Birmingham takes on Liverpool in six-week walking challenge

Birmingham is taking on Liverpool in a six-week walking challenge, and anyone in the city can join in and help the team climb the leaderboard.

This City Moves invites people to pick a daily goal of 1,000, 3,000 or 5,000 steps, walking or wheeling, and stick with it for six weeks. The challenge started on 7 September.

How to take part

Participants sign up through the free Go Jauntly app, which also has a collection of local walks that take in the city's heritage, culture and green spaces. New routes have been added so people can explore new neighbourhoods as they go.

Every day you hit your goal counts towards Birmingham's total. The winning city takes the bragging rights and blossom trees from the National Trust.

"Walking and wheeling is a great way to get out and about, visit new neighbourhoods and get healthy at the same time," said Councillor Rob Grant, Cabinet Member for Transport.

He said there were "so many wonderful walking routes around Birmingham", from parks and green spaces to routes through the city's culture and heritage, and encouraged families, friends, community groups and individuals to take part and "discover the treasures on your doorstep".

Why it matters

Regular walking is one of the simplest ways to improve physical and mental health, and the challenge is designed to suit every level of fitness. Even the smallest daily goal of 1,000 steps counts towards the team total.