Drop and give yourself a workout

More than a mere exercise, the humble push-up can be viewed as nothing less than a metaphor for life itself.

Think of its motion as mirroring the cyclical, up-and-down nature of existence, almost Sisyphean in movement. Often, as in life, you are pushing against your own weight, seeking to overcome self-imposed limits. To perform it well, it takes backbone -- both literally and in terms of fortitude.

Push-ups aren't guaranteed to be easy and can be harsh in the pain they inflict. Yet, done well, the exercise offers moments of sublime bliss where mind and muscle meld. Like life.

"The push-up should be a little scary," says Chip Conrad, owner of Body Tribe Fitness in Sacramento, Calif. "You can't take the quick and easy route with a push-up. It takes practice, so you need some fear and reverence of it. As with anything, it can either empower or destroy."

Then again, put aside deep thinking. Push-ups may just be a great workout. And certainly one for this age of frugality.

Such utility, really, is the overriding reason such an old-school exercise has endured in this era of fancy gym equipment, elaborate cross-training regimens and scientific advancements.

What other single exercise in a fitness buff's repertoire involves muscle groups such as the chest, shoulders, back, arms, abdomen, hips and legs? And if you perform enough push-ups in a short enough amount of time, it even can provide an aerobic workout.

All that can be accomplished by putting one's body in a rigid, planklike position and raising and lowering your weight. Amazing in its simplicity.

"It is very versatile," says Richard Cotten, an exercise physiologist at the American College of Sports Medicine. "I'd recommend it to anyone, but I also wouldn't limit my clients to just doing the push-up."

The push-up has long been seen as a symbol of virility and vigor, creating a certain cultural cachet.

Who could forget aging actor Jack Palance dropping to perform one-armed push-ups to show his fitness after accepting the Oscar?

Why would a 1950s TV audience become so enthralled with Jack LaLanne's televised world record of 1,033 push-ups in 23 minutes? And would Japan's Minoru Yoshida be a celebrity in his country if he performed a record 10,507 squats in a row rather than push-ups?