Regular physical activity can provide plenty of health benefits. Walking is an easy and feasible starting point for developing the habit of regular physical activity in daily life. Apart from improving cardiopulmonary function, strengthening muscle and bone, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes and certain cancers, walking can improve mental health and relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety. Adults are recommended to gradually increase their daily step goal to 10,000 based on individual’s own physical conditions, abilities, pace and circumstances. Even if the goal cannot be reached yet, any amount of walking is better than sitting.
The Health Bureau and the Department of Health will organise the Walking Challenge under the “10,000 Steps a Day” campaign with the slogan of ” Shall We Walk and Talk” in November 2024, which includes a Workplace Organisation Walking Challenge to raise awareness of the physical and mental health benefits of walking, encourage friends and colleagues to support each other and walk 10,000 steps a day.
Features of this year's Walking Challenge are as follows:
The Walking Challenge is one of the events marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the PRC. Hong Kong and the GBA Mainland cities will organise walking activities at the same period under the common theme of "Walking Together in Healthy Bay Area".
Participants are required to enrol in the Walking Challenge and record their step count during the challenge period through "e+Life", the recently launched health challenge platform under the eHealth app. Participants reaching a daily average of 10 000 steps (around 7.5 kilometres in distance) during the challenge period can be awarded an electronic certificate of achievement from the "e+Life" platform.
With the slogan "Shall We Walk and Talk", the Walking Challenge includes a Workplace Organisation Walking Challenge, which aims to raise public awareness of the physical and mental health benefits of walking, encourage friends and colleagues to support each other and walk 10 000 steps daily.
Details of the Walking Challenge in Hong Kong are as follows:
Target participants: adults aged 18 or above
Individual enrolment period: 1 to 31 October
Workplace organisation enrolment period: On or before October 15; after the workplace organisations are successfully enrolled, their staff members can enrol from 1 to 31 October and select their representing organisations
Challenge period: 1 to 30 November
Interested individuals can enrol through "e+Life" by logging into the eHealth app, commencing on 1 October. Interested workplace organisations can register with the DH for the Walking Challenge on or before 15 October. After successful enrolment of the workplace organisation, their staff will be able to select their respective organisations when enrolling through "e+Life", and the step counts of participating staff will be attributed to the organisation they choose. Moreover, participants only need to connect the "e+Life" platform with their mobile health tracking apps of their own mobile phones during the challenge, and their steps will be recorded on the "e+Life" platform. This initiative encourages everyone to walk 10 000 steps with friends for health.