Wall push-up
Suggestions, not prescriptions. Exercises here pass automated checks. They have not been clinically reviewed, and no exercise is right for everyone. Adjust to your comfort and ability.
A push-up standing at a wall. It works your chest, shoulders and the backs of your arms, the muscles you use to push a door or get up from a low seat.
- Main focus
- Strength
- Level
- Starting
- Equipment
- Bodyweight, A bench
- Load
- Your body weight
- Stability
- Supported by a seat, bench or wall
Before you start
- Warm up first with a minute or two of easy walking or marching in place, and cool down the same way after.
- Wear flat, closed shoes with a good grip, or go barefoot on a non-slip floor if that feels steady to you.
- Clear the floor around you. Keep a sturdy chair, counter or wall within reach for any move you do standing.
- Build up slowly. Add repetitions or minutes over weeks, not days. If you take a break, work back up gradually.
Talk with a doctor or physical therapist before you start if you have not been active for some time, if you have a health condition or a worry about exercise, if you have fallen or fear falling, or if a clinician has told you to limit activity. This library is general information, not medical advice.
What you need
A clear, solid wall and shoes with a good grip.
How to do it
- Stand about an arm's length from the wall with your feet hip-width apart.
- Place your hands flat on the wall at chest height, about shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your elbows and lean your chest toward the wall, keeping your body in a straight line and your elbows close to your sides.
- Push gently back to the start.
How much
To start: 5 slow push-ups, once, then rest.
As it gets easier: 8 to 12 slow push-ups, once or twice.
How it should feel: Your chest and arms should feel the effort. Your wrists and shoulders should not hurt.
Make it easier
- Stand closer to the wall.
- Lean in only part of the way.
Make it harder
- Step a little farther from the wall.
- Use a sturdy counter instead of the wall, which makes the angle lower and the effort greater.
Safety
- Make sure your feet will not slide.
- Keep your back straight. Do not let your hips sag toward the wall.
- Breathe out as you push away. Do not hold your breath.
When to stop
- Stop and rest if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or unusually short of breath.
- Stop if you feel sharp, sudden or joint pain. Muscles working hard is expected. Pain is a signal to stop.
- Stop and sit down if you feel unsteady and cannot settle yourself right away.
- Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, fainting, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking.
- After any of these, do not repeat the exercise until you have talked with a doctor or physical therapist.
- You feel pinching or sharp pain in a shoulder, elbow or wrist.
- Your wrists ache so that you cannot keep your hands flat.
Other ways to do this movement
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Where this comes from
NHS "Wall press-up": stand at arm's length, hands flat at chest level, elbows by your sides, back straight, slowly bend and return. NIA: do not hold your breath. Name and push-up pattern from the screened catalog entry; text is original. Steps, counts and support advice follow the NHS page; wording and extra safety notes are Fitafter50's own.
- Strength exercises, NHS (England) (Last reviewed 28 Feb 2024).
- Three Types of Exercise Can Improve Your Health and Physical Ability, National Institute on Aging, NIH (Content reviewed Jan. 14, 2025).
This is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything or tell you whether an exercise is right for you. Adjust to your comfort and ability.