How many push-ups can you do — and how does that stack up with others your age?
That was the question posed by “Fox & Friends,” which invited viewers to send in their own videos showing their push-up prowess.
In a Thursday morning segment, “Fox & Friends” hosts Lawrence Jones and Brian Kilmeade competed in an on-air push-up challenge of their own, both successfully reaching their age goals.
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“While every body is different, the number of push-ups you can do is often a good indicator of someone’s muscular strength and endurance,” Regis Pagett, founder and owner of R Personal Fitness in New York City, told Fox News Digital.
Based on data from Mayo Clinic, below is a breakdown of how many push-ups men and women should be able to complete based on age.
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People in their 30s should be able to do at least 19 (women) and 21 (men).
People in their 40s should be able to do at least 14 (women) and 16 (men).
People in their 50s should be able to do at least 10 (women) and 12 (men).
People in their 60s (both genders) should be able to do at least 10 push-ups.
Benefits of push-ups
Weight-bearing exercises like push-ups can help increase bone density, which is particularly important as people age, according to Pagett.
“This is a major benefit of exercises with high resistance,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Strength in the upper body and core are two things that translate to everyday life, and the ability to push yourself off of the floor regularly is one that many people take for granted.”
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Push-ups mainly work the pectoral muscles (chest), with the triceps being secondary in the motion, with the core (abdominals) supplying the strength to hold the body straight through the motion, according to Pagett.
A previous Harvard study showed that the ability for men to do 40 or more push-ups at 50 years old decreases the chance of cardiovascular disease by 96% compared to men who could do 10 or less, Pagett noted.
“The study also found that every push-up done after 10 had a decreased chance of cardiovascular disease,” he added.
Getting started with push-ups
For those looking to work up to doing push-ups, Pagett recommends starting by doing them on the knees.
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Another option is to do “negative push-ups,” in which the person starts from a tall plank position and slowly lowers the body to the floor.
With incline push-ups, the person can use an elevated surface and work their way down to the floor.
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“You can also start by incorporating chest press with dumbbells, or adding the chest fly and/or tricep extension into your gym routine,” Pagett suggested.
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