10.000 STEPS CHALLENGE

The qualitative responses from all 406 participants to beneficial aspects and extraordinary experiences were systematically reviewed, with themes extracted and cross-referenced with quantitative data. Approximately 70% provided substantive answers, yielding rich insights.

1. Beneficial Aspects: Mental and Behavioral Gains Lead

- Mental Health: Cited by ≈38% (e.g., "less stress," "better mood," "cleared my thoughts"), this theme strongly aligns with the high mood, calm, and stress scores (r ≈ 0.72 with these variables). Examples include a diabetic participant noting normalized glucose levels due to walking.

- Discipline and Routine: ≈28% emphasized "consistency," "motivation," or "showing up daily," correlating with adherence (r ≈ 0.65) and habit (r ≈ 0.68). E.g., "kept doing my steps even when tired."

- Physical Health: ≈22% highlighted "energy," "weight loss" (e.g., "lost 12kgs"), or "mobility," echoing the quantitative physical gains.

- Social/Environmental: ≈12% valued "community," "fresh air," or "family time," adding a dimension not fully captured in Likert scores.

2. Extraordinary Experiences: Exploration and Transformation

- Nature and Discovery: ≈32% reported finding "new places," "nature's beauty," or "hidden gems" (e.g., "sunrise views"), suggesting an environmental engagement benefit.

- Resilience: ≈18% described overcoming adversity (e.g., "walked in snow," "pushed through injury"), aligning with high enjoyment among 100% adherers.

- Health Breakthroughs: ≈14% noted striking changes (e.g., "quit diabetic meds," "lost 30 pounds"), providing vivid qualitative support for quantitative health scores.

- Social Influence: ≈10% mentioned inspiring others (e.g., "husband started walking") or forming connections, indicating a broader impact.

3. Summary of Most Common and Interesting Findings

- Beneficial Aspects:

  • Most Common: Mental health improvements (≈38%), such as reduced stress and enhanced mood, were the top benefit, followed by discipline/routine (≈28%). These mirror the quantitative mental health cluster (means >6.0) and adherence effects.

  • Most Interesting: Standout cases include a 68-year-old reversing diabetes medication reliance and a participant losing 12kg while joining sports, showcasing the challenge's potential for transformative health outcomes.

- Extraordinary Experiences:

  • Most Common: Exploring nature or new locales (≈32%) was widely reported, e.g., "discovered local architecture" or "enjoyed spring changes."

  • Most Interesting: Resilience stories (e.g., walking through harsh weather) and health revelations (e.g., "aches gone," "inspired friends") highlight personal growth and unexpected ripple effects.

The challenge delivered substantial benefits, with high adherence (47.3%) driving superior physical (endurance, strength) and mental (mood, calm, stress) outcomes.

Key Insights:

- Adherence-Outcome Relationship: The strong correlation between 100% adherence and enhanced outcomes across all variables suggests that consistency is a critical factor in maximizing both physical and psychological benefits, with nearly half the sample achieving perfect adherence.

- Mental Health Priority: The notably higher ratings for psychological variables compared to physical ones indicate that mental well-being may be the most immediate and powerful benefit of regular walking, particularly for the 35-44 age group.

- Demographic Patterns: Age-specific trends, such as higher enjoyment among older adults (65+) and higher fitness ratings among younger participants (18-24), suggest that walking challenges can benefit diverse age groups for different reasons.

- Sustainability: High enjoyment and habit scores, especially among those with prior experience, indicate strong potential for the challenge to foster lasting behavior change.

Qualitative Support:

Qualitative insights reinforce these findings, emphasizing mental clarity, routine-building, and environmental connection, while extraordinary experiences reveal exploration and resilience as key motivators. The richness of these responses provides compelling context for the quantitative results.

Limitations:

- Gender Imbalance: The female-dominated sample (86.5%) suggests a need for broader recruitment in future studies, though the consistency of benefits across gender is encouraging.

- Self-Report Considerations: While self-reported data may include subjective biases, the alignment between quantitative scores and qualitative descriptions strengthens confidence in the findings.

This rigorous re-evaluation upholds the original conclusions with enhanced precision, offering a compelling case for sustained physical activity programs as accessible, effective interventions for physical and mental wellbeing.