Health

National Steps Challenge Season 5 Is Back!

By The Boy Who Procrastinates - November 23, 2019


It sure has been a while since I last wrote a post as I have been caught up with travel plans and fulfillment of the annual NS obligation. To reignite the writing momentum, this will be about something lighthearted — the National Step Challenge! 

 In order to combat the growing epidemic of sedentary lifestyles, I strive to maintain a regular exercise regime. Now, with HPB dangling rewards for keeping fit, it could certainly serve as an added incentive to keep those legs moving. 


National Steps Challenge Season 5

Started on 26 Oct, the new season of the National Steps Challenge will be ongoing until 30 April 2020. 

 To participate, you can sign up via the Healthy 365 app on your smartphone. For those who have not received a heart-rate monitoring tracker in the last season, you can collect the fitness tracker from roadshows or appointments at 7-11 and Community Centres. 

 For those who are unfamiliar, the intention of the challenge is to encourage Singaporeans to stay physically active. This can be achieved by clocking progress in 2 categories, namely the Steps and Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activities (MVPA).


Steps Category

Using the fitness tracker issued by HPB, you are able to earn HealthPoints on your HPB app based on the number of steps you have taken in a day. 



 For an active participant who manages to hit 10,000 steps every day, he should be able to complete Tier 1 in 19 days and Tier 2 in 38 days. 

Based on the rewards system on the HPB app, 750 Healthpoints equate to the value of $5, which can be used for Ez-Link top-up or to redeem vouchers for Fairprice, Klook, Lazada, etc.  


MVPA Category

Participants have to attain at least 64% of the maximum heart rate as the required intensity for MVPA. As a guideline, an individual's maximum heart rate is estimated to be (220 — individual's age). That is to say, at age 30, my heart rate has to reach at least 122 beats per minute in order to achieve MVPA minutes. 



 Compared to Steps, it is definitely more demanding to complete the MVPA category. In order to reach 64% of the maximum heart rate, one has to be engaging in a moderately strenuous exercise such as brisk walking or jogging. As such, progress in this category can be rather elusive for someone who exhibits prolonged sedentary behavior.


Personal Experience with the National Steps Challenge

As a staunch supporter of National Steps Challenge, I could still vividly recall my involvement since the 2nd season back in 2016. 

 It was during my lunch break when I was lured by a snaking queue formed just right outside my office lobby. As a typical Singaporean, the innate fear of missing out ("kiasu-ness") has prompted me to join at the back of the queue without the faintest idea of what was going on. 

Having approached by a promoter to assist with the downloading of Healthy 365 app, it was then that I was introduced to this initiative by HPB. Thus begins my journey to attaining more steps and MVPA with an upgraded fitness tracker each season and HPB app in my smartphone. 
Season 2
Before the end of Season 2, I have managed to complete all 6 tiers of the Steps Category and redeem $35 worth of Fairprice vouchers.

 The fitness tracker that I have collected was the Actxa Stride (as pictured below). As the MVPA category has yet to be introduced then, its function is solely limited to the tracking of steps. To be frank, it is far from being aesthetically pleasing with the bright blue strap but I guess beggars can't be choosers. It's free anyway. 😅

Image result for actxa stride

 Season 3
Having completed the 6 tiers of the Steps Category, I was eligible to commit to a pledge as a Completer. Basically, the objective is to achieve a daily target number of steps over a stipulated number of days. There were 12 options to choose from and the rewards commensurate with the difficulty of the pledge. 

Among the choices, I had committed to a pledge of 120 days of 10,000 steps in order to receive $30 HPB vouchers.

For this season, I had made a trip to HPB to pick up the Completer's kit. It came with the fitness tracker — J Style Tempo, a black Completer t-shirt and a 2018 desktop calendar. 

Season 4
The previous season hasn't been a productive one for me as I have only managed to complete 2 MVPA tiers and receive 1,500 Healthpoints which is equivalent to $10. 

 I was issued the Actxa Tempo 2 at a roadshow, which has the function to monitor one's heart rate. The tracking of fitness activities was pretty reliable and accurate. As the device would require charging every 5-6 days depending on usage, I would say that the battery life is pretty long-lasting. 

Closing Thoughts

Personally, I would think that the incremental rewards offered by National Steps Challenge have been diminishing with each new season. Only 2 additional tiers have been added to the MVPA category this season. For someone who has completed the Steps and MVPA categories in the previous season, he will only be unlocking a maximum of 3,000 healthpoints, which is equivalent to $20 in value. 

 As much as I had hoped for the inclusion of more categories and greater rewards, the launch of this event, nevertheless, still offers adequate incentive for me to stay active. 

 Coined by Dr James A. Levine, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, sitting is now the new smoking. Undoubtedly, prolonged sitting — be it at a desk, behind the wheel or in front of the screen — can wreak havoc on our health. Being sedentary has been found to be associated with increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, among others. 

 The impact of movement, even taking a leisure stroll, can be profound. So it's now time to put on your shoes and have a go at being active. The biggest bang for the buck comes from the moment we get off the couch. 
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Disclaimer: Kindly note that this is not a sponsored post. The author is in no way affiliated with Health Promotion Board and does not receive any form of remuneration for this post. The Boy who Procrastinates has compiled the information for his own reference, with the hope that it will benefit others as well.

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