Locals encouraged to push up for mental health

Next month, headspace Ocean Grove will encourage locals to push for better mental health by participating in Australia’s largest mental health and fitness event.

In The Push-Up Challenge, participants will try to complete 3,214 push-ups across 23 days in June, to remember and honour the 3,214 lives lost to suicide in Australia in 2023.

Hundreds of thousands of Australians from all ages and walks of life will participate in the event, which engages people in mental health through connection, physical activity and education.

“The Push-Up Challenge is a great opportunity to talk about mental health, learn how to best support each other and recognise when someone might need to put their own hand up for help,” headspace Ocean Grove manager Tanya Fitzpatrick said.

“We had so much support from sports clubs, community groups and individuals around the Bellarine last year who seemed to have had so much fun pushing up and learning about mental health with us, we can’t wait to do it all again in 2025.

“More people than ever before are reaching out to headspace for help and support, and the money raised through The Push-Up Challenge will help us continue to support the mental health and wellbeing of young people on the Bellarine.”

From June 4 to June, 26 participants of all ages and abilities will do push-ups while learning about mental health, with the number of daily push-ups changing to reflect a vital mental health fact.

If completing 3,214 push-ups is too much of a task, participants can set their own push-up goal, which can also be done as sit-ups, squats or tailored exercises, with progress tracked through a dedicated app.

“The Push-Up Challenge is a fun and accessible way to improve your fitness, learn about mental health and connect with friends, family and community, all while honouring the lives tragically lost to suicide,” The Push-Up Challenge founder Nick Hudson, said

“Mental health challenges will affect nearly everyone at some point in their lives.

“The Push-Up Challenge aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness through education and encourage Australians to take a more proactive approach to their fitness and mental wellbeing.”

The Push-Up Challenge is a free event, and participants can choose to fundraise.

Last year, more than 218,000 participants completed more than 317 million push-ups and raised more than $12 million for mental health charities in Australia, taking the total raised since the challenge’s inception to more than $50 million.

A 2024 study by The University of Melbourne found The Push-Up Challenge had significant behavioural change on its participants, with them experiencing significant improvements in mental wellbeing, resilience and social connection afterwards

It also found The Push-Up Challenge helped participants who may be experiencing a mental health challenge, with significant reductions in the severity of depression and anxiety symptoms immediately following the event and three months later, highlighting the lasting benefits of movement and community for mental health.

For more information about The Push-Up Challenge, head to thepushupchallenge.com.au