To encourage the public to cultivate healthy living habits, “e+ Life”, a new health challenge platform, was launched in September 2024 under eHealth. The platform allows eHealth users to participate in various health challenges, track their daily activity levels through connected health-tracking apps, and accumulate health coins. The Health Bureau (HHB), in collaboration with the Education Bureau, the Department of Health (DH), and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), introduced the first health challenge on “e+ Life” - the “e+ Go to Park” game. This challenge encourages students to explore over 200 designated LCSD parks with their parents and friends, search for and capture virtual characters and collectibles in real life, and enjoy physical activity through a gamified experience that promotes mental and physical health.
The Salvation Army Ann Wyllie Memorial School is one of the participating school in the health challenge. Principal Mr. Ching Chi Cheung and Primary 5 student Wong Wang Hei have actively participated in the challenge and found “e+ Go to Park” an enjoyable and engaging activity. They believe the challenge would motivate students to exercise more, train their minds, and establish positive values for long-term development.
Insufficient Exercise Among Students: Fun and Social Engagement as Key Motivators
As an experienced educator, Principal Ching observed that students in Hong Kong generally lack sufficient physical activity and the situation has worsened. He said, “According to the World Health Organisation's recommendation, children and adolescents aged 5–17 should accumulate at least an average of 60 minutes daily of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activities across the week (MVPA60). Each Hong Kong student should engage in at least one hour of physical activities of varying intensities on each school day. However, heavy academic workloads or a lack of interest in sports often make this goal difficult to achieve.” In view of this, Principal Ching actively organises activities within the school to encourage students to exercise more. “We’ve added sports equipment like goal posts and hula hoops on the playground to help students discover the fun of exercise. I also initiated morning runs involving teachers, parents, and students, and even joined school basketball competitions myself. These efforts allow students to experience the joy of exercising together, which naturally boosts their motivation to participate,” he shared.
Principal Ching pointed out that fun and social engagement are the key motivators for student exercising. “e+ Go to Park” perfectly meets these two criteria, naturally attracting students to engage in more physical activities. “e+ Go to Park” is a fun characters-capturing game set against the backdrop of rescuing “Sports Babies” from outer space, creatively incorporates augmented reality (AR) technology. Players need to engage in physical activities to replenish enough energies for fuelling the trip back home for the “Sports Babies”. Through this adventurous and challenging process, players not only enjoy the game but also increase their physical activity level without even realising it.
“e+ Go to Park” offers various modes, including individual, family, and school challenges, enabling players to exercise together and foster a sense of community. A leaderboard adds a friendly competitive element, thereby further boosting participation and motivation.
Wong shared that his favourite part of “e+ Go to Park” is the fun of playing with family and friends. He frequently visits parks with his family to engage in activities like table tennis and jogging. The introduction of “e+ Go to Park” has added a new option to their family outings, making their leisure time even more enjoyable.
On 14 September 2024, the HHB hosted the “e+ Go to Park” launch ceremony at The Salvation Army Ann Wyllie Memorial School. Over 100 students and parents tried out the game and participated in various health activities, spending an energetic and fulfilling weekend. Wong expressed that his most memorable impression was from trying the game at the launch ceremony. Reflecting on the launch event, Wong shared, “The game was not only fun but also allowed me to exercise with guests and friends at the event, which I found very enjoyable. It was truly a memorable experience.”
Benefits of Regular Exercise: “e+ Life” Continue to Foster Family Bonding and Growth
Principle Ching opined that regular exercise offers undeniable benefits. From his observations, increasing physical activity level generally reduces the likelihood of students falling ill. Moreover, exercise helps to train their perseverance, and fosters holistic development of their body, mind, and spirit. He considered “e+ Go to Park” an excellent family activity, enabling parents and children to exercise and spend quality time together. Such interactions not only enhance family cohesion but also promote a healthy lifestyle.
Regarding his expectations for the development of “e+ Life”, Principal Ching, as an eHealth App user, praised the mature development of the App in integrating health records. He suggested that “e+ Life” could further introduce relevant features such as recording and analysing users’ weekly physical activity, helping them better understand their exercise habits. Principal Ching also suggested easier at-home health challenges be introduced on “e+Life”, so as to reduce participation barriers and to encourage more family members such as their parents and grandparents to join and adopt healthy lifestyles together.
In November 2024, the DH launched the “10,000 Steps a Day” walking challenge to raise the public awareness about the health benefits of walking and to promote physical activity. This initiative encouraged family members and friends to support one another in integrating the habit of walking 10,000 steps daily into daily life. More health challenges will be introduced on “e+Life” in the future.
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