Huge effort from 4,000 participants
A record number of participants have travelled the equivalent of 40 journeys around the Earth in this year’s spring Step Count Challenge.
More than 4,000 people across 800 teams from organisations large and small took part in outdoor charity Paths for All’s challenge and recorded over 2.3 billion steps in eight weeks.
The collective effort meant that Scottish workers travelled more than one million miles over that period of time.
The Step Count Challenge is designed to motivate teams to walk, wheel, or cycle more during the workday to increase physical activity levels while improving mental health, social connections, and overall wellbeing.
In addition to boosting physical activity, the challenge saved an estimated 31,030 kg of CO2, roughly the weight of five elephants, as participants chose walking, wheeling and cycling over driving.
Data from the challenge found new healthy habits were formed during the eight weeks with a fifth (21%) of participants reporting they had added a lunchtime walk to their weekly routine, and 18% of people took the stairs rather than the lift.
Kevin Lafferty, chief executive at Paths for All, said: “The workplace is where most of us spend a majority of our waking hours, so it's crucial we create environments that promote healthy habits.
“Walking is one of the simplest things we can do to improve our physical, mental and social health. You don’t need any special equipment and it can be incorporated into the working day.
“It’s incredible to see more people than ever taking part in the challenge, congratulations to everyone that took part and taking steps to improve their health and to make a positive impact to the environment.
“The Step Count Challenge is all about building awareness around these easy opportunities to move more.”
With the success of the spring challenge, Paths for All is encouraging even more people to get involved in the upcoming autumn Step Count Challenge.
Registration is now live, with a special 20% “Early Bird” discount available until Monday 30th September. Participants are urged to sign up early to take advantage of this offer and to ensure a spot in the popular event.
The autumn Step Count Challenge begins on Monday 4th November, and runs until Sunday 1st December, providing a fantastic opportunity to stay active as the days get shorter.
Prizes will be up for grabs throughout the challenge, with lucky participants being rewarded on a weekly basis.
The Step Count Challenge is made up of teams of five and has one simple aim of encouraging people to move more to feel healthier and happier, with participants having access to leader boards, goal setting and a team chat system to keep them motivated and connected.
Teams can track their daily activities and can access a carbon calculator to measure the positive impact that walking and wheeling for local journeys has on the environment.
