The Healthy Habit Challenge

Research shows it takes at least 21 days to develop a new habit. The Shape team puts this to the test and shares the results!

“I clocked at least 8,000 steps daily” – ESTELLE LOW, 29, WRITER

I chose this healthy habit because… I stopped going for jogs and yoga classes regularly after having a baby, in order to spend time with her. My muscle mass had declined and my body fat percentage had gone up. Walking is the easiest way to get more active. Plus I own two fitness trackers, so monitoring my steps was effortless.

Cultivating this habit for three weeks was… doable with changes to my routine. I was already averaging 4,000 to 5,000 steps daily. I then started taking the park connector route home instead of the bus, and the 2km distance allowed me to log 3,000 more steps. It helped that I’m addicted to Pokemon Go. I was more incentivised to walk since I could “hatch” my eggs and gain Pokemon. On the second week, I planned a trip to Changi Village to walk and catch rare Pokemon at the same time. However, my most “successful” walk was a three-hour hike to MacRitchie’s Treetop Walk with my colleagues. My tracker showed 16,276 steps – the most I’ve hit in a long while! Other changes I made include climbing the stairs at my apartment and at MRT stations.

After the challenge, I learned that… it’s easy to clock 8,000 steps just by making simple tweaks to my routine. It’s sustainable and I will continue to strive for more steps every day. I feel more energised after a walk, similar to after a run.