Push up pain is discomfort or sharp sensation in the wrists, shoulders, elbows, back, chest, or neck that occurs during or after push ups. It usually signals a form issue, a mobility limitation, or an underlying condition, not a reason to stop doing push ups altogether.
Push ups are one of my favourite exercises for building upper body strength and supporting bone health. They load the wrists, forearms, shoulders, and they support the spine, all areas that matter when you’re managing osteoporosis or osteopenia. I prescribe them to nearly every client I work with.
Push Up Pain
You should not experience push up pain and push ups should never hurt or cause discomfort. If you feel pain during a push up, your body is telling you something needs to change. It might be your hand position, your range of motion, or the variation you’re using. And in some cases, it might mean you need to see a professional before continuing.
In this guide, I’ll walk through the most common areas where my clients experience pain with push-ups, explain what’s likely causing it, and give you specific strategies to fix it. I’ve organized these sections by how frequently I see each problem, starting with wrist pain, which is by far the most common complaint.
Wrist Pain During Push Ups
Wrist pain is the complaint I hear most often when I coach clients through push ups — more than shoulders, more than elbows. So many people tell me “I can’t put weight through my wrists.” The good news is that this is the most fixable of all push up complaints. In almost every case, the solution is a combination of a small position change today and a more flexible, stronger wrist over the coming weeks.
Why Your Wrists Hurt During Push Ups
A standard flat-palm push up bends your wrist back to roughly 90 degrees of extension and then asks it to support a large share of your bodyweight. That is a demanding position, and when your wrists hurt it is because the demand exceeds what your wrists can currently tolerate. That mismatch comes from one of three places:
- Range. Your wrists do not yet have 90 degrees of comfortable extension. We spend most of our day with our hands working in the opposite direction — typing, tapping, gripping — and years of that leaves the wrists tight in exactly the motion a push up demands. If extending your wrist is uncomfortable without any weight on it, then extending it under load will certainly be uncomfortable. Flexibility comes first.
- Strength. The muscles that flex and extend your wrists attach up in your forearms, just above the elbow, and they need to be strong enough to stabilize the joint under full bodyweight loading.
- Volume. Your wrists manage the first set or two without complaint, but ache in the later sets or the next morning. If this is your pattern, the position is fine — you are doing more repetitions than your wrists are conditioned for, and the fix is progression, not avoidance.
Pre-existing conditions can lower your wrist’s tolerance further. Carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoarthritis at the base of the thumb or wrist, and injuries to the TFCC — the triangular fibrocartilage complex on the little-finger side of the wrist — all make the extended, loaded position more provocative. And if your joints are very swollen, you have had a serious trauma to the wrist or hand, or you are very hypermobile, you will be best served by seeing a hand therapist — a professional trained specifically in your joint issue — rather than working through a general program.
Check Your Hand Position First
Before you buy any equipment, check where your hands are. As people fatigue, their hands tend to drift backward so that the wrists sit behind the shoulder line — and every inch of drift increases the extension angle at the wrist. Set your hands directly under your shoulders, spread your fingers, and grip the floor lightly with your fingertips so that your weight is shared across the whole hand rather than jammed into the heel of the palm.
One more thing: do not place a cushion or folded mat under your palms. Your hand comes with its own natural padding — the muscular pads at the base of the thumb and along the little-finger side. Extra padding under the palm only puts more bend in the wrist, which is exactly what we are trying to reduce.
Quick Fixes for Wrist Pain
If the pain persists with good hand position, change the angle of the wrist itself. Each of these keeps the wrist neutral — straight and stacked — instead of bent back:
- Push up bars. My preferred option. Choose a pair with padded grips, a wide non-slip base, and handles angled slightly inward to match the natural line of your wrists.
- Hexagonal dumbbells. If you already own them, a pair of hex dumbbells does the same job — the flat sides keep them steady and your wrist in a comfortable neutral position.
- Fists. Push ups on your knuckles keep the wrist perfectly neutral. Do these on a folded towel or exercise mat, not bare floor. And if you are wondering whether a fist position is “functional” — my eldest client crawled on her knuckles, and the neutral fist is the same wrist position you use on a cane, a walker, or a racquet grip. It is very functional indeed.
