Steps to Health Challenge
Steps to Health Challenge 2023
Challenge starts Monday 8th May and ends 11th June
Registration has now closed.
Team coordinators can login to upload their team's weekly steps here . If your team is participating in the leaderboard you can filter the leaderboard by CHO Area, Hospital Group, National Service and Frontline or Office based teams. Please see the resources section below to view and download participant guides and weekly steep trackers. For news and updates scroll down and click on the link below. Best of luck to all the teams participating this year.
The Challenge is a workplace initiative open to HSE, Tusla, Department of Health, Safefood and others working in related health service organisations.
Follow us during the challenge on Twitter @hsesteps using #HSEstepschallenge. Contact email stepstohealth@hse.ie.
What is the Steps Challenge?
The steps challenge is a five week walking challenge that supports health care staff to walk more. Staff can participate in teams of 2 to 10 people.
The aim is to get you walking and counting your steps daily. Steps can be accumulated in many ways. Take the stairs instead of the lift. Walk during your break and after work. Most of us walk between 3,000 to 5,000 steps a day. We challenge you to make up the extra steps so that you reach the goal of 10,000 steps a day. It might take longer for those who are inactive at present. You can break up the steps into ten minute walks at a time and still get the health benefits.
Wheelchair Users
It is possible to take part as a wheelchair user. While the HSE Steps challenge is obviously based on logging steps there are several ways in which wheelchair users' activity can be recorded as steps. Activity trackers such as FitBit and Apple Watches will convert movement to steps.
Other Methods to Convert to Steps:
Track the distance wheeled
An odometer, which can be purchased from a cycle or sports equipment store can be attached to the wheelchair and will monitor the distance covered each day. The distance can then be converted to steps by using the following equation: 1km = 1250 steps.
Minutes of moderate/vigorous activity for any exercise
- 10 minutes of moderate intensity activity = 1,000 steps
- 10 minutes of high intensity activity = 2,000 steps”
Check out what staff have to say about the Steps Challenge
Challenge Resources
Team Coordinator, Participant guides and posters can be downloaded from the Related Files section below.
Walking Routes
There are over 250 Slí na Sláinte walking routes around the country, all waymarked and great for getting out for a sociable walk and talk with family and friends. For more information visit Irish Heart Foundation – Slí na Sláinte Routes.
National Looped Walks and Forest Trails: There are over 175 National Looped Walks developed throughout Ireland, ranging from short strolls to longer walks. There are also over 250 forest walks developed in forest sites around the country. For more details visit getirelandwalking.ie, coillte.ie and irishtrails.ie
Related Files
