Health benefits of wall exercises

By The Health News Team | June 3, 2025

If you want to improve your overall stability, strength, posture and mobility, consider including wall exercises in your fitness routine.

According to Olga Hays, manager of employee well-being at Sharp HealthCare, wall exercises are a versatile and effective way to boost your fitness routine from the comfort of your home. These exercises use a wall as a prop to add resistance without needing any equipment, making them more accessible, safe and joint-friendly. Their simplicity can lead to more frequent workouts and better overall health.

While many people cite lack of time, costly gym memberships or a need for fancy equipment as barriers to working out, wall exercises address their primary concerns:

Convenience: You can sneak in a wall workout anywhere.
Accessibility: Suitable for any fitness level.
No equipment required: No gym, mats or weights are needed.
Safety: Easy to modify to adjust to any fitness level.

How to get started

Hays recommends the following wall exercises for beginners or anyone interested in starting a wall exercise routine:

Wall push-ups

Builds upper body strength (arms, chest, shoulders)

Stand facing a wall, about an arm’s length away.
Place arms flat on the wall at shoulder length and width.
Lean your body towards the wall, bending at the elbows, keeping a straight back and line from head to toe.
Press back to return to the starting position.
Repeat 15 times, 2 to 3 sets.

Wall sits

Builds lower body strength (quads, glutes, calves) and improves core stability

Stand with your back flat against the wall and take one step forward.
Place your hands on your waist or in front.
Slowly lower yourself, bending at the knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Make sure your knees do not go above your toes.
Keep back pressed flat into the wall.
Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then return to the starting position.
Repeat 2 to 3 more times.

Wall angels

Improves posture and releases tension in the neck and shoulders

Stand in a neutral position leaning against a wall, with your heels 3 to 4 inches away from the wall.
Perform a chin tuck so that the top of your head and your shoulders connect to the wall while your chin is still horizontal.
Press your back into the wall by tucking your pelvis in. You should feel the curve of your lower back slightly flattening.
Slowly raise your arms over your head, keeping your elbows, wrists and shoulders in constant contact with the wall.
Aim for 3 to 4 seconds going up and down the wall.
Repeat 4 to 5 times, maintaining contact with the wall.

Depending on which you perform, wall exercises can benefit specific muscle groups, including the shoulders, neck, quads, glutes and core muscles.

“Wall exercises are safe, accessible, cost effective and easy on the joints,” says Hays. “They engage body muscles differently than floor exercises because the wall adds an element of resistance and stability, allowing for effective muscle activation even during seemingly easy movements.”

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The Health News Team

Author

The Sharp Health News Team are content authors who write and produce stories about Sharp HealthCare and its hospitals, clinics, medical groups and health plan.