- Raise the incline. Hands on a counter, bench, or wall reduces the load going through your wrists while you build tolerance. A wall push up loads the wrist at a fraction of bodyweight.
Think of these as bridges, not destinations. They let you keep training the push up today while the flexibility and strength work below restores your wrist’s capacity for the real thing.
Warm Up and Stretch Your Wrists
Your wrists will reward you for a brief warm up before you load them. Start by gently moving your fingers and wrists through their full range — whatever that range is for you today. This simple movement produces synovial fluid in the joints and prepares them for deeper stretching. If movement alone is not enough to make your wrists feel ready, add warmth first: a heating pad wrapped around your hands, a soak in comfortably warm water, or a paraffin wax bath if you have access to one.
Then, before your push ups, spend a minute on wrist extension — the exact motion the push up demands:
- Prayer hands. Bring your palms together in front of your chest, shoulders relaxed. Keeping the palms pressed together, widen your elbows away from your body and feel the bend deepen at your wrists. Then swan dive the hands down and return back up. Repeat five times, slowly.
- Wrist flexion and extension. Bend each wrist gently forward and back through its full range, five repetitions in each direction.
A stretch should feel delicious, never painful. And if you feel a zinging or numb sensation, you are stretching nerve rather than muscle — keep moving through the stretch rather than holding it, and sit tall as you work, because the nerves that supply your hands and wrists travel all the way from your neck.
In the video above I take you through the complete hand and wrist flexibility routine, including finger stretches, web space stretches, and the forearm stretches that reach all the way up to the elbow. You can do these watching television or as a passenger in the car — you do not have to be flexible all in one day.
Strengthen Your Wrists for Pushups
Flexibility prepares the wrist for the push up position; strength lets it carry the load. Aim to do your wrist strengthening twice a week, and progress gradually — with every exercise below, you build to 10 repetitions before you increase the resistance.
Start with Isometrics
Start with isometrics. Isometric exercises build strength without any movement, which makes them the gentlest entry point — and a good warm up even once you are stronger. Sit tall at a table with a folded towel for padding, elbows by your sides at about 90 degrees, wrists on your side of the table edge and hands underneath it. Take a breath in, exhale, and press up into the table for a count of three, then release. Do this in three positions: palms up to work the wrist flexors, palms down to work the wrist extensors, and with gentle fists, thumbs up, in the hammer position. Start with five holds of each and build toward ten.
Add Wrist Curls with Dumbbell
Then add wrist curls with a dumbbell. Sit tall with your forearm supported on a padded surface, elbow by your side, and the weight resting in the centre of your hand. Start palm up — curl the wrist toward you, slow and controlled. Then turn palm down for the wrist extensors, and do not be surprised if you need a lighter weight; the extensors are almost always weaker than the flexors, and they are the muscles that stabilize the back of your wrist in a push up. Begin with the range from neutral upward, and once that is comfortable, progress to the full range — all the way down, all the way up.
Start Light
Start lighter than you think you need to. I start some of my clients with a quarter-pound weight. The worst that happens is you find it too easy and move up — which is exactly how progression is supposed to work: build to 10 repetitions, then a second set of 10, then a third, and only then move to the next weight.
Grip Work
Round out the routine with grip work — squeezing a soft ball or a rolled pair of socks for a slow count of three works the muscles of the hand and the long flexors that run down your forearm. In the video above I take you through the complete routine, including finger extension work with elastic bands, pinch strengthening, and a special eccentric lifting technique that has been studied and shown to be effective if you have been diagnosed with a wrist tendinitis — if that is you, do not do standard wrist curls until you have watched that portion.
Progressing Back to Flat Palm Push Ups
The final ingredient is simply getting your wrists used to bearing weight — progressively. This is the step that turns flexible, strong wrists into wrists that can comfortably do a push up.
