Debbie Does Push-ups! Day 2

Why Push-Ups?

Why this move. Why simple beats fancy. What push-ups expose.

Dear Diary,

Today’s push-up target is 75!  Not because I love suffering (really I don’t,) but because over 75% of lifelong mental health conditions develop before the age of 25.

That stat hits. Harder than the 50 reps I did so far today.  

It shines a light on early awareness and how having support really matters. CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association) notes that catching things sooner can prevent struggles from getting more “struggly” (Deb word) and helps build skills for a more resilient future. Strong foundations,  whether we’re talking mental health or movement, change everything. 

Obvious? Yes. Easy? Not really, especially when young brains are constantly being targeted by ultra-sweet, ultra-processed foods (designed to create cravings), naturally making it harder to undo the habit later.  Easier said than done.  I’m not a parent and I know it’s not easy.  

But I was a kid.  And I grew up in a very Portuguese household where plates were never left empty (that was a sin), bread was a food group, and portions were … very generous. Whole foods, yes. Portion control? Not so much. I was the chubby kid. That stuff sneaks into your mindset and sticks around (longer than I’d like to admit.)

To this day, I’m super grateful for my parents. They did the best they could with what they were taught. They grew up poor, so food symbolizes love and abundance, especially when they immigrated to Canada.  Having enough to eat was a luxury. Looking back now, I’m thankful there were rules and discipline. I learned how to work hard, be kind, respect others, manage my money, and show up even when it wasn’t easy. Those lessons matter more than I realized at the time.

By my early 20s, I was hovering near 200 lbs, not moving much, not playing sports, very much a homebody. I loved simple pleasures.  Good food, good books, good TV. Food was comfort. Structure was strict. Money was tight. Freedom was … limited.

So when I finally got a job (at 15) and real freedom arrived in my 20s, I went a little off the rails. Late nights. Drinking what I wanted, smoking what I wanted, doing what I wanted; because I finally could.

And then, like it always does, it caught up with me in my late 20s.

That’s when I found yoga. I found strength. I found discipline. I found consistency.

I found myself. YogaDebb.

And now … I found push-ups.

And the thing I'm realizing is; push-ups don’t lie. You can’t rush them or fake them.  They reveal your avoidance.  They reveal your discomfort.  And when I say “your” I mean mine.  Today, while teaching a HIIT Pilates class, I demonstrated a little push up “trick” where you start in a high plank, then lower down (from your toes), then when your chest is about to touch the floor, you drop your knees and push up (because we know the hardest part of the push-up is the pushing up.)  Captain obvious.  I think it’s a good way to “graduate” from always doing them from your knees.  Again when I see your, I mean mine.  I’m using this little exercise as tip to progress but I know, it’s not really a “trick.”  There are no tricks.  Push-ups are simple. Not fancy. Not easy. Honest. Just like the habits that support mental health.

As I do this challenge, I think about my dad, who struggled with mental health and is now in heaven. I sometimes wonder what his early years were like.  I know he was in the army before the age of 25, so that tells me a lot. I picture him knocking out 75 push-ups in five minutes during military training. Different generation. Different tools. Same push.

Maybe that’s another reason push-ups feel symbolic to me.

They connect effort, discipline and the quiet realization that nothing has really changed across generations.

It all makes sense now. In my teens? Not so much.

Alright, time to get my final 25 push-ups in now!

PS. My shoulders are sore. Day 2 Deb. Day 2.

Tomorrow: more push-ups, less whiny. Wish me luck (and triceps.) 💪

— Yoga Debb

 Building strength, mindset and real-life consistency, one breath a time ;)