From 2020 to 2025, the 10,000 Steps Program, in collaboration with the Government of South Australia, played a key role in encouraging physical activity across the state. Through initiatives such as the Billion Steps Challenge, co-branded promotional materials, community and stakeholder engagement, the program encouraged South Australians to incorporate more physical activity into their daily lives.
The current funding agreement will end on 30 June, and there will be changes to how the program is delivered in South Australia. You can find more details here.
A Strategic Partnership
The partnership between CQUniversity and Preventive Health SA (formerly Wellbeing SA) began to deliver a state-wide Billion Steps Challenge as a rapid response to wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The success of this initiative led to a more strategic partnership to deliver the 10,000 Steps program across South Australia from May 2021.
The key aim was to support South Australians in increasing and maintaining their physical activity levels. Regular physical activity has significant benefits for hearts, bodies, and minds, yet one in three South Australian adults did not meet the recommended weekly levels. Sedentary lifestyles, driven by long work hours and inactive leisure habits, contributed to this challenge.
The program's implementation was closely aligned with the objectives outlined in the Wellbeing SA Strategic Plan 2020–2025, which prioritised addressing key risk factors for wellbeing, including physical activity. The 10,000 Steps program raised awareness and promoted greater participation in physical activity by encouraging both incidental and planned movement as part of everyday living. Furthermore, the program supported the vision of the South Australian Walking Strategy 2022-2032, which aspired to get more people walking, more often, regardless of age or ability.
Uptake & Engagement
As a result of the strategic partnership in South Australia, the 10,000 Steps Program observed high growth in uptake and engagement, especially during the annual Billion Steps Challenges. Compared to pre-2020, annual individual registrations increased by 222%, and organisation registrations increased by 193%, demonstrating that impact that investing in implementation had on amplifying uptake of the program.
The Program engages a broad audience, including individuals who are not meeting physical activity guidelines. It helps participants set personal goals, monitor their step counts, and build supportive social networks.
- 67% of members are insufficiently active at registration.
- 43% of new and insufficiently active members go on to meet the sufficiently active guidelines after 6 weeks.
- 84% of members reporting 0 days with 30 min of activity at baseline, have increased days active after 6 weeks.
*Uptake statistics from July 2021 - May 2025.
Individuals
“Knowing I needed to log steps made me more accountable and stick to the commitment. I also became more conscious of my daily activity levels and sought opportunities to walk more like taking the stairs.”
Organisations & Tournaments
“I really liked how accountable this Tournament made me. It made me more consciously aware of how much I move and additionally working an office job I wasn't moving as often. This made me more accountable and conscious to move during the day, between meetings and the everyday working day.”
Key Platform Upgrades
Upgrades to the digital technology platforms underpinning the 10,000 Steps program are essential to maintaining its ongoing success and user engagement. Investment from the South Australian partnership enabled significant technology upgrades, including improved communication tools, advanced metric tracking systems, and enhanced design and usability across web and mobile platforms. A detailed overview of these developments can be found in the 2024 Recap.
Resources
Co-branded 14 promotional materials including posters, brochures, and flyers with South Australian-specific content, imagery, and Preventive Health SA branding. These resources are available to workplaces and communities to promote physical activity and step tracking.
CRM System
Established and integrated a customer relationship management and email campaign system to enhance personalised support and communications. This system enabled the targeted delivery of onboarding and campaign emails to South Australian members, supporting stronger engagement with the program.
Coordinator Hub
Introduced a dedicated online Coordinator Hub, providing a central platform for managing organisation Tournaments. The Hub offers Coordinators an at-a-glance view of Tournament statistics and streamlined access to manage their organisation’s details efficiently.
HTML Emails
Updated transactional email content and transitioned formatting from plain text to HTML to improve user engagement and strengthen brand presence. Migrated to a more advanced email delivery platform with enhanced tracking capabilities, enabling better support for members.
Tournament Invites
Developed a Team Invite Code feature to simplify and enhance the onboarding process for Tournament participants. This innovation enabled easy, widespread team setup while significantly reducing administrative workload for Coordinators.
