A few weeks ago, someone in our Discord asked a reasonable question: “Is there actual science behind this, or are we all just vibing?”
Fair. I’d been telling people to do pushups every day for two years without really digging into the research. So I spent a weekend reading studies, and I want to be honest with you about what I found.
What the Research Actually Says (And Doesn’t Say)
Here’s the thing: there aren’t a ton of studies specifically on “doing 26 pushups daily for a year.” Scientists, for some reason, haven’t gotten around to studying our exact program.
But there is interesting research on pushups generally.
The heart health study that got everyone excited: In 2019, researchers at Harvard published a study following over 1,100 firefighters for 10 years. They found that guys who could do 40+ pushups had a 96% lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those who could do fewer than 10. (Here’s the study if you want to read it.)
Now, does this mean pushups prevent heart disease? Not exactly. It might just mean that people who can do a lot of pushups are generally healthier, and that’s what protects them. Correlation, causation, you know the drill.
But still. 96% is a big number. And the researchers themselves suggested pushup capacity might be a better predictor of heart health than treadmill tests. That’s not nothing.
The strength gains: A 2017 study found that pushup training and bench press training produced similar strength gains over 8 weeks when the resistance was equivalent. Which makes sense—your muscles don’t know if they’re pushing a barbell or your own body weight. They just know resistance.
The mental health angle: This is where it gets squishier. There’s plenty of research showing exercise helps with depression and anxiety, but most studies look at 30-45 minutes of moderate exercise, not “26 pushups that take 90 seconds.” I can’t point you to a study that says a minute of pushups will fix your mood.
What I can tell you is that a lot of our users report feeling better mentally, and there’s probably something to the “small daily win” effect even if it’s not the exercise itself.
What I’ve Noticed Personally
I’ve been doing this for over two years now. Here’s what I can actually attribute to the pushups versus what might just be me getting older or other life changes:
Definitely the pushups:
- I’m noticeably stronger. I can do 40+ now when I started at 15.
- My arms and chest look different. My wife noticed around month four.
- I can do physical tasks (carrying groceries, moving furniture) without getting winded.
Probably the pushups, but who knows:
- I have more energy in the mornings.
- My posture is better—or at least I’m more aware of it.
- I feel more confident taking my shirt off at the beach. (This might just be because I’m 28 now and care less what people think.)
Might be correlation, not causation:
- I sleep better, but I also started reading before bed instead of scrolling.
- I eat healthier, but that might be because once you’re exercising you don’t want to “waste” it.
- I’m more disciplined generally, but I also started a company, which kind of forces that.
I’m being honest with you because I think the fitness industry is full of people overselling results. I don’t want to be that guy.
What Users Have Told Us
I asked some longtime users to share their experiences. I told them to be honest, not promotional, and that I’d use their real names if they were comfortable.
David Okonkwo, 38, Austin: “I’ll be straight with you—I started doing pushups because my doctor said my blood pressure was too high and I was looking at medication. That was about 10 months ago. My blood pressure is better now, but I also lost 20 pounds and cut back on drinking, so I can’t say it was just the pushups. What I can say is the pushups were the first domino. Once I was doing one healthy thing, I wanted to do others.”
Rachel Torres, 31, Portland: “I’m not going to lie and say I got jacked. I haven’t. I do 12-15 pushups a day, usually knee pushups because standard ones hurt my wrists, and I don’t look noticeably different. But I’ve done them every day for eight months, which is the longest I’ve stuck with any exercise ever. For me it’s more about proving I can commit to something.”
Priya Sharma, 45, Boston: “The biggest change was my back pain. I had chronic lower back pain for years, saw physical therapists, tried everything. About three months into daily pushups, I realized it was mostly gone. My PT said it’s probably because pushups strengthen your core, which supports your spine. I don’t know if that’s what did it, but the timing lines up.”
Marcus Webb, 29, Chicago: “I want to give a different perspective—I don’t think the app is magic. I think I was just ready to change, and this was simple enough that I actually did it. If I’d found a ‘do 5 squats a day’ app, maybe that would’ve worked too. The value is the simplicity and the tracking, not anything special about the number 26.”
That last one is honest in a way I appreciate. Maybe we’re just a tracking app that picked a random exercise. Maybe that’s fine.
The Benefits I Feel Confident Claiming
After two years of doing this and hearing from thousands of users, here’s what I’ll actually stand behind:
You will get stronger. This isn’t controversial. If you do pushups regularly, your pushing muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps) will get stronger. That’s just how muscles work.
You’ll build some muscle. Probably not bodybuilder amounts, but visible, functional muscle. The extent depends on your diet, your genetics, and whether you progressively increase difficulty.
You might fix some minor aches. A lot of people report reduced back pain and shoulder stiffness. Strengthening muscles tends to do that. It’s not guaranteed, and if you have a real injury, see a doctor, not an app.
You’ll prove something to yourself. This is the one I’m most confident about. Almost everyone who sticks with it for a few months reports feeling better about themselves—not because of how they look, but because they kept a commitment. That matters.
The Benefits I’m Skeptical Of
I’ve seen other pushup programs claim things like “increased testosterone,” “boosted metabolism,” and “improved cognitive function.” Maybe. The research is thin or nonexistent for most of these claims in the context of a short daily pushup routine.
Could daily pushups be part of a lifestyle that leads to those benefits? Sure. But I’m not going to tell you that 26 pushups will boost your testosterone when I can’t find a study showing that.
The Thing Nobody Talks About
Here’s something I’ve noticed that you won’t find in any study: the people who stick with this tend to become a little evangelical about it.
I don’t mean annoying-CrossFit-guy evangelical. I mean they start paying attention to other small habits. They notice what else they could do every day. Some of our users have started meditating, journaling, learning languages—all using the same “small daily action” framework.
I think there’s something about proving to yourself that you can do something every day that opens up possibilities. It’s not about the pushups. It’s about becoming someone who follows through.
Or maybe I’m just trying to make “do pushups” sound more profound than it is. I honestly don’t know.
Should You Do This?
I don’t know your life. If you have shoulder problems, maybe pushups aren’t your thing. If you hate them, pick a different exercise. The habit matters more than the specific movement.
But if you’re looking for something simple to start with—genuinely simple, not “simple” like a 45-minute morning routine—pushups are a good option. They don’t require equipment, they don’t take long, and they work muscles you use every day.
Will it transform your life? Maybe. It did for some people. It didn’t for others. I can’t promise you anything except that you’ll get a bit stronger and you’ll have done something for yourself every day.
That might be enough. It was for me.
If you want to dig into the research yourself, here are the studies I referenced:
- Pushup capacity and cardiovascular health (Harvard, 2019)
- Pushup vs. bench press for strength gains (2017)
I’m not a doctor or a scientist. I’m a guy who makes a pushup app and wanted to be honest about what we know and don’t know.