If full wrist extension under load is still uncomfortable, place a small support — a rolled towel works well — under just the heel of your hand. This reduces the bend at the wrist while your extension range improves, and as your wrists adapt, you make the roll thinner and thinner until your palms are flat on the floor. If even that is too much extension to begin with, start with your hands gripping flat-sided dumbbells in a fully neutral position and work toward the palm over time.
Progress the load the same way. Begin at an incline where your wrists bear only a small fraction of your bodyweight — a wall push up is a fine starting point — and increase gradually, week by week, as your tolerance builds. Small, consistent increases that your tissue can adapt to: this is exactly how physical therapists restore capacity after injury, and it works just as well for building it in the first place.
Why Wrist Load Matters for Your Bones
Here is the reason I encourage my clients with osteoporosis and low bone density to work through wrist pain rather than around it forever. The distal radius — the wrist end of your forearm bone — is one of the most common sites of osteoporotic fracture, often the first fracture a person experiences. Bone builds in response to load at the specific site that is loaded, and the push up is one of the few everyday exercises that loads the distal radius directly. As you put more weight through your wrists over time, you are building both your wrist’s tolerance for load and your bones’ resiliency in supporting you.
That resiliency pays off well beyond the push up. Stronger wrists and forearms mean better protection if you ever reach out to break a fall, a solid neutral grip if you ever need a cane or a walker, and a wrist that holds steady through every stroke against a great opponent on the pickleball court. Avoiding wrist loading entirely solves the pain but forfeits all of that — building up to it carefully gives you both
Pain Free Bone Building Exercises
Pain free exercise is essential to build bone and reduce fracture risk. Get my 7-day email course in which I cover the safest exercises to start after an osteoporosis diagnosis.
Stronger bones in just 7 days with my free email course.
Shoulder Pain from Push Ups
Shoulder pain during push ups is the second most common problem I see. Unlike wrist pain, which is usually a straightforward position issue, shoulder pain can come from several different sources, and getting the right diagnosis matters.
Why Your Shoulders Hurt During Push Ups
The shoulder is a complex joint with a wide range of motion, which also makes it vulnerable to irritation when loaded incorrectly. Here are the most common causes:
- Elbow flare (the T position). When your elbows point straight out to the sides during a push up, your upper arms form a “T” shape with your torso. (See illustration below). This position narrows the subacromial space in your shoulder and can pinch the rotator cuff tendons and bursa. It’s the most common form error I correct.
- Poor scapular control. If your shoulder blades don’t move properly during the push up, specifically, if they don’t protract (spread apart) as you push up and retract (squeeze together) as you lower, the ball of the upper arm bone can shift forward in the socket. This creates anterior shoulder pain.
- Rotator cuff weakness or tendinopathy. The four small muscles of the rotator cuff stabilize the head of the humerus in the socket. If these muscles are weak or irritated, the shoulder joint becomes unstable under the load of a push up, leading to pain.
- Going too deep. Lowering your chest too far past your hands forces the shoulder into excessive extension. This can strain the anterior capsule and aggravate the biceps tendon.
- Scapular winging. If your shoulder blades poke out from your ribcage during push ups, it typically means your serratus anterior muscle is weak. This compromises the entire shoulder mechanics chain.
- Pre-existing conditions. Rotator cuff tears, labral tears, frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), and AC joint arthritis can all cause pain during push ups.
How to Fix Shoulder Pain from Push Ups
- Tuck your elbows to a 30–45 degree angle. This is the single most important correction for shoulder pain. Instead of a T shape, your arms should form an arrow shape when viewed from above. This opens up the subacromial space and reduces impingement. In my programs, this arm position is non-negotiable.
- Reduce your range of motion. You don’t need to touch your chest to the floor. Stop the push up before you reach the point of pain and build depth gradually as your shoulder strengthens and mobility improves.
- Use wall push ups or incline push ups. Reducing the load gives your shoulder a chance to work through the movement pattern without being overwhelmed. Start with a wall push up and progress to a counter, then a bench, then the floor.
