Learn to Do Hindu Pushups Correctly (With Pictures)

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A user-friendly guide to doing the dand properly

Co-authored by Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT and Maryana Lucia Vestic, MFA, M.Phil.

Last Updated: June 30, 2025 Fact Checked

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• How to Do Them
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• Benefits
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• Hindu vs. Normal Pushups
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• Origins & History
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• Video
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• Q&A
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• Tips

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The Hindu pushup, also known as dand, is a complex move made up of multiple parts. Adapted from yoga moves and popular with Indian wrestlers and martial artists, this intense pushup engages your entire body. Like a regular pushup, the Hindu pushup strengthens your triceps, pectorals, and deltoids but also engages your glutes and quads. Ahead, we’ll show you exactly how to master the Hindu pushup step-by-step—just remember to use fluid movements when you put it all together.

Hindu Pushups: Easy Steps

1. Get into a downward dog position (in the shape of an inverted V).
2. Bend your elbows and lower your body to a plank.
3. Straighten your arms to come into upward dog pose and look up.
4. Return to the original downward dog position.
5. Repeat until you have completed the desired number of repetitions.

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

Doing Hindu Pushups

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1. 
   1
   Get into the downward dog pose. Begin on all fours. Then, lift your hips toward the ceiling as you curl your toes under and roll back onto your feet; press your hands into the ground while you lift your knees away from the floor. Straighten your knees and elbows as you continue to lift through your hips toward the ceiling. Then, lower your heels to the ground. In this pose, you will look like an upside-down V—this is the starting position for a Hindu pushup.

   • Once you’re in the downward dog position, look down at the ground and keep your neck and back in a straight line.
   • For beginners, place your hands and feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. This wider pushup will help you work on your form; if you're more advanced, keep your hands and feet closer together for a more intense workout.
   • Keep your knees and elbows bent to maintain stability as you adjust your stance. Try to keep your shoulders relaxed so they don’t creep up toward your ears.
   • You will return to this starting position after completing each Hindu pushup repetition.
2. 
   2
   Bend your arms and lower your hips so your body is parallel to the floor. This is called a low plank position. Inhale as you lower your body. Bend your elbows, keeping them close to the side of your body. Some people place their forearms on the floor as their body lowers. This is fine, but don’t allow the rest of your body to touch the floor.

   • Keep your head, neck, and back in a straight line.
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3. 
   3
   Straighten your arms to bring your head and chest into upward dog pose. Without allowing your body to touch the ground, push your head and chest forward. Exhale through your mouth as you move your head and chest in a smooth C-shaped motion that feels like diving under a bar.

   • After scooping your head in a diving-and-resurfacing motion, straighten your arms, lift your torso, and look upwards.
   • This position is very similar to the upward dog pose in yoga, but here, your toes don’t touch the floor.
   • Before you begin this movement, remember to breathe in deeply through your nose.
4. 
   4
   Lift your hips to return to the downward dog V position. Use your abs and gluteus maximus, i.e., your butt muscles, to bring your backside up into the air. As you push back to the starting position, inhale deeply through your nose. Exhale through your mouth as you reach the V position.

   • To return to the starting position, you do not need to reverse back through the sweeping, diving motion. Simply push your hips back into the inverted V.
   • At this point, you have completed 1 Hindu pushup. Use fluid movements to go through multiple repetitions.
5. 
   5
   Focus on using good form while repeating the Hindu pushup. When starting a new exercise routine, it’s best to take things slowly. If you’re a beginner, increasing the number of pushups you can do while using good form is recommended, but it’s not always about doing more pushups. For example, 3 or 5 repetitions are fine.

   • As you improve, increase repetitions and add more sets. For example, do 2 sets of 3 repetitions of pushups.
   • If you are more advanced, do more sets with more repetitions. For example, 3 sets with 8 to 10 pushups or repetitions.
   • Perform Hindu pushups seamlessly in a sweeping motion without delay between each part.
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Section 2 of 4:

