Updated 19 October: the NEXtreme Challenge weekends have ended; Start2Move and the lucky draw continue.
The next time you’re at NEX in Serangoon, you can push a weighted sled across the Basement 2 floor between your bubble tea run and your Uniqlo haul. Your Fitness Playground runs from 9 to 25 October 2026, with a free beginner programme from the Health Promotion Board, a coached strength challenge that has now ended, and a lucky draw worth more than S$10,000.
It’s a fun idea for anyone who has always found gyms a little intimidating, and the most useful parts are cheaper than the headline prize suggests. The S$10,000 is the hook, but the free classes are the real catch.
Four Stations, Zero Experience Needed
The centrepiece was the NEXtreme Challenge, a four-station circuit at the Event Plaza on Basement 2. The stations were Ski, Sled Push, Row and Farmer’s Carry, and coaches were on hand to guide participants through each one. That lineup will look familiar to anyone who has watched friends post about hybrid fitness races, except here nobody was timed against a leaderboard of strangers.
According to NEX, no fitness experience is needed, which matters because the Sled Push and Farmer’s Carry look scarier on Instagram than they feel when someone is walking you through your first attempt. You’re asked to turn up in comfortable clothes and sports shoes, so leave the slippers at home for once.
The challenge ran across two weekends from 12pm to 5pm. The first weekend, 10 and 11 October, was reserved for NEXrewards members aged 55 and above. The second weekend, 17 and 18 October, opened to NEXrewards members aged 18 and above. Both weekends have now ended.
Getting in took a little admin. Participants spent at least S$20 in a single transaction at participating stores and scanned their NEXrewards member QR, then headed to the L1 Customer Service Counter near Paris Baguette on the same day to pick a session and redeem a NEXtreme Challenge eCoupon. Photo ID showing a date of birth was checked.
Each session took up to 15 participants and lasted 15 minutes, with slots on a first-come, first-served basis. Finishing all four stations earned a NEXtreme goodie bag holding a waterproof dry bag, a quick-dry microfibre towel and a sports water bottle, while stocks lasted.
The Free Part Is the Best Part
If the challenge feels like a big leap, Start2Move by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) is the gentler on-ramp, and it costs nothing. It’s a free six-session programme for anyone aged 18 and above, held at the B2 Event Plaza from 10am to 11am on Saturdays.
The sessions cover upper body strength, balance and flexibility, lower body strength and aerobic fitness, plus guidance on building your own workout. The programme ends with a graduation and a full-body workout, so you finish with a routine you can take home rather than a one-off sweat session. Sign-ups happen in the Healthy 365 app: tap Explore, select Events, then search “Start2Move” and find the NEX listing.
The first three sessions ran on 3, 10 and 17 October, with the remaining dates on 24 and 31 October and 7 November. Of everything on the Fitness Playground lineup, this is the one we’d pick. A guided habit beats a goodie bag, and an hour on a Saturday morning before the mall crowds arrive is an easy sell!
So About That S$10,000
The NEXtreme Lucky Draw has nothing to do with how many sled pushes you can manage. It’s tied to spending. From 9 to 25 October, every S$30 spent in a single transaction at participating stores (with your NEXrewards QR scanned) earns one chance, capped at 10 chances per member per day.
Supermarket and hypermarket receipts don’t count, and neither do beauty, hair, wellness services, education or enrichment stores. That rules out your weekly FairPrice Xtra run, so plan your dinner or gadget shopping accordingly. The draw takes place on 28 October 2026, with 40 winners sharing prizes worth more than S$10,000 in total, including an OSIM uErgoh Ergonomic Chair, &joy dining vouchers and eNEXvouchers.
Split across 40 winners, the big number is a lot more modest per person than the headline suggests. It’s a nice bonus if you’re shopping there anyway, though nobody should treat it as a reason to buy things they don’t need.
Malls Want You to Stay Longer
The more interesting story is why a mall would roll out rowing machines in the first place. NEX says it’s “expanding the ways people can use and experience the mall beyond shopping,” and calls Your Fitness Playground “the first step in building a dedicated platform for the community to move, meet and get active together.”
That fits a pattern we’ve seen across Singapore’s suburban malls this month, from Frasers’ Halloween events that put your dog in a Tesla to free classes in atriums. NEX has a head start here. It’s the largest mall in the north-east, sits right on top of Serangoon MRT (where the North-East and Circle lines meet), and already counts a 24-hour Anytime Fitness among its tenants.
It’s also a lot gentler than the last time fitness and prize money crossed paths on our pages, when a challenge offered S$5,000 a month to get fit. NEX isn’t paying you to transform. It’s giving you a reason to try, which might be the more honest pitch for someone who hasn’t worked out since NAPFA (the National Physical Fitness Award test from school).
For the Active Agers
The 55-and-above weekend doubles as Active Ager’s Day @ NEX, which was held at the L1 Atrium on 11 October. Organised by the Braddell Heights grassroots organisations, it brought together booths from agencies including the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and HPB, along with Taiji Rhythmball performances, mental wellness quizzes and a Legacy Planning Talk.
🗓️ Date: 9 to 25 October 2026 (Your Fitness Playground)
⏰ Time: NEXtreme Challenge (ended) 12pm to 5pm; Start2Move 10am to 11am
📍 Location: NEX, 23 Serangoon Central, Singapore (above Serangoon MRT)
💪 NEXtreme Challenge: Ended. Held 10 and 11 October (members aged 55 and above) and 17 and 18 October (members aged 18 and above), B2 Event Plaza
🏃 Start2Move by HPB: Free, with remaining sessions on 24 and 31 October and 7 November at B2 Event Plaza; sign up via the Healthy 365 app
🎁 NEXtreme Lucky Draw: One chance per S$30 spent until 25 October, up to 10 a day; draw on 28 October with 40 winners
🎒 Goodie Bag: Challenge finishers received a dry bag, towel and water bottle, while stocks lasted
Whether you’re chasing a personal best or simply looking for a reason to move that doesn’t involve a monthly gym contract, NEX has made it unusually easy to try something new this October. Lock in a remaining Start2Move Saturday and check the full details on the NEX website before you go. Your mall run just got a warm-up!
Photos and Visuals courtesy of NEX.
Read us first on Google: add DANAMIC as a preferred source and our stories show up more in your Top Stories and AI results.
