Expert reveals exactly how many push-ups you should be able to do according to your age

If you want to know how fit you are, you don’t have to see your doctor or purchase an expensive app – there’s a much simpler way.

To figure out how good your physical strength and cardiovascular health is, you can do something that many find a little tricky.

A push-up.

Okay, so I know how daunting push-ups are, but this little trick actually comes straight from the mouth of an expert, who says the number of push-ups you can do correlates to your health.

Even the Mayo Clinic explains that the work out could be used to 'measure muscular strength and endurance'.

By the way, if you think this means that you can do a few and take a break like repetitions – don't be silly.

To truly understand your health, you’ll have to do all of the push-ups at once.

However, if you really struggle to do it, you can begin on your knees.

An expert revealed how many push-ups you should be able to do (Getty Stock Images)

Lying flat on the floor with your toes tucked in and your hands slightly wider than your shoulders, push yourself up straight, keeping your back parallel with the floor until your arms are straight. Now lower yourself and repeat the process.

A fit and healthy woman at the age of 25 should be able to do roughly 20 push-ups with proper form, while a man should be able to do 28, most advice agrees.

Fitness experts Freddie Chatt and Adam Clarke have shared with Women's Health how many push-ups a woman should be able to complete, which they broke down by age:

• 15 to 19 years old – 18 to 24 push-ups
• 20 to 29 years old – 15 to 20 push-ups
• 30 to 39 years old – 13 to 19 push-ups
• 40 to 49 years old – 11 to 14 push-ups
• 50 to 59 years old – seven to 10 push-ups
• 60 to 69 years old – five to 11 push-ups
• 70 to 79 years old – three to eight push-ups (including kneeling push-ups)
• 80+ years old – 2 to 5 push-ups (including kneeling push-ups)

You should be able to complete the correlating number to your age (Getty Stock Images)

And according to Mayo Clinic analysis, men should be able to complete:

• Age 25 - 28 push-ups
• Age 35 - 21 push-ups
• Age 45 - 16 push-ups
• Age 55 - 12 push-ups
• Age 65 - 10 push-ups

They also advise using these push-up targets as a way to measure your progress when starting a fitness regimen.

"If your pushup count is below the target number, use the target as a goal to work toward. Counts above the targets mean better fitness."

Whatever your results, using them as a motivation to be more active and get more exercise will result in a positive feedback loop, where you might even find yourself doing the push-ups of someone half your age.