Benefits of Hindu Pushups

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1. 
   1
   Hindu pushups increase strength and endurance. They focus more on core stability and shoulder mobility. The wave-like motion of a Hindu pushup helps to improve strength that you can use when performing other exercises, like a handstand or an overhead press.
2. 
   2
   They improve breathing and cardiovascular health. Because Hindu pushups have more of a rhythmic movement, they can also have a greater positive effect on your cardiovascular system by elevating your heart rate and increasing your blood flow throughout the body. They also improve circulation in the body, so more oxygen is delivered to the muscles and tissues.
3. 
   3
   They improve mobility and flexibility. Because the Hindu pushup includes a wider range of motion, it allows the body to increase its overall flexibility, especially where back muscles are concerned. As a benefit of Hindu pushups, you might feel more flexible, like you’ve performed yoga; this is because certain yoga poses are a part of the movement of Hindu pushups.
4. 
   4
   They strengthen the core muscles. If you’re looking to reduce belly fat, you can include Hindu pushups in your exercise routine, along with cardio exercises to burn calories and additional strength training. A diet that helps produce a calorie deficit can also lead to weight loss and reduced belly fat.

   • Like traditional pushups, Hindu pushups can potentially burn between 7 and 10 calories per minute.
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Section 3 of 4:

Hindu Pushups vs. Normal Pushups

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1. 
   1
   Hindu pushups involve the hips, shoulders, and elbow joints. Hindu pushups (also called dand) work a lot of areas, including the chest and back muscles, deltoids, triceps, core, glutes, and leg muscles. The movement during a Hindu pushup involves a higher range of motion than a traditional pushup does. They’re perfect for beginners, but may be limited for those who want to increase the strenuousness to intermediate or advanced levels.

   • Hindu pushups include two yoga poses within the movement; the starting position resembles the parvatasana yoga pose, while the ending position mirrors the bhujangasana. These poses help strengthen the forearms, increase flexibility, and reduce lower back and hamstring stiffness.
2. 
   2
   Traditional pushups emphasize the shoulder and elbow joints. The action in a regular pushup builds muscles, especially in the back, the pectoralis minor, core, obliques, and quadriceps. Using a lower range of motion, these pushups may feel more difficult to beginners, but may offer more options for those working at an intermediate or advanced level.

   • Certified personal trainer Julian Arana, M.S.Ed., NCSF-CPT, suggests that pushups become easier with weight loss: “You're essentially lifting your own weight when doing pushups. As you decrease your weight, you're decreasing the amount of resistance that you have to push up and down. As you get stronger with the pushups and lose weight, that would be the optimal way to improve your pushups and make them a little bit easier.”
   • Both kinds of pushups can increase upper body strength and improve stamina, and can be performed as part of a broader workout routine.
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Section 4 of 4:

Why are they called Hindu pushups?

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1. Hindu pushups originated in ancient India as part of martial arts and yoga practices. Some feel that Hindu pushups were created by the Hindu warrior class to prepare for battle. Others think they were invented by yogis to increase flexibility and balance. Hindu pushups became a favorite exercise among Indian martial artists and wrestlers, in particular.

   • Some historians believe that Hindu pushups appear in 5th-century texts that include the Bhagavad Gita and the Mahabharata.
   • Hindu pushups are also referred to as "dand,” meaning “stick” or “rod” in Sanskrit.
   • Martial artist and kung fu actor Bruce Lee was said to do Hindu pushups as part of his training routine.

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• Question

  I'm a Muslim and I don't want any push-ups invented by Christians or Hindus who are all infidels. Can you describe Islamic push-up methods?

  

  Community Answer

  I myself am Muslim and want you to know that there are no such things as Islamic, Hindu, or Christian push-ups. These push-ups can also be called "seal push-ups" or "dands." They were not invented by Hindus - this is just the name they were given. You can do these, there is nothing wrong with them in the Islamic view.

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  Not Helpful 311 Helpful 150
• Question

  What should I do to stop pain in my shoulders while doing it?

  

  Community Answer

  Ice it, relax for a while, and consult your local physician. They know what's best, don't always trust the internet.

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  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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• Question

  I'm not Muslim, but I do these anyway. Is that against the Muslim religion?

  

  Apurv Thakur

  Community Answer

  No, this push up form is thousands of years old, and there is no such thing as a Hindu push up or Christian push-up or Muslim push up. It is not Hindu, it is Sanatani, meaning without a beginning or end. This is an exercise which everyone can do.

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  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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Tips

• Remember to breathe deeply as you do the pushups.
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• If you need to rest during the exercise, take a break in the starting V position.
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• These pushups are intense, so remember to drink enough water.
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