National Steps Challenge 2026: how Healthy 365 rewards actually work

The National Steps Challenge is still one of Singapore's easiest health habits to start. Download Healthy 365, pair a tracker or supported app, move more, sync your data, and earn Healthpoints.

The part people misunderstand is the reward design. The current challenge does not pay you for endless gentle walking. It pays a basic daily step floor, then pushes you toward weekly moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). That is the real health nudge.

What the National Steps Challenge is now

HPB says the National Steps Challenge is a physical activity initiative to encourage Singapore residents to move more every day. It used to feel like a seasonal step campaign. Since April 2022, HPB has refreshed it into a year-round programme, and since September 2023 eligible Healthy 365 users no longer need to separately register for the challenge.

That change matters. There is no old-style panic about missing a season. The app is the main layer now: track, sync, earn, redeem.

Who can participate

HPB materials say the National Steps Challenge is open to members of the public who reside in Singapore with a valid NRIC or FIN and are aged 17 or above, based on birth year. Users below 18 need parental consent.

Tracker collection has narrower criteria than participation. Singapore Citizens and PRs aged 17 and above may be eligible for a free HPB tracker if they have not collected one before, while foreigners may have different conditions such as Corporate Challenge participation. For tracker details, use our HPB fitness tracker guide.

The 5,000-step rule

Current HPB milestone guidance awards 10 Healthpoints when you clock 5,000 or more steps in a day. That is the daily maximum for the steps category.

This is why “10,000 steps” is no longer the right rewards target. Walking 10,000 steps may still be healthy and useful, but the reward curve flattens after 5,000 steps. If your only goal is Healthpoints, the better strategy is 5,000 steps plus weekly MVPA, not 15,000 gentle steps.

For a deeper look at the health side of step count, read our guide to what 10,000 steps really does.

MVPA is weekly now

HPB changed the National Steps Challenge to align more closely with the Singapore Physical Activity Guidelines. Those guidelines recommend adults accumulate 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, plus muscle-strengthening activity at least two days a week.

Healthy 365 reflects that with a weekly MVPA ladder. Minutes accumulate Monday to Sunday and reset every Monday. The published tiers run from 20 Healthpoints at 30 to 59 minutes up to 100 Healthpoints at 150 minutes or more. Older materials that described daily MVPA Healthpoint tiers are outdated for the current FAQ.

MVPA still needs intensity and continuity. HPB materials describe MVPA as activity that brings your heart rate above about 64% of your maximum heart rate, and require at least 10 continuous minutes per session to clock MVPA duration.

That means a slow stroll can earn steps but no MVPA. A brisk walk, jog, cycling session, gym circuit or sport session is more likely to count if the tracker records enough heart-rate intensity.

Sleep can add daily points too

HPB's milestone help page also awards daily sleep Healthpoints: 5 for 6.0 to 6.4 hours, 10 for 6.5 to 6.9 hours, and 15 for 7 hours or more. Treat sleep tracking as a separate daily lane from steps and weekly MVPA.

What the points are worth

Healthpoints are useful, but they are not income. The standard HPB eVoucher conversion is 750 Healthpoints for S$5 or 1,500 Healthpoints for S$10, which works out to about 150 Healthpoints per S$1.

If you are aged 40 or above and eligible, the MediShield Life premium discount pilot is better. MOH says residents aged 40 and above can redeem MediShield Life premium discounts at 150 Healthpoints to S$2 under a three-year pilot from 18 September 2025. That is double the usual standard voucher value.

The catch: Healthpoints expire six months from the month they are earned. Set up redemption habits or auto-redemption so the points do not disappear.

The annual cap people miss

Healthy 365 programme materials and HPB rewards guidance still describe annual Lifestyle Category limits around 28,500 Healthpoints per calendar year, with a separate Partners Programme cap around 12,000. Lifestyle activities can include steps, MVPA, sleep, healthier purchases, meal log entries, quizzes, workouts and surveys. Confirm the live cap language in the app or current HPB help pages before planning a max-points year.

Most people will not hit that cap by casual walking. But if you are stacking every Healthy 365 activity, it matters.

A practical week that actually works

Do not make the challenge harder than it needs to be. For most readers, the simple target is:

• Hit 5,000 steps daily through commuting, errands and walking breaks.
• Accumulate MVPA across the week toward 150 minutes, with sessions of at least 10 continuous minutes.
• Sleep enough for the daily sleep ladder if your tracker supports it.
• Sync your tracker regularly.
• Redeem points before expiry.

This is not a substitute for proper training if you have bigger goals. It is a public-health nudge that can help sedentary people move from nothing to something.

Common mistakes

The first mistake is chasing 10,000 steps for points. It can be good for health, but it does not keep increasing step rewards after the cap.

The second mistake is treating MVPA as another daily 10-minute checkbox for points. The current Healthpoints ladder for MVPA is weekly.

The third mistake is assuming any movement counts as MVPA. MVPA needs enough heart-rate intensity and enough continuous duration.

The fourth mistake is not syncing. HPB trackers can store only up to 7 days of data, so weekly syncing is the minimum.

The fifth mistake is hoarding Healthpoints. They expire.

For how those points become vouchers and the wider hiSG picture, see our Healthy 365 rewards guide. And if you are wondering whether the whole scheme actually moves the needle, or just gets gamed, read our look at the Steps Challenge's wins, failures and cheating problem.

FAQ

Do I still need to register separately for National Steps Challenge? HPB materials say eligible Healthy 365 users no longer need separate registration from 18 September 2023. Check the app if you previously withdrew or have an unusual account state.

How many Healthpoints do I get for 5,000 steps? Current HPB milestone guidance shows 10 Healthpoints for 5,000 or more steps in a day, with 10 as the daily maximum for steps.

Does 10,000 steps earn more than 5,000 steps? Not for the current step reward tier. It may still be healthy, but the step reward cap is reached at 5,000 steps.

Is MVPA rewarded daily or weekly? Weekly under the current Healthy 365 FAQ and HPB Help Centre milestone page. Minutes accumulate Monday to Sunday.

What is MVPA? Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. In HPB materials, it requires enough heart-rate intensity and at least 10 continuous minutes per session.

What is the best way to redeem Healthpoints? For eligible residents aged 40 and above, the MediShield Life premium discount pilot has a better conversion rate than standard vouchers. Otherwise, use HPB eVouchers, SimplyGo or donations before expiry.

Singapore On Foot badges

Healthy 365 also runs a separate long-horizon badge ladder called Singapore On Foot. HPB says users can earn ten digital badges at their own pace from 1 April 2026 to 31 December 2027, against cumulative step targets from 30,000 up to 2,300,000.

That ladder is recognition for sustained walking, not a replacement for daily step/sleep Healthpoints or weekly MVPA. HPB's badge help page does not publish Healthpoint values for each badge, so do not invent reward maths for them.

For the full badge list, names and how it differs from Challenge points, read our Singapore On Foot badges guide.

Sources

• HPB: National Steps Challenge refined around physical activity recommendations
• HPB National Steps Challenge terms via HealthHub content API
• HPB Help Centre: earning Healthpoints from milestone-based challenges
• HPB Help Centre: clocking MVPA minutes
• MOH: MediShield Life premium discounts using Healthpoints
• HPB: Singapore Physical Activity Guidelines revised
• HPB help: Earning Singapore On Foot badges
• Singapore On Foot badges guide
• Turning steps into rewards in Singapore