Ideas & activities for your Step Challenge

We know that keeping your step count up can be a challenge so we’ve gathered some ideas, tips, and resources to help you reach your 295,000 steps target this March. 

A little help from your friends

• It’s always a good idea to enlist the help of some friends. You can divide the amount of steps and reach your 295,000 target as a team. It’s a great way to stay connected whilst we’re apart.
• Set some healthy competition - challenge friends and family to see who can complete the most steps over a weekend, or who can complete the most steps by midday

At home

• If you’re working from home, switch some of your video calls to phone calls so that you can walk and talk at the same time
• Walk on the spot whilst cooking, watching TV or brushing your teeth to get your step count up
• If you’re finding it difficult to keep your step count up each day, go for a long weekend walk instead. You could try somewhere new or go off the beaten path in your local area.
• Create a circuit in your house or garden and challenge yourself to a certain number of laps
• Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to do some steps. For example 10 minutes of steps every two hours.
• Set yourself a stair climb challenge. Pick a landmark, complete the equivalent number of steps and see how high you can climb!

Virtual building

• Millennium Dome, London: 21 flights
• Sydney Opera House, Sydney: 28 flights
• Big Ben, London: 42 flights
• Forth Rail Bridge, Edinburgh: 45 flights
• BT Tower, Birmingham: 66 flights
• Blackpool Tower, Blackpool: 69 flights
• Canary Wharf Tower, London: 107 flights

Here are some tips from those taking part:

“My tips for completing the steps are to do a variety of activities each day and listen to a motivating playlist full of your favourite cheesy pop songs! It’s easy to accumulate a lot of steps when you’re having fun!” - Sophie

“I have been fortunate to do the Step Challenge with my family. It’s brilliant to be able to support and encourage each other. We’ve also found it helps to share your fundraising story on social media platforms. We’ve been amazed at the generosity of people. It’s for such a worthwhile cause.” - Paula

“My top tip for staying motivated for the step challenge would be to plan your route in advance when going out walking, so you know what your goal is and where you’re walking to! Also wearing a Fitbit really helped me stay engaged as I was so shocked how many steps I’d done every time I checked it!” - Kimberley

Outdoors

We’ve collated some ideas and resources for finding a new route to explore and get those extra steps in. 

Trekking routes

South Coast

Walk part of the South Coast Challenge

North

Walk part of the Lake District Challenge

Midlands

Walk part of the Malverns