Sheesh! The thought of doing push-ups – or better said – “trying” to do push-ups – is attached to a few sparse memories that didn’t always meet with success. But throw in a fun set-up, learn what’s behind the Canadian Mental Health Association’s (CMHA) Push-Up Challenge in February, and it might be a different story.
CMHA’s communications director Stephen Sutherland explains that the Push-Up Challenge started in Australia, and Canada is only the second country to participate. Joining in last year led to 63 million push-ups worldwide. Anyone wanting to participate in the CMHA sponsored event downloads an app, and the app will send daily messages including how many push-ups to do that day, information about mental health, and motivational messages.
Last year Big Mama’s House of Pain Fitness founder Michelle Braithwaite, who offers classes at 1871 Ellice St. (at Canlan Sports) joined the challenge and took full advantage of inspirational messages she received to share with women in her classes. “That was the best thing about the app,” she says. “Everyday the app would give a different quote or statistic about mental health and I would write it down on my white board everyday,” she says.
“Christmas has just ended, the winter blues are amongst us, it’s cold out there, (people) are broke because they spent too much on the holidays…” Especially at this time of the year, she adds, “its always important to spread awareness about mental health.”
For Braithewaite and as many are discovering, physical activity is especially important to not only your body, but also your mind. Getting your body moving – no matter what level you are starting at, and pushing yourself through a challenge often taps into elements of ourselves that we don’t often get to express. Braithwaite and Sutherland have both enjoyed a little bit of competetivenss in the 18 day long challenge. “You are pushing away the negativity, and bringing in the positive,” says Braithwaite.
If you think you honestly can’t do push-ups, think again says Sutherland. “The push-ups are adaptable. If you raise your arms against a wall, you’ve done a push-up.” With an increase in strength, Braithewaite suggests using a lower counter point such as a couch or chair for several days before moving to the ground. But even then, a little knowhow will help people to continue to expand their ability to get into a classic pushup drill.
“Most people can do a high plank, then go all the way down to the floor, she says. But instead of trying to push straight back up, begin by only pushing your upper body off the ground and holding it (as if you are in a cobra yoga position.)
The exercises can be done almost everywhere, and a little creativity can go a long way. Sutherland says he will be heading out on a cruise to Hawai – and contacted the cruise director to let him know that he’s going to record himself doing pushups on a different island everyday.
The CMHA raised $2.3 million last year, and is hoping to double that this year. It’s a goal that Braithwaite, who lost a family member to suicide a few years ago, is echoing as well. Her team raised over $2000 last year and she has already started the ball rolling. She wants people to get involved, get informed and “get active.”
The CMHA will kick off the challenge on Sunday, Feb 9th at 1pm at the Centre Court at Polo Park, with the help of the Sea Bears Basketball Team, and Olympic Bronze medalist Skylar Park. To sign up to participate, go to cmha.ca