- Add scapular push ups to your routine. From a plank or push up position, keep your arms straight and let your shoulder blades squeeze together (retract), then push them apart (protract). This trains the serratus anterior, which is critical for scapular stability during push ups.
- Strengthen your rotator cuff. Banded external rotation exercises and side-lying external rotation with a light weight can help build the stability your shoulder needs. These are best done as a warm-up before push ups, not as an afterthought.
- Try self-massage for tight muscles. Trigger point work on the pec minor, upper trapezius, and infraspinatus can relieve muscular tension that contributes to poor shoulder mechanics during push ups.
When to See a Professional About Shoulder Pain
See a physiotherapist or sports medicine doctor if your shoulder pain doesn’t improve with the modifications above, if you experience clicking or catching sensations, if you have pain that wakes you at night, or if you notice weakness when reaching overhead. These can be signs of a structural issue that needs targeted rehabilitation.
In my practice, I teach every client to “pack” their shoulders before starting a push up. That means drawing the shoulder blades slightly down and back, think of tucking your shoulder blades into your back pockets. This sets the shoulder joint in a stable position before you add load. Combined with the arrow elbow position, this eliminates shoulder pain for the majority of my clients.
Elbow Pain When Doing Push Ups
Elbow pain during push ups often gets overlooked, but it’s more common than many people realize. The elbow is a hinge joint caught between the shoulder and wrist, and problems in either of those areas can show up as elbow pain.
Why Your Elbows Hurt During Push Ups
- Medial epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow). Pain on the inside of the elbow, caused by overload on the wrist flexor and pronator muscles where they attach to the inner elbow. This is common when you grip the floor hard during push ups.
- Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow). Pain on the outside of the elbow, caused by overload on the wrist extensor muscles. This can be aggravated by a wide hand position during push ups.
- Elbow hyperextension. Locking your elbows out fully at the top of each rep puts compressive stress on the joint. Over time, this can irritate the cartilage and ligaments.
- Triceps tendinopathy. Pain at the back of the elbow, right where the triceps tendon attaches. This tends to flare during the pressing (upward) phase of the push up.
- Ulnar nerve irritation. If you feel tingling or numbness in your ring finger and pinky finger during push ups, the ulnar nerve may be getting compressed at the elbow.
How to Fix Elbow Pain During Push Ups
- Don’t lock out at the top. Keep a slight bend in your elbows at the top of each push up. This removes the compressive stress of full lockout and keeps the muscles engaged rather than transferring load to the joint.
- Reduce the load. Move to incline or wall push ups to give the tendons a chance to adapt. Tendons recover more slowly than muscles, so patience matters here.
- Check your hand width. If your hands are too narrow, you’re overloading the triceps and the medial (inner) elbow. If they’re too wide, you’re overloading the lateral (outer) elbow. Aim for hands slightly wider than shoulder-width.
- Add eccentric strengthening. For lateral epicondylitis, a Tyler Twist exercise with a rubber bar is well-supported by research. For medial epicondylitis, slow wrist curls with a light weight can help. These exercises strengthen the tendon through its range of motion.
- Massage your forearms. Use a lacrosse ball or foam roller to work the muscles of the forearm. Tension in these muscles pulls directly on the elbow tendons.
When to See a Professional About Elbow Pain
If you notice grip weakness, if your elbow pain persists beyond two to three weeks despite modifications, or if you experience tingling into your fingers, see a physiotherapist. Elbow tendinopathies respond well to structured rehabilitation, but they need the right loading program.
In my practice, elbow pain during push ups often co-exists with wrist pain. The forearm muscles that control the wrist attach at the elbow, so if someone comes to me with elbow pain during push ups, I always assess the wrist as well. Addressing both together tends to resolve the problem faster than treating either one in isolation.
Back Pain from Push Ups
Back pain during push ups typically falls into two categories: upper back pain between the shoulder blades, and lower back pain. Each has different causes and different solutions.
Upper Back Pain During Push Ups
Pain between the shoulder blades during push ups usually comes from one of two issues:
- Thoracic kyphosis. An excessively rounded upper back, common in people with osteoporosis, can create strain in the muscles between the shoulder blades as they work overtime to stabilize the torso in the push up position.
