This Is How Many Pushups You Really Need To Do Every Day

Pushups are a classic, whole-body exercise, and you can add a looped resistance band to get your legs into the game. Doing pushups every day has several health benefits, but you have to have proper form to prevent injuries and work the right muscles. If you're doing knee push ups, you have to stop. Work with an incline or use this push up trick until you can do a proper pushup. Pushups are fantastic because they are free and don't require any equipment, and you can do them in your living room while watching your favorite show or after each bathroom break. 

Get results with proper pushup form — keep your back straight and your whole body in one straight line throughout the push up. The only thing that should be moving is your elbows — if your shoulders are hunched or your back is arched, those pushups are working against you. Check your form throughout the exercise and keep yourself in check with each pushup, so you get the most out of them and don't put yourself at risk for injury (via The Healthy). 

If you're a beginner, start with 10 pushups. Use an incline to get the proper form without using your knees. According to The Healthy, intermediate exercisers can do 10 traditional pushups without the incline, and those more advanced can do 10 pushups with a pause at the bottom for more difficulty.

Use an exercise box or stepper for your incline and place your hands on it during the pushup. The raised surface will help you get to traditional pushups without the increased risk of injury. Work slowly, focus on your form, and start with two to three sets of five. You should feel it in your arms the next day. Move up to six reps the next day. Once you get up to three sets of 10 and can do those quite easily, lower your incline. Master three sets of 10 with the new incline again before you go lower again. Soon, you'll be doing traditional pushups without an incline. 

Jim White RDN, ACSM Ex-P, tells Openfit you should use your maximum push up output to calculate your goal. So, if your max is 25 pushups or less, make your goal 50 to 75 pushups. Break them up into two to four sets. Your main goal is to use proper form with every single push up.