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INDIANAPOLIS — The number of push-ups a man can do might be an indicator of his health later in life, according to a new study released by Harvard University.

Harvared researchers observed more than 1,100 Indiana firefighters and compared their levels of heart health over a 10-year period, according to a recent article in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Researchers found that firefighters who could do more than 40 push-ups were 96-percent less likely to develop cardiovascular problems (such as heart disease) than those who could do 10 or fewer push-ups.

Partipants who could do 11 or more pushups also showed a reduced risk of heart problems.

(Photo by Brian A. Jackson/Thinkstock.)