- Rhomboid and mid-trapezius overload. When the serratus anterior muscle is weak, the rhomboids and middle trapezius muscles have to compensate to control the shoulder blades. This creates fatigue and eventually pain.
Fixes: Focus on thoracic extension mobility through exercises such as the cow part or cat/cow and thoracic extensions while on your stomach (spinal extension stretch in my Exercise for Better Bones) before your push up set. Shoulder blade push ups will strengthen the serratus anterior and take the load off the muscles between your shoulder blades.
Lower Back Pain During Push Ups
Lower back pain during push ups is almost always a core control issue. The most common causes:
- Sagging hips. When the core and glutes aren’t strong enough to maintain a straight body line, the hips drop toward the floor, creating hyperextension (excessive arch) in the lumbar spine. This compresses the facet joints and can strain the lower back muscles.
- Breath-holding or poor bracing. Holding your breath during a push up can spike intra-abdominal pressure and contribute to low back strain.
The fix is straightforward but important: before you attempt floor push ups, you need to be able to hold a solid plank for at least 30 seconds with a neutral spine. If you can’t, your core is not yet ready to stabilize your lower back during a push up. Start with incline push ups to reduce the core demand, and cue yourself with “ribs down, lower tummy tight” throughout the movement.
In my practice, I often start clients with wall push ups and progress through incline before floor for this exact reason. Many people want to jump straight to floor push ups, but if the core isn’t ready, the lower back pays the price. The progression takes patience, but it’s worth it.
Chest Pain from Push Ups: When to Worry
Chest pain during or after push ups can range from a minor muscular strain to a symptom that needs urgent medical attention. It’s important to understand the difference.
Musculoskeletal Causes of Chest Pain During Push Ups
Most chest pain from push ups is musculoskeletal, meaning it comes from the muscles, cartilage, or joints of the chest wall, not the heart. Common causes include:
- Pectoralis muscle strain. Overstretching the pec muscles at the bottom of the push up, especially if you’re returning to exercise after a break or going deeper than your muscles are prepared for.
- Costochondritis. Inflammation of the cartilage that connects your ribs to your sternum (breastbone). This produces a sharp, localized pain that you can often reproduce by pressing on the affected area.
- Sternoclavicular joint irritation. The joint where your collarbone meets your sternum can become irritated under repeated push up loading.
How to Fix Musculoskeletal Chest Pain
Reduce the depth of your push ups to avoid overstretching the pectorals. Move to an incline position to decrease the load. Warm up your chest with gentle dynamic stretching and light band reverse fly’s or pull-aparts before your push up set. If you suspect costochondritis, rest from push ups for a few days, apply ice to the area, and see a physiotherapist for a diagnosis.
Important: When Chest Pain Needs Urgent Attention
Chest pain during any form of exertion can be cardiac in origin. Stop exercising immediately and seek emergency medical attention if your chest pain is accompanied by:
- Shortness of breath
- Pain radiating into your jaw, neck, or left arm
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Nausea or cold sweats
- A feeling of pressure or tightness (rather than sharp, localized pain)
This is especially important for older adults and anyone with cardiovascular risk factors including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or a family history of heart disease. When in doubt, get it checked.
In my practice, I always ask new clients about their cardiac history before prescribing push ups or any upper body loading exercise. It’s a question that takes five seconds and could save a life. If you have any cardiac risk factors, please discuss push ups with your doctor before starting.
Neck Pain During Push Ups
Neck pain during push ups is less common than wrist or shoulder pain, but I see it regularly — particularly in clients who spend a lot of time at a desk.
Why Your Neck Hurts During Push Ups
- Looking up. Craning your neck to look forward or upward during a push up puts your cervical spine into hyperextension. Under the sustained load of a push up, this compresses the facet joints at the back of the neck and can strain the neck extensors.
- Your upper trapezius muscles are working more than they should. If you’re shrugging your shoulders up toward your ears during push ups, which many people do unconsciously, the upper trapezius muscles become overworked and fatigued. This produces a dull ache in the base of the neck and across the tops of the shoulders.
