The Push-Up Challenge 2025: Let’s push for better mental health in Ottawa and across Canada this February!

Jan 14, 2025

2,000 push-ups in 18 days: Canadian Mental Health Association, Ottawa Branch (CMHA Ottawa) rallies the support of the nation’s capital in CMHA’s The Push-Up Challenge 2025

For the second year in a row, this February, CMHA Ottawa is encouraging locals to push for better mental health by participating in Canada’s favourite new fitness-based mental health and fundraising initiative, The Push-Up Challenge.

Participants in The Push-Up Challenge will take on 2,000 push-ups in 18 days, representing the 2,000 lives lost to suicide each day worldwide. Canadians of all ages and walks of life will participate in the event, which engages people in mental health through connection, physical activity and education.

Registration is free, and fundraising is optional. Participants sign up free of charge as individuals or as part of a team and can choose to support their local CMHA branch, like CMHA Ottawa, the National office, or any CMHA branch or division across the country.

Starting Tuesday, February 11, and continuing for 18 days, participants of all abilities will push up while learning about mental health, with the number of daily push-ups changing daily to reflect a vital mental health fact in Canada. Alternatives to push-ups are also encouraged, such as wall push-ups, sit-ups, squats, time on the treadmill, or any other alternative form of exercise.

Progress is tracked through an easy-to-use app that also allows participants to raise funds, learn mental health facts, and see how their teammates are doing. All abilities are welcome; exercises are done independently or in groups—that’s up to you.  

“The Push-Up Challenge is a great way for the people in Ottawa to get fit, connect with their community and do something positive for their mental health, and support the Canadians who experience mental illness each year,” said Dr Susan Farrell, CEO of CMHA Ottawa. “Everyone has mental health and it’s likely we all will experience a mental health issue at some point in our lives. By pushing up and learning about it, we hope to break down the stigma attached to mental illness so that Canadians don’t think twice about reaching out for help.”

Run by the Canadian Mental Health Association, 2025 marks the second year the event will take place Canada. Last year saw more than 49,000 Canadians challenge themselves to complete 2,000 push-ups in 23 days, raising an incredible $2.4 million dollars for community mental health while they were at it. 

Last year, CMHA Ottawa ranked fourth overall in branches and divisions across Canada, raising a remarkable $87,823 for our Recovery College program, a vital workshop series that empowers our clients to learn the skills we all need to thrive. Recovery College does not receive any ministry funding and relies entirely on donations and grants to stay afloat.

You can register for The Push-Up Challenge as an individual, a team, or get your whole workplace, club, gym or school involved at www.thepushupchallenge.ca.

If you’re in the Ottawa area, don’t forget to select ‘Ontario—Ottawa’ from the dropdown menu!

Quick guide:

1. Get started by registering as an individual, a team or a community here: The Push-Up Challenge (Ottawa).
2. Be sure to select CMHA Ottawa as your branch of choice, and support vital community-based programs and services in your own backyard.
3. Start spreading the word! Share your page on social media, by email, and word of mouth, and begin recruiting fellow team members and start raising funds. Don’t worry, you’ll get lots of support along the way.
4. Download the free app. It’s easy to use.
5. Count down to Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025.
6. Starting pushing for better!

Each day, you will be assigned a different number of push-ups and learn a different mental health fact or statistic. Remember, alternative forms of exercise are allowed. Have fun!

About The Push-Up Challenge: Founded in Australia in 2017, The Push-Up Challenge began as a challenge between four friends and has grown to become Australia’s largest mental health and fitness event. 2025 is The Push-Up Challenge’s second year in Canada, where individuals will complete 2,000 push-ups over 18 days in February to raise awareness about mental health. The Push-Up Challenge is a fun way for Canadians to connect with one another, get fit, and learn about mental health, with participants encouraged to raise money for the Canadian Mental Health Association. The event is free to take part in and runs from 11-28 February 2025. For more information and to register, visit www.thepushupchallenge.ca.

About CMHA Ottawa: The Canadian Mental Health Association, Ottawa Branch (CMHA Ottawa), is an independent, community-based non-profit organization that provides services for eligible individuals in the Ottawa area with severe and persistent mental illness and/or substance use disorder, many of whom are experiencing chronic homelessness or are vulnerably housed. CMHA Ottawa is dedicated to promoting good mental health, developing and implementing sustainable support systems and services, and encouraging public action to strengthen community mental health services and related policies and legislation.

For media inquiries:
Patrick Jodoin, Manager, Communications and Stakeholder Relations
CMHA Ottawa
613-737-7791 ext. 135 [email protected]