You know what?
The SAF, SCDF and SPF might be on to something when they decided to change the IPPT test system a couple of years back.
Because according to legends (read: a recent study), it was found out that the more push-ups you do, the less likely youโre going to die of a heart attack.
Yes. Really.
Harvardโs School of Public Health Study
Researchers got together to study 1,104 active middle-aged firefighters over a ten-year period.
And this was what they found.
There was a correlation between the number of pushups a man can do and the risk of cardiovascular disease outcome.
More Than 40 Pushups = 96% Less Likely To Get Heart Problems
So if you want to see if youโre at risk yet youโre unwilling (or unable) to fork out money for a checkup at the hospital, do this (granted, not really accurate) test instead.
Just get into the pushup position and pump out as many reps as possible.
Once you canโt do anymore, youโre done.
Hereโs what the test will indicate:
- 40 or more pushups: congratulations, youโre safe.
- 15 to 20 pushups: Not so great.
- Less than 10 pushups: GGWP. Youโre 30 times more likely to get heart disease in the future.
Itโs Only An Indicator, Not a Foolproof Test
If you score less than 10, donโt start crying in the corner. Because as the researchers have indicated, the pushup test is simply an indicator.
In Singapore terms, weโll call it a guesstimate.
So if youโre overweight, not flexible or just in a poor physical condition, the pushup test will be harder. And these conditions do indicate a higher risk of mortality.
And if youโre a long-distance runner or in a sport which doesnโt require much arm strength, you might bomb the test but still be in good physical condition.
But Hereโs The Great News:
Not everythingโs set in stone.
If you can train yourself to do more pushups, it can help reduce the risk of getting heart problems.
According to the study, every pushup you do after the baseline of 10 decreases the risk of getting heart problems.
And if youโre a guy, well, it wouldnโt hurt to do a pushup regime because one) youโll live longer. And two, well, youโll get to pass your IPPT and maybe even get incentive money out of it.
One bird, two stones, aye?
So with that saidโฆ
How Many Pushups Can You Do?
Share this with your friends to see if any of you are at risk now!