Want to earn some rewards for staying active? NHS England has teamed up with former Olympic medalist Sir Brendan Foster to create the ‘Movement 26.2’ scheme, designed to encourage people to stay active and record walks digitally for rewards.
By recording 20 to 30 minutes of walking each day, the idea is that participants will have walked around 42 kilometers by the end of each month, the equivalent of a marathon.
Details about the plan are scarce at the moment, but here’s everything we know so far, including what technology it will need.
What is the ‘26.2 Movement’ scheme?
Announced this morning (July 3) by Foster, who founded the Great North Run, the scheme is designed to incentivize and reward people to stay active by encouraging them to complete daily walking goals, recorded through its smart technology.
We know the UK government is talking to major brands to help add “shopping discounts and vouchers” to the mix, as well as digital rewards like stripes and badges, presumably delivered via an app.
You can probably expect longer streaks to win freebies and special offers at high street cafe and restaurant chains (although that might defeat the purpose) or vouchers to spend at retail stores.
When does the plan start?
According to the BBC, the plan will begin “early next year”, although dates have yet to be confirmed.
What equipment do you need to follow in your footsteps?
The BBC article linked above states that “users will be able to log their walks online, via their phone or smartwatch.” Users will also reportedly be able to log walks online through the browser.
While the best smartwatches and fitness trackers are great for counting steps, you’ll also be able to do it with your phone in your pocket, as all modern smartphones have built-in pedometer features. An advantage of smartwatches is that some models, such as the best Garmin watches, now have wheelchair modes that translate the distances traveled by wheelchairs from steps to an equivalent number of daily pushes. So, in theory, wheelchair users can participate too.
Details on how exactly the logging will work are currently scarce, but “will be revealed in the coming months.” I assume there will be a dedicated Movement 26.2 app, perhaps with the ability to leverage apps like Apple Health, Samsung Health, or Google Health to share step counts. But at this point this is just a guess.
Otherwise, you will only need comfortable clothes and shoes. If you plan to run instead of walk, you can check out our guide to the best running shoes.
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