Design Upgrade
Introduced a refreshed colour palette and updated design concepts to improve accessibility, guide component development, and enhance webpage layouts. These changes aimed to elevate user experience, accessibility, and engagement across the website platform.
Mobile Apps
Designed and developed a new 10,000 Steps mobile app with a completely new interface and navigation structure. Enhancements included the application of the updated colour palette, customisable reminders, and integration with Health Connect and Apple Health for improved user experience and functionality.
Groups Feature
Added a new Groups feature to the website and mobile apps, allowing members to create private groups of up to 20 friends or family members. This feature supports social connection, goal setting, step comparison, and helps to connect members to support each other's physical activity journeys.
SA Billion Steps Challenges
Launched in 2020, The SA Billion Steps Challenge was an annual initiative organised by Preventive Health SA and 10,000 Steps aimed at boosting physical activity across South Australia. Held each October or November, the Challenge bought together individuals and teams to collectively log one billion steps, tracked live online.
Shaped by participant feedback over the years, the campaign continued to grow annually with a 82% increase in the number of individuals logging steps during the Challenge from 2020 (n=3323) to 2024 (n=6055), and 95% of participants saying they would participate again. The SA Billion Steps Challenge became a key calendar event for workplaces, councils and local community groups to actively promote walking and physical activity, evident in the 73 organisations that chose to have their progress displayed on the public leaderboard in 2024.
Annual surveys were delivered to capture the impact. Key findings from the 2910 surveys completed included:
- Increased physical activity levels among participants.
- Step tracking was identified as motivating and enjoyable.
- Boosted workplace morale and social connection.
- Opportunity enabled organisations to run Tournaments promoting physical activity.
*Summary statistics from Billion Steps Challenge Campaign periods 2020 - 2024.
“The Challenge has created a positive atmosphere at the workplace, bringing us closer as a team. It has sparked common topics of conversation, such as comparing our daily step counts and sharing tips to stay active. Walking together during lunch breaks has not only been a great way to stay fit but also to build camaraderie. Additionally, the Challenge has motivated us to go the extra mile, literally, by encouraging each other to walk more over the weekends. This collective effort has been inspiring and has strengthened our sense of community.”
2021 Billion Steps Challenge
The challenge goal was reached in 33 days, showing increased engagement and momentum.
2022 Billion Steps Challenge
Participants stepped up and completed the challenge in 30 days, improving on the previous year.
2023 Billion Steps Challenge
Over 5,500 South Australians helped reach the billion-step goal in just 29 days, one day faster than 2022.
2024 Billion Steps Challenge
The challenge was completed in a record 26 days, marking the fastest completion in the event’s history.
Collaborations & Partnerships
In addition to the technology upgrades and annual state-wide step challenges, the partnership with Preventive Health SA has also supported cross-promotion and connection for organisations to work together to promote physical activity. A wide variety of collaborations were established with information shared across the 10,000 Steps website, in email communications, in presentations and embedded in state wide strategies. All of the partners we worked with helped to enhance the quality of support shared with South Australians using the 10,000 Steps program, including the Healthy Workplaces Service, Better Health coaching for individuals, Heart Foundation Walking and Cancer Council SA, Tourism SA (for their fabulous images), WalkingSA to name a few.
In 2024, the 10,000 Steps Community Activation Grants were administered by Preventive Health SA, and have facilitated the development of a range of activities and resources promoting 10,000 Steps messaging through local walking groups, sports libraries, features in community magazines, and walkway signage placed on local walking trails. These efforts have been further embedded within local governments and among key partners and stakeholders through the use of promotional resources and cross-collaboration activities.
Outcomes from these collaborations will be available soon.
The 10,000 Steps team extends our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has contributed to the delivery of the program in South Australia over the past five years. From participants and champions, to Coordinators across workplaces, councils, and communities, as well as stakeholders working together in preventive health — and the dedicated staff at Preventive Health SA (Wellbeing SA) — your collaboration has helped drive meaningful improvements in physical activity and wellbeing across the state.
“Our job ‘at the coalface’ of community connection is made easier when we have opportunities that we can tap into that are well supported such as the 10,000 Steps program and the Billion Steps Challenge.”