- Pre-existing cervical issues. Disc problems, cervical stenosis, and forward head posture can all be aggravated by the push up position.
- Poor tongue position. See the tongue to roof of mouth video below.
How to Fix Neck Pain During Push Ups
- Anchor your tongue to your upper pallet.
- Gently tuck your chin as though you were holding an orange to your breast bone.Your eyes should look about six inches higher than your fingertips, think long through the back of your neck. This positions your cervical spine in neutral and eliminates the hyperextension that causes most push up neck pain.
- Relax your upper traps. Before each rep, consciously draw your shoulders away from your ears. A useful cue is to think of creating “space between your ears and your shoulders.”
- Move to a wall or incline position. If neck pain persists, the upright position of a wall push up reduces the effect of gravity on your head and neck, making it much easier to maintain good cervical alignment.
- Self-massage. Targeted massage of the upper trapezius and suboccipital muscles (the small muscles at the base of your skull) can provide significant relief.
In my practice, neck pain during push ups shows up most often in people who already have a forward head posture from prolonged desk work or device use. The push up position puts extra demand on a cervical spine that’s already under strain. Correcting the head position during push ups is important, but so is addressing the underlying posture habits throughout the day.
How to Do a Push Up Without Pain: My Checklist
Now that we’ve covered what can go wrong, let me pull together the key form cues that keep push ups safe and pain-free. I use this checklist with every client.
- Hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, fingers spread. This distributes the load evenly through your hands and wrists.
- Elbows at 45 to 60 degrees from your torso. Arrow position, not T position. This protects your shoulders.
- Wrists neutral or slightly extended. Use push up bars or dumbbells if flat-palm position causes pain.
- Chin gently tucked, eyes on the floor ahead of your hands. Anchor your tongue to your upper pallet.
- Ribs down, gluts engaged lower abdominals engaged. No sagging through the hips. Your body should form a straight line from head to heels.
- Shoulders “packed.” Draw your shoulder blades slightly down and back before you begin. Let them move naturally away from each other as you push go into the push phase, also known as protraction.
- Stop before pain. If a certain depth hurts, don’t go that deep. Reduce your range of motion or increase the incline.
- Breathe. Inhale as you lower, exhale as you press up. Never hold your breath.
Push Up Variations: From Wall to Floor
One of the most powerful tools for managing push up pain is progression. Rather than attempting a full floor push up and dealing with pain, start at a level your body can handle comfortably and build from there.
Here is the progression I use with my clients:
- Wall push up. Hands on the wall at shoulder height. This is the lowest-load option and the best starting point if you’re dealing with active pain in any area. It’s also an excellent warm-up for more advanced variations.
- High incline push up. Hands on a kitchen counter or sturdy table. Moderate load increase from the wall, with a position that’s easy to control.
- Low incline push up. Hands on a bench, step, or the arm of a sofa. This gets closer to the load of a floor push up while still reducing the demand on your wrists, shoulders, and core.
- Full push up. Hands on the floor, full bodyweight. Only progress here when you can do the low incline version with good form and no pain.
- Decline push up. Feet elevated on a bench or step. This is an advanced variation that increases the load on the upper body. Not necessary for most people and not recommended if you have active pain.
Why I prefer incline progressions over knee push ups: Many people are taught to do push ups from their knees as a “beginner” option. While knee push ups reduce the load, they also change the kinetic chain, your core isn’t working the same way, and the movement pattern doesn’t transfer as cleanly to a full push up. Incline push ups keep the full-body plank position intact while simply adjusting the load. I find that clients who progress through inclines reach a confident, pain-free floor push up faster.
Stronger bones in just 7 days with my free email course.
When to See a Professional for Push Up Pain
Most push up pain responds well to the form corrections and modifications I’ve described in this guide. However, there are situations where professional assessment is important:
- Pain that persists despite form corrections and load reduction
- Pain that wakes you at night
- Numbness or tingling in your fingers, hands, or arms
- Sudden weakness in your grip or ability to push
- Any chest pain with cardiac symptoms (shortness of breath, radiating pain, dizziness, nausea)
A qualified physiotherapist can assess your movement, identify the specific source of your pain, and design a rehabilitation program that gets you back to pain-free push ups. Don’t push through pain that isn’t resolving on its own.
