If you want to strengthen your upper body while improving your posture & core stability through a single movement, this exercise might interest you. As a fitness editor and marathon runner, I recently tested this straightforward exercise for seven days. The movement combines a push-up with a downward dog position. Here’s what I discovered during that week. Before starting any new exercise program beginners and people recovering from injuries or long breaks from physical activity should consult with a qualified fitness professional for guidance tailored to their specific needs.
How to Perform a Push-Up into Downward Dog
Plank to Pike Exercise This movement is also called a plank to pike. It brings together two separate exercises into one fluid motion: the push-up and the downward dog yoga pose. This makes it a compound exercise that targets several muscle groups simultaneously rather than isolating just one area. The exercise works your core muscles while also engaging your shoulders and arms. Your abdominal muscles stabilize your body throughout the movement. At the same time your deltoids and triceps help control the transition between positions.
Why Core Engagement Is Key During This Move
When you engage your core, focus on pulling your belly button toward your spine and tightening your muscles like you expect someone to hit you in the stomach. Without proper core engagement, your hips will drop during this exercise. I noticed myself going too fast during my first attempts at this movement. The important thing is to slow down. When you lift your hips up and back into the downward dog position imagine pushing your hips toward the ceiling. You should notice a stretch along the back of your legs.
How This Exercise Helps Relieve Back Stiffness
Like millions of Americans I spend a lot of time sitting down which is not great for my lower back or my posture. This move forces you to lengthen your spine & relieves tension from sitting or standing for too long. You will also be working on your shoulder joint mobility and upper back extension. After two weeks of doing this exercise daily I felt like I was really able to think about opening my upper back and pushing my shoulder blades back.
Daily chest routine after 50 rebuilds muscle better than bench press and improves pressing control
The Upper-Body Strength Benefits You’ll Feel
To increase the difficulty of this exercise you can add a three-second pause at the bottom of the push-up & during the downward dog position. This extended pause keeps your upper body muscles under tension for a longer period. The technique creates additional challenge and resistance during the movement & may help improve your strength over time. After completing two weeks of this routine I did not see any visible physical changes in my body. Building muscle unfortunately requires much more time than that. However I did develop a much better understanding of the movement itself. I also became more capable of properly engaging my core muscles while performing each repetition. Incorporating the downward dbog pushup into my warm-up routine provided an unexpected benefit for my running form. It helped me focus more carefully on my posture while running. I found myself engaging my core more effectively & maintaining a more upright torso position as I increased my running speed. If you want a simple challenge to try during the holidays this move is worth attempting. Begin with eight to ten repetitions and gradually increase the number as you get stronger.
