1 Push-Up a Day

Here’s an idea that came out of my work with clients who had basically zero exercise experience.

If you’re starting from nothing and trying to build a habit of daily exercise, including strength workouts and cardio workouts several times a week, that can seem pretty daunting.  What if you just tried doing 1 push-up per day?

Crazy idea, right?  I mean, 1 push-up; that’s ridiculous.  You’re not going to get anything out of 1 push-up, are you?

Actually, I would argue that you are.  If you can get up every morning and just do 1 push-up straight out of bed, then you’re already on your way to building a daily exercise habit.  You’re creating a routine, and you’re prioritizing movement.

So, today it’s 1 push-up, but do you have any idea how hard it is to JUST do 1 push-up?  You’re going to want to do a few more, and maybe some sit-ups and some squats too.  Pretty soon your simple daily push-up routine has blossomed into a full-on daily workout habit: 1 push-up + 20-minute walk on Monday, 1 push-up + full-body calisthenics routine on Tuesday, 1 push-up + 30-minute Yoga video on Wednesday.  You can see where this is going.

I guess the point is that it is always better just to start.  Everyone has a different entry point, and even if you’re entry point is zero, zero + 1 is gonna be better than that.  1 better.  So, get started from wherever you are and build from there.  Progress from strength to strength.