When retiree Helen Deeny took schoolchildren to one of the council’s Junior Road Safety Officer training sessions, she heard about the Think, Move, Breathe campaign and discovered its BetterPoints app.

She said: “It seemed an excellent way to monitor and increase my activity levels and also felt like a great way to encourage family, colleagues and friends to travel more sustainably while getting fitter, so I joined up immediately.

“Since then, I’ve changed how I travel. I gave my car to my niece, who needed it for work, so now I get around on foot and by bike, bus and train, and occasionally as a passenger. If I’m early for a bus, I’ll walk to the next stop instead of waiting.

“When the weather is good, I often walk the whole way. After all, Glasgow is less than three miles and it’s a lovely route along the River Clyde and through Glasgow Green.

“I haven’t once thought about going back to the car. I can cycle to the gym faster than driving and never worry about parking. There are great cycling routes around South Lanarkshire, so I can avoid traffic and enjoy the countryside.”

Helen also discovered an additional benefit as well as the physical wellbeing and increased convenience.

She said: “One of the biggest benefits has been less stress – I take my time and enjoy the journey. I regularly meet a friend to walk into town for coffee, then bus home.

“I like seeing how active I am each day and how many points I earn on the app. I’ve used my BetterPoints at Tesco (to buy food for our local foodbank), John Lewis and my favourite, Marks & Spencer, where I treat myself.”

Councillor Robert Brown, the Chair of the council’s Community and Enterprise Resources Committee, said: “The Think, Move, Breathe campaign brings so many benefits to people and nature through helping those who live, work and studying in this are to choose to leave the car at home – or, as Helen has done give it up altogether.

“As well as getting some exercise and helping improve air quality, there also is the change to win shopping vouchers, which then also boosts the local economy, and so I would encourage as many people as possible to sign up and find out about all the ways it can help them.”

Think, Move, Breathe is run on the free-to-download BetterPoints app, which allows users to easily record their walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport trips and – for those over the age of 14 – to earn BetterPoints, which can be spent at participating local businesses, online and at the supermarket or donated to local charities including Kilbryde Hospice.

As well as BetterPoints, participants can earn BetterTicket prize draw entries for national prizes and dedicated local draws for local events.

Anyone wishing to find out more and to download the app can visit the Better Points website.