a estabilizar tu núcleo durante las flexiones.

• Erectores de la columna, que son los músculos que recorren la columna vertebral y ayudan a mantener la espalda recta durante una flexión.

Variaciones y ejercicios de flexiones

How to do a push-up for beginners 

• Start on your hands and toes, lifting your knees off the ground while keeping your legs straight. 

• Your hands should be under your shoulders, located a bit wider than shoulder-width apart. Your hips should be raised to about the same height as your shoulders.

• Bend your elbows and move your chest toward the floor, stopping at a height that is comfortable yet challenging for you. 

• Focus on keeping your hips from dipping toward the floor. 

• Push your hands into the floor as you straighten your arms to return to your starting position.

To make a push-up easier:  

• Push-up from knees: Drop your knees to the floor and then perform the push-up. This decreases the total load on your upper body. 

• Wall push-up: Stand facing a wall and perform push-ups by pushing your body away from it. This takes most of your body weight out of the equation, making it easier for beginners. 

• Incline push-up: Place your hands on an elevated surface like a bench, table, or wall. This reduces the angle and decreases the resistance, making the push-up easier. 

• Modified range of motion: Limit how far you move your chest toward the floor. 

To make a push-up harder: 

• Diamond push-up: Position your hands close together in a diamond shape under your chest. This places more emphasis on your triceps and increases the challenge.

• Decline push-up: Elevate your feet on a bench, chair, or box. This shifts more of your body weight onto your upper body.

• Plyometric push-up: Add an explosive movement by pushing off the ground with enough force to lift your hands off the floor between reps, improving power and intensity.

• One-arm push-up: In this advanced variation, you perform push-ups with one hand behind your back or placed at your side. This significantly increases the demand on your core, shoulders, and chest.

The information contained in these videos is intended to be used for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or treatment for any specific condition. Hinge Health is not your healthcare provider and is not responsible for any injury sustained or exacerbated by your use of or participation in these exercises. Please consult with your healthcare provider with any questions you may have about your medical condition or treatment.

Benefits of push-ups

Push-ups are a foundational exercise that help improve overall upper body strength, core stability, and endurance. This translates to enhanced performance and increased efficiency in many daily activities, such as:

• Lifting objects, such as groceries, kids, or boxes. 

• Pushing motions (e.g., a heavy door, a lawn mower, or a stroller). 

• Carrying loads, like heavy bags.

• Getting up from a lying position. The motion of pushing yourself up from a bed or the ground might become more effortless with regular push-up practice.

• Activities requiring balance, whether it’s a sport or even simple tasks like standing on one foot to put on a shoe. 

• Repetitive tasks. Jobs or chores that require repetitive upper-body movements, such as scrubbing, painting, or hammering, can become easier due to increased endurance from regular push-up practice.

Why are push-ups so hard? 

Push-ups are a challenging exercise for many people because they require significant upper-body strength, as well as coordination. The movement engages multiple muscle groups, including your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core, all of which must work together to lift and lower your body. 

If you don’t have enough upper body strength or core stability, maintaining a straight body line while pushing through your arms can be difficult, especially if you're not used to supporting your body weight. The mechanics of a push-up also demand good shoulder and wrist mobility, which can add to the challenge.

However, push-up variations like incline push-ups or knee push-ups can make the exercise more manageable. By decreasing the amount of body weight you need to lift, these modifications allow you to build strength gradually. As your upper body and core become stronger, you can progress to more challenging variations, eventually working up to a standard push-up.

Push-ups common mistakes 

The idea of "perfect form" in exercise is a common myth, as there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to movement. Everyone’s body is different, so variations in how to do a push-up are natural and often necessary to suit your individual strength, mobility, and comfort levels. That said, there are a few things to keep in mind if you want to get the most benefit from push-ups. Here are some common modifications people make to push-ups without intending to that may affect how much benefit they get from the exercise. 

• Sagging hips. Letting your hips drop toward the ground can take pressure off your core and focus it on your low back. This means you don’t get as much core engagement and may feel some strain in your back. Try to remain in a straight line from head to heels. 

• Flaring elbows. Allowing your elbows to flare out too wide (at 90 degrees) may not feel great for your shoulders. Aim to keep your elbows at a 45-degree angle from your body.

• Changing hand placement. Placing your hands too far forward or too wide makes the push-up less challenging for your muscles and can cause wrist discomfort. Try to keep your hands just slightly wider than shoulder-width and aligned under your shoulders.

How Hinge Health can help you

If you have joint or muscle pain that makes it hard to move, you can get the relief you’ve been looking for with Hinge Health’s online exercise therapy program.

The best part: You don’t have to leave your home because our program is digital. That means you can easily get the care you need through our app when and where it works for you.

Through our program, you’ll have access to therapeutic exercises and stretches for your condition. Additionally, you’ll have a personal care team to guide, support, and tailor our program to you.

See if you qualify for Hinge Health and confirm free coverage through your employer or benefit plan here.

This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.

References

1. Azeem, K. (2015, February). The Push–Up. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275023773_The_Push_-up

2. Lillis, C. (2019, August 23). Pushups every day: Benefits and risks. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326149#muscle-tone-and-strength

3. Solan, M. (2019, February 18). The rise of push-ups: A classic exercise that can help you get stronger. Harvard Health Blog. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/rise-push-ups-classic-exercise-can-motivate-get-stronger-2019021810165

4. Yang, J., Christophi, C. A., Farioli, A., Baur, D. M., Moffatt, S., Zollinger, T. W., & Kales, S. N. (2019). Association Between Push-up Exercise Capacity and Future Cardiovascular Events Among Active Adult Men. JAMA Network Open, 2(2), e188341. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.8341