Taking on a challenge for charity is a noble endeavour and it doesn’t have to require months of training ahead of a marathon or showering yourself in icy water. For this year's Jeans For Genes Day on Friday 22nd September, which raises money to support children affected by genetic disorders in the UK, all you have to do is 40 seconds of squats (although, hey, why not make a donation as well?).
Naturally you’ll be wearing jeans, which makes the challenge a touch trickier but still very doable. It’s probably wise to opt for a looser pair rather than your tightest skinny jeans to avoid the unwelcome possibility of seam splittage.
Film your squat challenge and share it with @JeansforGenes on Twitter or @Jeans_For_Genes on Instagram, using the hashtag #getjeansfit. Your effort will then be judged by personal trainer Marc Dressen and comedian Romesh Ranganathan.
You can see Marc and Romesh’s attempt at the challenge below. Marc is better at squatting than Romesh, which is to be expected, but in a 40-second stand-up comedy challenge, we’d back Romesh.
Marc and Romesh will pick a winner from all the efforts shared. The prize is a workout in your own workplace led by Marc (probably not with Romesh).
We’re not sure what the judges will be looking for, but you’d have to assume sheer volume of squats will be key, along with solid technique and possibly the style of jeans on show. If you’re not sure exactly how to squat, here’s our squat form guide. We can even help you out when it comes to picking out a pair of jeans – here’s our round-up of the best jeans to buy right now. (That’s based on style, not suitability for squatting.)
You can find more info about Jenes For Genes Day on the website. Why not enlist a whole squad of colleagues to tackle the squatting challenge? It will look less odd than you suddenly standing up at your desk and firing out 40 seconds of squats solo.
If your 40-second burst in aid of charity awakens a squatting demon within you, then you can also try tackling our 30-day squat challenge. In fact we’ll let you call the Jeans For Genes Day challenge day one of this, even if you don’t make the 50 squats required by the plan.
