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Kaizening Push-ups. Kaizening Life.

by | Uncategorized | 3 comments

“Small, steady improvements don’t just change what we can do—they quietly change who we become.”

Mr. Happy Living

📈  The Kaizen Trail

The Happpy Formula →  
Reaching 60 Unscathed → 
Economies of Scaling a Kaizened Life →  
What Do You Do, Every Day? →
Kaizening Push-ups. Kaizening Life. → 📍 You are here

A few weeks ago, I read an article that captured my spirit—not just my attention, but something deeper.

It broke down push-up standards by age and classified them from “below average” all the way up to “elite.” According to the article, an elite level for a 55-year-old man is 31 or more pushups.
(You can read the article here: “If You Can Do This Many Pushups Without Stopping at 55, Your Fitness Is Elite”)

That number stayed with me.

A couple of years ago, I took part in the St. Jude 3,000 Pushups in a Month Challenge to help raise money. My formula was simple: ten sets of ten pushups every day for one month. It wasn’t flashy, but it was consistent. And it worked. More importantly, it reminded me how powerful small, daily commitments can be—especially when they’re tied to something meaningful.

During that challenge, I also figured out how to do pushups inside my van—another small lifestyle improvement. And that changed everything.

Ever since then—almost two years now—the very first thing I do when I get out of bed each morning is a set of pushups. No phone. No coffee. No excuses. Just pushups.

When I saw that “31” in the article, something inside me clicked.

I don’t have to get there.
But I want to.

My goal is simple and very personal: 31 pushups by my 65th birthday on June 4, 2026.

I had been doing 16 pushups every morning, and on December 21 I tested my absolute max and did 24.
(See video.)

Here’s my plan. Starting this December, I moved from one morning set to three, and increased my first set from 16 to 17:

  • December: 17, 10, and 5

  • January: 18, 10, and 5

  • February: 19, 10, and 5

And so on—adding just one pushup to the first set each month—until June, when I’ll be doing 23, 10, and 5 every morning.

Slow. Steady. Manageable.
Kaizen.

This challenge isn’t just about pushups—it’s a simple example of a philosophy I’ve been writing about for years and living longer still. In a two-part post called Economies of Scaling a Kaizened Life, I explored how small, intentional improvements compound over time, increasing personal capacity and creating momentum that makes life richer and way more fun. No dramatic overhauls. No all-or-nothing thinking. Just quiet, continuous improvement.

This push-up challenge is simply one small, physical expression of that bigger idea.
(You can read the original posts here:
Economies of Scaling a Kaizened Life and Economies of Scaling a Kaizened Life – Part 2.)

What I’ve learned from challenges like this—and from the St. Jude experience—is that once you start seeking out small, incremental acts of self-improvement, life becomes more interesting. More rewarding. Momentum builds. And the next small improvement or challenge doesn’t feel quite so intimidating.

This one isn’t about proving anything to anyone else. It’s simply a promise I’m making to myself. I decided to share it here in case it sparks something in you, too.

If you want to play along, cheer me on, or simply leave a word of support, I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Sometimes a little encouragement goes a long way.

Here’s to choosing small challenges—and discovering how much they can change us. 💪

🌿 End of Trail — or Beginning Again

If you’ve walked this trail, you already know the secret.

Kaizen is not a destination.

It is a way of living.

Small improvements.
Quiet commitments.
One step forward today that did not exist yesterday.

Over time, those small steps compound.

Strength grows.
Capacity grows.
Life itself grows richer.

That is the quiet magic of Kaizen.

And here is the best part:

You never really reach the end of this trail.

Tomorrow there will be another small improvement to make.
Another practice to strengthen.
Another way to become just a little better than yesterday.

So pause for a moment.

Look back at the ground you’ve covered.

Then take the next step.

Because the Kaizen Trail does not end here…

It simply begins again.

3 Comments

  2. Barry Boese
    Barry Boese on May 19, 2026 at 7:33 pm

    Pushups and planks are awesome. If you want an easy way to do full body workouts over a period of time, not just two exercises, I’ve done Sworkit mostly six days a week with Sunday as a day of rest, it’s had incredible results for this 62 year old! Check it out here https://sworkit.com/individuals

    Reply
  3. Matt Gersper
    Matt Gersper on May 31, 2026 at 9:07 am

    💪❤️🙏 UPDATE: The training is complete!

    This morning, I finished my final full training set of 23, 10, and 5 push-ups.

    Six months ago, I began this little Kaizen experiment with a simple goal: show up every day and get just a little bit better.

    And I did.

    Not perfectly.
    Not dramatically.
    But consistently.

    I never missed a single day.

    Now comes the fun part.

    I’ll taper for the next two days, rest completely on June 3, and then on my 65th birthday—June 4—I’ll attempt one maximum-effort set of push-ups to see how much I’ve improved from the 24 I did back in December.

    Can I reach 31?
    Can I exceed it?

    We’re about to find out. 😄

    If you’d like to join the fun and support a meaningful cause, you can “guess my number” by donating that amount to support WYTV7, the nonprofit broadcaster that produces The Something Significant Show.

    25? → Donate $25
    31? → Donate $31
    41? (my favorite number 😄) → Donate $41

    Make your guess here:
    https://happyliving.com/guess-my-pushup-number/

    Whatever happens on June 4, this challenge has already been a success.

    Small, steady improvements really do change a life.

    💪❤️🙏

    Reply

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