Not too long ago (May 4, 2022), I ran into a post on Inside Golf entitled “This simple fitness test is a key sign of good health for golfers” which highlighted a study linking fitness as measured by the ability to complete push-ups with avoidance of cardiovascular disease.
You can find the original post HERE
The authors of the study tracked a group of over 1000 active men with average age of 39 years over a ten-year period. The study concluded:
The researchers calculated that men able to do more than 40 push-ups had a 96% reduced risk of CVD (Cardio Vascular Disease) events compared with those who were able to do less than 10 push-ups.
JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(2):e188341. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.8341
Stunning results!
The article goes on to mention how golfers can develop more power with increased upper body strength. Similar gains can be achieved by shooters as well! We may not be interested in explosive power – but lifting a 9 lb. gun repeatedly (several hundred times over the course of two 100 bird shoots) is nothing to sneeze at!
Pro shooter Grace Callahan had emphasized that in her work-out video for shooters:
if you missed my previous post featuring Grace, you can find that one HERE).
If you are wondering how doing push-ups factors into mental skills, having increased physical endurance reduces the load on the gray matter between the ears as well allowing for more sustained focus and concentration. That may be just what the shooter needs to break all of those targets on the last station of the day in competition. I had touched on this on a previous post on fitness. If you missed that one, you can link back to it HERE
So how about it? Are you able to do 40 push-ups in one set without stopping? Starting a fitness routine (remember, always consult your health care provider before embarking on a fitness program!) might be just the ticket to not only increase your performance, but also keep you in the game (and in life) for longer with good health!