PUBLISHED ONSeptember 18, 2024 10:30 AMBySean LerWaiting in line to collect the Health Promotion Board (HPB)'s free fitness tracker at an appointed time will soon be a thing of the past.
Ahead of the National Steps Challenge's transition to a new mode on Oct 1, HPB has rolled out self-collection via vending machines in 25 shopping centres across the five regions of Singapore.
This is similar to the collection of free masks and hand sanitisers distributed by the Temasek Foundation during the Covid-19 pandemic.
AsiaOne tried collecting a fitness tracker via vending machine on the first day of operation at Frasers Centrepoint in Orchard.
The redemption process is straightforward, only requiring five clicks and one scan:
The redemption took about 40 seconds.
Based on AsiaOne's observations at The Centrepoint and NEX, the longest wait time in queue was at most two minutes. Most did not have to wait.
AsiaOne also noticed that the fitness tracker was already paired with the Healthy 365 app on collection.
The National Steps Challenge, launched in 2015, rewards participants for staying active daily through activities such as clocking steps and carrying out moderate to vigorous physical activity minutes.
The challenge mechanics are designed based on the Singapore Physical Activity Guidelines, jointly developed by the Health Promotion Board and Sport Singapore.
Since 2023, eligible Healthy 365 users are auto-enrolled into the National Steps Challenge.
This year, HPB will be introducing a new set of features and milestone-based challenges on the Healthy 365 app. According to Health Hub, these are designed to support participants in achieving the recommended activity levels needed to embrace a healthier lifestyle.
For more information, visit HPB's Health Hub.
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