Google Fit 30-Day Challenge Events Go Live Starting January 1

Earlier this month, Google pushed out the most recent update to its Google Fit fitness-tracking app, the latest of multiple big updates this year. Now the company is preparing to add 30-day challenge events, the first of which will go live on January 1, 2019. These events will enable users to earn Heart Points for completing activities.

New Year's Day marks the start of new fitness resolutions for many people and Google is hoping they'll turn to its fitness app to help reach those goals. Heart Points are points the user earns for each minute of moderate activity — one point is assigned for moderate tasks and two points are assigned for more intense activities.

Users are encouraged to reach the 150 Heart Points threshold in order to meet the American Heart Association and World Health Organization's respective activity recommendations. Qualifying physical activities don't necessarily have to include gym-centric or specifically fitness-related tasks, but rather anything that gets the user up and moving.

Google provides examples of ways users in colder, snowy winter regions may be able to earn Heart Points, including shoveling snow by hand, parking at a farther distance and walking, and going sledding. The Google Fit app will automatically detect long walks, bike rides, and runs, according to the company, eliminating the need to manually track them.

The presence of Heart Points enable users to compete with friends and other users, plus Google has tapped 36 influencers in nine countries to shed light on new ways to earn these points. The first monthly challenge will arrive on New Year's Day.