How Many Press-Ups You Should Be Able to Do According to Your Age

His work has been published in the London Magazine, Last Word On Sports, Star & Crescent, and Hello Student, as well as his award-winning online publication Vendor, which he solely founded in 2016.

Outside of GIVEMESPORT, Jordan works part-time and in freelance roles in social research and education. He is currently a Visiting Lecturer in Media, Journalism, and Communications at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, the country's largest state university. He previously lectured in Creative Writing at the University of Portsmouth.

Jordan follows a wide range of sports, but his passions lie in professional wrestling, football, F1, and middle and long-distance running. Sign in to your GiveMeSport account The summer is upon us, which means one thing: time to get your beach body ready. And rather than investing in a new pair of expensive running shoes to test out your local Parkrun circuit or renewing your gym membership, there is a very cost-effective way to measure your personal fitness in a matter of minutes.

Behold the humble press-up. The simple body weight exercise is a great way to boost chest, shoulder, tricep, and core strength, and as a quick "health MOT", it can provide a solid barometer of your current physical and cardiovascular capabilities. Best of all, a press-up can be completed almost anywhere, making it a zero-cost way to improve fitness and strength.

The Mayo Clinic supports this notion, emphasising the press-up as a good method for "measuring muscular strength and endurance." Interestingly, they also add that the number of press-ups you can complete will give you an accurate sense of how good your fitness level is for your age.

Thankfully, the target number of press-ups does vary depending on age. Having a goal to work towards can also provide some much-needed motivation. However, you will need to be able to do the target number of push-ups consecutively to pass the fitness benchmark for your age category.

If you're just starting a new fitness journey, try the beginner's pose. This involves completing the push-up while kneeling, which is a little easier on the body. If you're at an intermediate or high level of fitness, or are just feeling a bit braver, begin with the standard press-up form.

Planking is a very tough exercise, but an expert has revealed how long you should be able to hold one for, according to your age.

Lie flat on the floor, with your hands pressed firmly and flatly to the ground, positioned slightly wider than your shoulders. From this position, push yourself straight up, ensuring that your back remains parallel with the floor and your arms straight. Now lower yourself and continue to repeat the process until you hopefully reach your target number.

Women's Health recently shared how many press-ups a woman should be able to complete consecutively depending on their age:

50 to 59 years old - seven to 10 push-ups

60 to 69 years old - five to 11 push-ups

70 to 79 years old - three to eight push-ups (including kneeling push-ups)

80+ years old - 2 to 5 push-ups (including kneeling push-ups)

Mayo Clinic also revealed the corresponding targets for men depending on their age:

Discussing the endless positives of adding push-ups to your workout rotation in an article published by The Guardian, personal trainer Cali Joseph talks up the lifelong benefits of the simple exercise.

"If you’re doing them correctly, they will recruit your core as well as your upper body," states Joseph. "It’s something that you can probably do in some form forever."