The Choose How You Move challenge allows residents of the Leicester & Leicestershire area to earn BetterPoints for walking/wheeling, cycling, car sharing and taking public transport. Download the app via the buttons or QR code at the bottom of the page to join in and start earning rewards today!
Chris (in the main photo) joined the Choose How You Move challenge in July 2022. He has enjoyed taking part and has made significant changes to his travel from where he lives into Leicester city centre.
Here is what he said about taking part:
"Before I discovered the BetterPoints app I used to use a petrol moped and my car pretty much all the time for every journey.
But now I use the Park & Ride and the City Hop bus as well. I’ve even started using my push bike exclusively for personal transport. The moped is long gone!
I like the way I can review the routes I've taken with calories burned and times taken on my push bike. This gives me a goal to aim for next time.
I walk a lot more, especially with others. I often use my bike, so much so that I encouraged my wife to get out on hers this week! It's not been out of the garage for over a year!
Since changing my travel habits I've lost 8kg in weight and have my body fat percentage down to 15% which is pretty good I think. I also enjoy journeys a lot more, car driving always made me feel really stressed but being chauffeur driven on the Park & Ride whilst listening to a podcast has really improved my mental health.
Now I’m using my car less. When I took it in for its MOT, I'd only done 2,000 miles in the last year. The mechanic thought I'd clocked it! I now only buy a tank of fuel every 8-10 weeks whereas I used to use a tank of fuel a week. So I’m saving money as well as improving my health and the roads have one less car on."
'Since using the BetterPoints app, walking has become a big part of my daily life. I walk my boys to and from school and nursery, walk to local shops and services, and deliberately park further away when driving to keep active and reduce unnecessary car journeys. After having children, my activity became more sporadic. Over the past year, I’ve fully re-engaged with fitness through walking football, daily step targets, and strength training three times a week.
This has helped me to lose 15kg through diet and exercise. The app has been a great additional incentive to choose walking, cycling, or public transport over driving. I heard about it through NHS work emails, and what I like most is how easy it is to use; activity is tracked automatically with minimal effort. Seeing the CO₂ impact of my choices is a real bonus, as that isn’t something most fitness apps show.
Being active has made a huge difference to my physical and mental health. Since moving into a more office-based NHS role, I’m more intentional about getting my steps in, often heading out for an evening walk if needed. Even though I now only run once a week at parkrun, staying consistent with walking and strength training has noticeably improved my fitness. The social side of walking football and the parkrun community has been an added benefit that helps keep me motivated, too.'
"Two years ago, moving into the city completely changed my routine. Before then, walking was something I only really did occasionally. Cycling was never really my thing either, so staying active started to feel harder than it used to.
I first discovered the BetterPoints app shortly after moving to Leicester when people at work mentioned that you could actually earn small rewards. Once I downloaded the app and started using it, I quickly realised how effortless it really was. What surprised me most was that the app tracked everything automatically. I was genuinely impressed by how seamless the whole experience felt.
What really kept me engaged was seeing all the points slowly building up from little walks and everyday movement. It completely changed the way I thought about walking. Instead of seeing it as an effort, I started seeing how easy and enjoyable it could actually be. I also love the feature that shows how much CO2 you save by walking or taking the bus instead of driving. Seeing that impact makes me feel good, not just physically but mentally too, because it feels like I’m contributing to something bigger and doing my part for the planet. On top of that, the app constantly introduces new activities and challenges that are simple, achievable, and genuinely fun to take part in, which keeps things motivating without ever feeling overwhelming.
Since installing the app, my lifestyle has changed massively. I now walk wherever I can. Before, I relied heavily on the car, but now I genuinely don’t miss it. The app helped me realise how easy it is to get around town without driving everywhere. I even discovered the free Hopper bus service, which has made travelling around places like London Road or Victoria Park so much easier. Through walking more, I’ve also discovered places close to home that I never would have explored before, like Nelson Mandela Park. It’s become one of my favourite places to walk laps and clear my head, and I was so happy to find outdoor gym equipment there too. It ended up being exactly what I needed, and honestly, it was the final goodbye to my gym membership.
The biggest impact overall has been on my health and well-being. I feel healthier, fitter, and stronger in myself. Walking no longer leaves me out of breath, and it’s helped me maintain a healthy weight naturally through everyday activity. More than that, though, walking has become something that genuinely improves my mood. There’s something calming about stepping outside, enjoying the sunshine, breathing fresh air, and taking a break from everyday stress. Instead of staying indoors, I now enjoy seeing people out and about and feeling connected to the city around me. Walking has become something our whole household enjoys doing together almost every week. We’ve realised that you don’t need to travel out to one of the big parks in Leicestershire to enjoy being active. Sometimes the best walks, the best moments, and the biggest changes can start just a few streets away from home."
Download the BetterPoints app like our Sustainable Stars and start earning rewards by scanning this QR code or using the buttons below.
