How is it possible that the global health app monthly challenge had just started and when I woke up this morning at 6:00 am eastern time someone already has 147,000 steps ? How do you find out if they are cheating? How is that even possible they would've had to walk for 24 hours straight too get that and the challenge hasn't even been going on for 6 hours yet?
You're absolutely right to be skeptical – 147,000 steps in less than 6 hours is astronomically high and highly improbable, bordering on impossible, for human movement. Here's why, and how it's likely happening: Why it's impossible for genuine human steps: * Average Walking Speed: A brisk walk is around 3-4 miles per hour. If we assume a very generous average of 2.5 feet per step (standard for many, but varies by height), that's roughly 2,112 steps per mile. * Calculating the Distance: 147,000 steps / 2,112 steps/mile = approximately 69.6 miles. * Time to Walk 70 Miles: Even an elite speed walker would struggle to cover 70 miles in 24 hours, let alone under 6 hours. This would require an average pace of nearly 12 miles per hour, which is running at a very fast pace, not walking. Sustaining that for hours is inhuman. How they are likely cheating: Unfortunately, cheating in step challenges is common. Here are some methods: * Shaking the Device: Vigorously shaking the phone or wearable by hand. Modern trackers are better at detecting this, but older or less sophisticated ones can still be fooled. * Attaching to Machines: Taping the device to a fan, washing machine, dryer, or even a drill. * Pet Collar: Attaching the tracker to a dog's collar and letting them run around. * Manual Entry: Some apps allow manual step entry, which can be exploited. * Software Exploits: More advanced users might find ways to feed artificial data to the app. How to find out if they are cheating and what to do: * Report through the App: Most global health or fitness apps have a "report user" or "report suspicious activity" function within the challenge interface. This is your first and best course of action. Provide as much detail as possible (the user's name/ID, the impossible step count, and the time frame). * Check Challenge Rules: Review the challenge's official rules. Some challenges explicitly state that certain methods of step accumulation (like using devices other than on your person) are against the rules. * Don't Engage Directly: It's best not to confront the individual directly on the app's social features (if any). Let the app's support team handle it. * Focus on Your Own Goals: While it's frustrating, try to focus on your personal fitness goals and the fun of the challenge. Some people cheat, but that doesn't diminish your own effort. It's highly probable this person is using one of the methods above to artificially inflate their step count. It's not physically possible for a human to accumulate that many steps in such a short period.
Sorry, but they could be on the other side of the world. The challenge might have already started for them, even though it hadn't for you. For example, Auckland, NZ is 16 hours ahead of me, so they could have already had a full day in the challenge.
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So, is there no way to report these cheaters? 100k steps in a day is like 50 miles! That's obviously cheating and these same accounts are "winning" month after month. It's a real buzzkill
November challenge #1 has 569,100 steps in 4 days. That's about 271 miles (using 2100 per mile). 67.75 miles per day. That would be 2.82 miles per hour non-stop 24hrs/day for 4 days....gonna say not very likely
