Push-Up Challenge FAQs

We’re asking supporters to complete 100 push-ups a day throughout the month of January. 

The challenge starts on 1 - 31 January 2025.

Whilst we encourage everyone to complete this challenge in January, this is a personal challenge, and you can start and finish your challenge at a time that is convenient for you. If you can’t complete your push-ups count on any day, then you can make up for it at any point of the month and continue the challenge into February.  

You can complete the challenge in a way that suits you. There are people of all levels of fitness doing this challenge. The important thing is that you’re doing something that challenges you, whether that’s all 100 push-ups in one go or split up over the day. It should be tough, but doable. However you choose to complete the challenge and raise money, you’ll be helping to beat cancer.

There are many ways you can complete a push-up correctly, below is the traditional method, but there are easier ways to do it too.

1. First, get into the starting plank position. Keep your legs together, with the balls of your feet and toes planted firmly on the floor. Your arms should be straight, with your hands placed just wider than shoulder width apart. 
2. In this starting position, your fingers should be spread out and pointed forwards. Most importantly, your body should form a straight line from your heels to your shoulders, with your head up. 
3. Start lowering yourself down towards the floor, concentrating on maintaining your straight body position. If you pull in your glutes (they’re the muscles in your backside) and your abs, this will help you maintain a rigid body position throughout. 
4. Keep lowering yourself until your chest almost touches the floor. Pause before pushing back up until your arms are straight. That’s one repetition – you should be doing at least 10 in a set. Go slowly at first, concentrating on perfecting the correct body position. 

Visit our web page to find the push-up variation that best suits you to help you complete your challenge.

There are many variations of push-ups that can accommodate each individual's level of strength, see below two versions the ‘knee push-up’ and NHS recommended ‘wall press up'.
 
Knee Push-Up Guidance (see this link for further tips and guidance on knee push ups): 
 
A. Kneel on the floor. 
B. Extend arms and put hands shoulder-width apart on the floor in front of you. 
C. Tighten abs while you bend arms, lowering your torso until chest grazes the floor. 
D. Push torso back up by straightening arms., slow and steady. 
E. Repeat!  
 
Wall Push-Up Guidance (See this NHS link for advice): 
 
A. Stand at arm’s length from the wall. Place your hands flat against the wall at chest level, with your fingers pointing upwards. 
B. With your back straight, slowly bend your arms, keeping your elbows by your sides. Aim to close the gap between you and the wall as much as you can. 
C. Slowly return to the start.

Once you have signed up, join the Facebook Group dedicated to this challenge.

Click 'Join Group'. Once you're in, you can complete a form to get your t-shirt, get tips for completing your push-ups safely, be inspired by other fundraisers and find out anything you want to know about the challenge.  

We recommend using our push up calendar to keep track of your progress. Tick off each day you’ve completed your push-ups and track the number you’ve done so you can see your overall total. Don’t forget to post about your progress regularly on your Online Giving Page to encourage donations!

Unfortunately, medals come at a huge cost to the charity so we will not be sending these out. We will, however, send all supporters a digital certificate and you can access digital badges to shout about your achievement on social media. 

Complete the below form to receive your free t-shirt in the post. Once completed, please allow 10-15 working days for your t-shirt to arrive: https://activities.cancerresearchuk.org/push-up-challenge-jan-2025

If you have not received your t-shirt in this time, please contact: supporter.services@cancer.org.uk.

Sending out your t-shirt comes at a cost to Cancer Research UK so please only order one t-shirt to ensure as much fundraising goes towards our life-saving research. We ask if you do request a t-shirt that you set up an Online Giving Page and donate to your page. 

Additional t-shirts can be purchased here.

Unfortunately, returning t-shirts comes at a cost to Cancer Research UK, therefore, we ask that you keep hold of it for personal use (for example bed, gym, give to a friend, etc). If you would like a replacement, please use our online shop here: https://shop.cancerresearchuk.org/product/cancer-research-uk-t-shirt 

We offer the option for supporters taking part to opt out of being sent a t-shirt should they not need one for the challenge. When filling out the form, simply select ‘no’ where it asks if you’d like to receive a t-shirt, you’ll still receive an Online Giving Page, be able to join the challenge group and take part! To sign up to the challenge, please follow the link below: https://activities.cancerresearchuk.org/push-up-challenge-jan-2025

If you have any further questions please email supporter.services@cancer.org.uk or call 0300 1231022 (lines open 08:00 – 20:00 Monday to Friday and, 09:00 – 17:00 at weekends) 

Yes, under 18s can take part in this challenge, but we do not market to them and any third-party platform forum (e.g. a Facebook forum) is only available to over 18s. If under 18s are taking part, their parent/guardian must consent to the child’s participation, supervise the challenge and accept responsibility for complying with the challenge rules. Currently we are unable to accept registration for a child, so the child’s parent/guardian have to register on the child’s behalf. Similarly, if a child wants to raise money online and/or join a forum, the child’s parent/guardian must register for an online fundraising page and/or join the forum on the child’s behalf. 

There is not a minimum amount of fundraising that we set for participant, but we recommend that supporters set a reasonable target of raising about £150.

Yes, if you don’t have Facebook, you can also set up an Online Giving Page using the link below and collect sponsorship for your push-ups that way: https://activities.cancerresearchuk.org/push-up-challenge-jan-2025

You can add an offline donation onto your own page and send this donation through to us as a cheque, along with your sponsorship form here. 

The only thing that matters is that you challenge yourself, so try to complete as much of the challenge as you can. Whether you complete the full 100 push-ups a day for the whole of January or not, the money that you fundraise will allow us to continue to fund life-saving research and we can’t thank you enough.  

Don’t worry you can make up the number of push-ups on another day or extend your challenge into the following month if needed. Complete the challenge in a way that suits to you. 

We trust you! You don’t need to provide evidence that you’ve completed the challenge to us. Updating your friends and family on your Online Giving Page, however, is important! Make sure you keep them posted on your progress and share videos and photos throughout January – the more updates the better. Supporters who regularly post their progress raise 40% more on average.  

Online Giving Page is the easiest way to raise money. You can set a Online Giving Page up here: https://activities.cancerresearchuk.org/push-up-challenge-jan-2025 

You can then share the page with your friends and family to gather sponsorship for your challenge.  

We have plenty of fundraising tools and ideas to help you raise life-saving donations. Please see our fundraising hub with everything you need from the challenge here: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/get-involved/find-an-event/push-up-challenge/push-up-challenge-fundraising-materials  

There is no entry fee for this challenge. Participants are required to collect sponsorship to us through their Online Giving Page. This will automatically be sent to us once paid onto your fundraising page.

You can use our sponsorship form raise money rather than using an online method. Simply download it and print it off to keep track of all your collected or pledged sponsorships. Once you have completed your fundraising, please send the form with a cheque to:   

January 100 Push-ups challenge, Cancer Research UK, PO BOX 1561, Oxford, OX4 9GZ.  

Please note we are currently experiencing a delay in receiving and processing donations so do bear with us if it takes a little longer than usual to receive an acknowledgment. 

This challenge is specifically a fundraising initiative developed by Cancer Research UK, and therefore all fundraising must go direct the charity.  

Gift Aid is a tax relief allowing UK charities to reclaim an extra 25% on every eligible donation made by a UK taxpayer. This means Cancer Research UK can claim an extra 25p for every £1 donated, without it costing you or your sponsors an extra penny. If the donation is eligible for Gift Aid, sponsors need to fill out the sponsor form, following the guidelines at the top of the page.