National Steps Challenge Will Make It Tougher To Earn Reward Points, Aims To Motivate Participants

National Steps Challenge Will No Longer Give Out More Points For 7,500 & 10,000 Steps/Day Milestones

Since its inception a few years ago, the National Steps Challenge has motivated Singaporeans to stay active.

By logging a certain number of steps, users can earn points and exchange them for stuff like fitness trackers and FairPrice grocery vouchers.

However, it will soon be tougher to earn points, as the programme will soon remove milestones beyond the 5,000-step mark.

The change aims to motivate participants to engage in more physical activity.

National Steps Challenge points system modified from 20 Feb

In a news release on Sunday (5 Feb), Health Promotion Board (HPB) said the National Steps Challenge would be modified from 20 Feb.

Currently, participants get 10 Healthpoints when they clock more than 5,000 steps in one day. The number of points will go up to 25 after 7,500 steps, up to a maximum of 40 points after passing the 10,000-step mark.

From 20 Feb, users will only get 10 Healthpoints after 5,000 steps and no more than that no matter how many more steps they take that day.

As for moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), users currently get 10 Healthpoints for more than 10 minutes, 25 points after 20 minutes, and 40 points by passing 30 minutes.

After the change, users will get only 15 points after 20 minutes of MVPA and a maximum of 20 points after 30 minutes.

That also means one can accumulate only up to 30 points a day, instead of 80 points currently.

Here’s a summary of the changes:

Change to motivate more residents to keep active: HPB

Explaining the reason for the change, HPB said it was “to motivate more residents to keep active and achieve better health outcomes”.

They’re also aiming to “nudge participants” to engage in more MVPA regularly.

This is so that they can work towards the recommendation of at least 150 minutes of MVPA for adults each week.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health Rahayu Mahzam alluded to this when she announced the changes during a speech at a brisk walking event on Sunday (5 Feb).

She said the National Steps Challenge would be changed “to nudge people to do more MVPA”, adding,

It is also important to keep improving. If you do not improve, you cannot get more benefits.

Some netizens supportive, others disappointed

Some netizens on HPB’s Facebook post were supportive of the effort, saying building an exercise regime is more important and the points were just a bonus.

However, others professed disappointment, making it clear they were actually after the vouchers.

One commenter questioned whether, like many things in Singapore, the reduction in reward points was a result of inflation.

Remember to sync your data by 19 Feb

Ahead of the change, National Steps Challenge participants have been reminded to sync the data from their fitness trackers to the Healthy 365 app by the end of 19 Feb.

At midnight on 20 Feb, all steps and MVPA minutes not yet synced will come under the new rewards structure.

Will the more difficult reward criteria motivate you to undertake more physical activity? Do share your thoughts with us.

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Featured image adapted from Rahayu Mahzam on Facebook.