22 Day 22 Push-up Challenge

Well, I did it… I completed 22 push-ups every day for 22 days for PTSD Awareness. This was a challenge where you video yourself (or have someone video you) doing this exercise and post it on your social media platform(s) of choice each day – for 22 days. In fact, the whole experience was a challenge, from doing the push-ups, to selecting a location, to videoing it, then uploading it each day and to thinking about the whole PTSD issue.

Just a week prior to starting this challenge, I was examining a fitness chart that listed push-up norms for various age groups. In the 60-69 age group, if a female could do 17 push-ups, she was in the “Excellent” category. Well, I thought, challenge accepted and got down on the floor and pumped out 17 of these babies. Phew… that was tough.

By then a couple of friends were posting their 22 push-up challenge videos on Facebook. I prayed that no one would nominate me to do this challenge. I mean I could only do 17 in a row. Well, one day a friend posted his 22 day 22 push-up challenge video on Facebook, where you could see his face before and after the 22 push-ups, but could not see anything while he was doing them. I gave him a hard time in the comment section and before I knew it, he had nominated me to participate. Yikes! Then, OK… challenge accepted, but could I do 22 push-ups at one time AND sustain that for 22 days?

The next day I was out kayaking and canoeing with friends and I mentioned the challenge to them when we landed our boats on Newcastle Island. Before I knew it, out came an iPhone and one of my friends was videoing me. Down I went onto the beach with lifejacket on and pumped them out. Thankfully I had some good encouragement! Well, that started the 22 day course of events that followed.

I also challenged myself to find a different place to do these push-ups each day. I thought that would make it fun and interesting (and not too spamy) for all my Facebook and Instagram followers. As it turned out finding a new place everyday was not as hard as I thought and if I asked friends to help video me, they were more than willing to do it, especially after I explained to them what the challenge was all about.

So from that first day on the beach, there was push-ups at the track, at the end or midway through runs – videoed by me or by others, in Canada Day red and white, including a red cowboy hat, in a restaurant, between two cannons, on sidewalks, in my yard – with cacti and other plants as background, and with my cat a few times and lastly next to a big red fire truck!

Before I knew it people were asking me about the 22 push-ups, telling me that I was an inspiration to them and encouraging me to keep going. I tell you, letting people know that you are doing something like this is the best thing to keep you going. And I’m here to say that I survived doing less than a minute’s worth of exercise a day. But you know me… the push-ups were usually done in conjunction with a running or yoga or gardening session, so, ya, for me, it was more than a minute of exercise per day.

If I convinced other people to video me, the editing – down to less than a minute for Instagram – was usually easy. And if I videoed myself, I quickly learned how to edit out the beginning and end bits, where I reach out to start and stop the camera. I also learned that it was best to not say anything in the video (it takes up too much time and often could not be heard anyway). All I had to do was just count the push-ups and let the accompanying text do the explaining. So there you go… I mastered a wee bit more about social media!

Lastly, why? Well the reason for the whole challenge in the first place was due to a shocking statistic that 22 veterans in the US military and other services (firefighters, police, first responders, paramedics, etc.) take their lives each day. When I found that out and did a bit of research myself, I was shocked. I also heard that in Canada, the statistic is 1 suicide every three weeks. There are reports that suicide claims more soldiers than those killed by conflict in the Afghanistan combat.

What is going on here? Why is this happening? These military and service folks have probably seen or experienced horrendous acts. They are probably coping with PTSD or some other kind of depression and they need help! Journalist covering these stories can also be affected. Regular folks, who witness accidents, suffer the death of family members or are abused themselves are all potential PTSD candidates and all need support.

Reach out, pass on your love and support and/or phone numbers or names of others who can get them the help that they need. Talk about PTSD to your friends and family; bring awareness to this issue. Take up the 22 day 22 push-up challenge… I nominate you good reader!

Let’s work together to help save lives!

Check out these resources for further information and share these with others:

PTSD Association of Canada
Crisis Centres across Canada
PTSD Foundation of America
Crisis Hotlines or Numbers in the USA