Push Up Pain FAQs
Why do my wrists hurt when I do push ups?
A standard flat-palm push up forces your wrist into roughly 90 degrees of extension under your full bodyweight. For many people, especially those over 50, that is simply too much extension under load. Weak wrist extensors, hypermobility, or conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, wrist osteoarthritis, or a TFCC injury can also be aggravated by the position.
What is the fastest fix for wrist pain during push ups?
Change the angle of your wrist. Push up bars, a pair of dumbbells, or making fists all keep the wrist in a neutral, straight position and eliminate the excessive extension that causes most wrist pain. In my practice, this fix combined with moving to an incline position resolves wrist pain for most clients within the first session. Treat these as bridges, not destinations — pair them with the wrist flexibility and strengthening exercises in this guide so you can eventually return to flat-palm push ups.
Do push up bars help with wrist pain?
Yes. Push up bars keep your wrist neutral instead of bent back at 90 degrees, which removes the compression that causes most push up wrist pain. Choose a pair with padded grips, a wide non-slip base, and handles set at a slight inward angle to match the natural position of your wrists.
How do I strengthen my wrists so push ups don't hurt?
Work in this order: flexibility first, then strength, then weight bearing. Restore comfortable wrist extension with daily stretching, build the forearm muscles with isometric presses and light dumbbell wrist curls twice a week — starting as light as a quarter pound and progressing only once you reach three sets of 10 repetitions — and then gradually reintroduce weight through your wrists, beginning at a wall or incline. Over four to eight weeks of consistent work, most wrists adapt to comfortably support a full push up.
Why does my shoulder hurt when I do push ups?
The most common cause is elbow flare — letting your elbows point straight out to the sides in a "T" shape. This narrows the space in your shoulder and can pinch the rotator cuff tendons. Tuck your elbows to a 30 to 45 degree angle (an arrow shape, not a T), pack your shoulder blades down and back before each set, and reduce your depth until the pain settles.
Why does my elbow hurt when I do push ups?
Elbow pain during push ups usually comes from tendon overload — golfer's elbow on the inside, tennis elbow on the outside, or triceps tendinopathy at the back — or from locking your elbows out at the top of each rep. Keep a slight bend in your elbows at the top, set your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, and move to an incline to let the tendons adapt.
Can push ups cause chest pain?
Yes. Most chest pain from push ups is musculoskeletal — a pectoral muscle strain from going too deep, or costochondritis, an inflammation of the rib cartilage that is sharp and tender to the touch. However, chest pain with shortness of breath, pressure, dizziness, nausea, or pain radiating into your jaw or left arm can be cardiac. Stop exercising and seek urgent medical attention if any of those accompany your chest pain.
Is it normal for my muscles to be sore after push ups?
Yes. Soreness in your chest, triceps, lats, or arms in the day or two after push ups is delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) — a normal response when muscles work harder than they are used to. It should ease within 48 to 72 hours. Sharp pain during the movement, or soreness centred on a joint rather than a muscle, is different and means your form or load needs to change.
How can I avoid straining my neck during push ups?
Gently tuck your chin as though holding an orange against your breastbone, anchor your tongue to the roof of your mouth, and keep your eyes on the floor about six inches ahead of your fingertips. This keeps your cervical spine in neutral. Also consciously draw your shoulders away from your ears — shrugging overworks the upper trapezius and creates that ache at the base of the neck.
Should I stop doing push ups if they hurt?
Not necessarily — pain is a signal to change something, not always a reason to stop. Reduce the load by moving to a wall or incline push up, correct your form using the checklist in this guide, and shorten your range of motion. See a physiotherapist if pain persists despite these changes, wakes you at night, or comes with numbness, tingling, or weakness.
Margaret Martin
Further Readings
Comments