Push-ups in physical education

Push-ups are not just a military exercise or something for boys. At school, they are one of the simplest ways to build upper-body strength that helps you perform better in acrobatics, on the parallel bars and in partner exercises.

Why do push-ups matter at school?

You often hear the same comments about push-ups in PE lessons: “That’s some military thing” or “Girls don’t even have to do them.” Frankly, both ideas are misguided. Push-ups are a basic bodyweight exercise you master through practice. Your gender has nothing to do with it.

Equally strange is the idea that skipping rope is somehow more suitable for girls, while strength exercises are for boys. Or that balance beam exercises are exclusively for girls. In practice, well-trained upper secondary school boys can perform beautiful beam routines too. Your body doesn’t ask whether an exercise is “for boys” or “for girls.” What matters is whether you have enough strength, balance and technical skill.

Push-ups build strength exactly where school gymnastics demands it. By the end of the second stage of basic education, in grade 6, the learning outcomes already require pupils to perform an acrobatic sequence: a forward roll, a backward roll, a shoulder stand, a headstand, a handstand and a cartwheel. Parallel bars also come into play.

These elements have not been chosen at random. Handstands, headstands, cartwheels, parallel bar sequences and supporting your body on your hands and knees in pyramids and partner exercises all require a strong supporting base. In other words, pupils must be able to control their bodies using their arms.

Push-ups as a foundation for acrobatics

So what actually happens when a child performs a proper push-up? It is not just the arms doing the work. The chest muscles, the triceps at the back of the upper arms and the deltoids, or shoulder muscles, do most of the work. Meanwhile, the torso must stay straight. That means the abdominal and back muscles are working too.

These same muscles help later when pupils perform headstands, handstands or cartwheels, hold support positions or swing on the parallel bars, or maintain a hands-and-knees support position in a partner exercise. Good technique matters, but it is hard to learn without strength. If even holding a plank is a struggle, every subsequent element becomes much more difficult.

That is why it makes sense to introduce push-ups from an early age. Stage 2 of basic education, particularly grades 4–5, is a good time to give them more deliberate attention. They should be taught as a skill that helps children control their bodies better, rather than used as a punishment or an intimidating fitness test.

Push-ups

Handstand

Support positions and swings on the parallel bars

Headstand

Hands-and-knees support positions in pyramids and partner exercises

How should you practice push-ups?

The simple truth is that your push-ups do not have to look polished or go deep at first, but you must be in control of your body position. Keep your hands firmly planted on the ground, your body straight and your hips from sagging. If you cannot manage a full push-up, you can start with an easier version: use a shorter range of motion, place your hands on a raised surface or practice lowering yourself slowly.

It is important not to turn push-ups into an exercise in humiliation. If pupils feel they cannot do them anyway, they will avoid trying. It is better to give them a level they can actually manage. They can progress from there. One proper repetition is better than ten incomplete ones with a sagging body and shoulders hunched up around the ears.

Push-ups have benefits beyond gymnastics too. The muscles used in pushing also contribute to throwing events and other throwing movements. A well-trained upper body helps you maintain good posture and move with confidence. Young men will encounter push-ups during military service, but they are relevant to everyone.

The official upper secondary school syllabus also includes general physical conditioning, including push-ups from a plank position for 2 minutes, sit-ups from a supine position for 2 minutes and a 3200 m run. Many basic schools use push-ups as a fitness test. That means pupils will encounter them sooner or later.

What do push-ups tell us about a pupil?

Push-ups do not tell us everything. They do not reveal whether a pupil is a good runner, is flexible or is skilled at ball games. But they do give a fairly clear picture of one important thing: whether a pupil has enough strength to support and control their body.

Certain programs at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences also require full push-ups performed with proper technique. This reinforces a simple point: there is no separate men’s or women’s push-up. There is the exercise, the technique and the level of strength. All three can be developed.

I am not saying that every boy or girl who can do push-ups can immediately kick up into a handstand or perform a headstand without practice. Coordination and learning the technique remain essential. But pupils who already have a foundation will find it easier to progress in acrobatics.

Before you can start building the walls of a house, you first need to lay a solid foundation.

FAQ

Should girls do push-ups?

Yes. Push-ups are not a boys’ exercise. They develop the upper-body and core strength needed for many gymnastics exercises at school.

What should you do if you cannot manage a full push-up?

Start with an easier version. For example, you can perform the exercise with your hands on a raised surface or focus on keeping your body straight and your movement controlled.

Do push-ups help you learn a handstand?

Yes, but strength alone is not enough. A handstand also requires balance, coordination and consistent technique practice.

Author: Janar Rückenberg

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