## Promote physical activity, boost culture, and educate your employees on key health actions while working remote. Download our guide [here](https://movespring.s3.amazonaws.com/resources/MoveSpring_WorkforceHealthCOVID-19-compressed.pdf).

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/3a508800-6ae6-11ea-82cf-555ee8e7f42a-stay-safe-healthy-and-responsible.png)

### Decrease sedentary time with virtual activity challenges

Working from home often means extra sedentary time and less movement. Keep your employees active with friendly competition. Check out [our new series of challenges](https://movespring.com/blog/health-fitness-challenges-for-remote-workforce-5e73b493f1a2760008a32bac) designed with the remote workforce and COVID-19 confinement in mind. 

*   Challenge ideas for a variety of employee health goals: 
    *   Goal #1: Promote consistency
    *   Goal #2: Stay sharp & productive
    *   Goal #3: Stay connected and inclusive
*   _Bonus: we’ve provided a list of creative challenge and team names!_

[Check out our remote worker & COVID-friendly employee health challenges here](https://movespring.com/blog/health-fitness-challenges-for-remote-workforce-5e73b493f1a2760008a32bac).

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/7bd09130-6ae6-11ea-82cf-555ee8e7f42a-Target-2.0-Mobile-2X.png)

### Educate and inform with COVID-relevant content

Share a variety of health and wellness content in just a few clicks with our curated content collections. Or, upload your own articles, videos or posts.

*   How to stay healthy during COVID-19
*   Meal planning with pantry staples
*   At home exercise and entertainment ideas
*   Tips on remote working
*   Mental health & wellness while social distancing
*   Safe ways to support your community 

See our public content ideas [here](https://movespring.com/blog/health-fitness-challenges-for-remote-workforce-5e73b493f1a2760008a32bac). If you’re a current client, navigate to our [content library](https://youtu.be/fs-V7rF4SVI) and **filter for our new COVID-19 topic** to access our 70+ additions on the subject.

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/b30038e0-6ae6-11ea-82cf-555ee8e7f42a-content-library.png)

### Bring the company together, no matter where they are

Give your employees a reason to connect on something other than work. Activity challenges bring employees together across teams, departments and locations. Social connection is key to maintaining mental health and company morale.

*   Get motivated and inspired with [group chats](https://movespring.com/resources/tour/chat)
*   Stay connected to coworkers through our [friends feature](https://movespring.com/blog/making-fitness-more-fun-with-friends-5cfae3b5f644a764adf9dedf)

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/c0e8dc50-6ae6-11ea-82cf-555ee8e7f42a-chat.png#300)

### Promote key health actions with timely announcements

Send customizable announcements to your employees. Include a call-to-action that links directly to another website or portal.

*   Updates on company events or policy changes
*   Tips on the latest public health protections
*   Reminders to enroll or participate in health benefits

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/dfb7d2d0-6ae6-11ea-82cf-555ee8e7f42a-DashboardTap.gif#250)

## Be healthy together, no matter where you are.

Get a demo of our product by clicking [here](https://movespring.com/request-demo?path=nav).

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The MoveSpring Guide to a Happy, Healthy Remote Workforce

### Take advantage of the long days and warm weather with this creative summer step challenge idea.

In this one-day challenge, each participant tries to take their longest walk of the year by beating their personal record for most steps in one day. Participants can track their personal activity records in their [MoveSpring app profile](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/3676707-navigating-your-mobile-profile). In addition to this individual goal, each participant will also be contributing to one, larger Group Target step goal. If you're not sure what to set this goal at, check out [our guide to setting group challenge goals](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/2583629-setting-a-group-module-goal).

### Use the MoveSpring app to determine your personal best for most steps in one day.

Before the challenge begins, ask users to refer to their own [personal activity records](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/3676707-navigating-your-mobile-profile), found in their MoveSpring profile. Their personal record for most steps in one day will determine the number they are trying to surpass for the challenge. 

### This challenge works well for groups of varying activity levels, as the goal is tailored to each participant's personal activity history.

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/dfe7f5c0-0350-11eb-9528-f5a6da2be217-ActivityInsights1.gif)

#### CHALLENGE DETAILS

### **Challenge Name:** Longest Walk of the Year

### **Challenge Mode:** Group Target

### **Duration:** 1 day

### **Goal:** Beat your personal step record & reach the Group Target goal

### Content Strategy

Encourage your group to stay safe as they enjoy their fun in the sun with a content module about sun safety and staying hydrated in the summer heat. You can include your own custom content or select from one of our curated [Content Collections](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/4106367-adding-collections-to-your-content-module) in the Admin Center.

To keep challenge set up simple, we suggest pulling from our Content Collection, "Tips for Staying Healthy in Summer," which includes the following content pieces and more:

*   [Which Sunscreen Should You Choose?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX8rv_natkw)
*   [Do You Make These Sunscreen Errors?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtsaUrInrEE)
*   [Why Do We Sweat?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fctH_1NuqCQ)
*   [When Is It Too Hot to Exercise?](https://www.verywellfit.com/is-it-too-hot-to-exercise-use-the-heat-index-3435800)
*   [What Should Be in Your Sports Drink?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvz_qTFan68)

_Note: Be sure to include a content module in your challenge, then [upload and schedule](https://youtu.be/UDozg9qYjP8) any desired content._

### Chat Strategy

In the days before your challenge, ask participants to share their personal step goal in the challenge chat. Then, ask them to share on the day of your challenge if they reach their goal. When a participant announces they reached their goal, be sure to celebrate their achievement by with a fun reaction or by sending your congratulations.

We also suggest sharing updates on the Group Target progress throughout the day to remind participants of how close your group is to reaching the larger goal!

### Rewards Strategy

Prize ideas for this challenge can include anything that will help your participants make the most of their summer. Follow our [rewards strategy doc](https://www.dropbox.com/s/ny0n0nq515rdaw9/MoveSpring_RewardsStrategy_2019.pdf?dl=1) for a step-by-step points plan that gives every participant a chance to be rewarded for their hard work. Then, run a lottery to pick a winner. Total points will determine a person's total lottery entries.

### Prize Ideas

*   [An insulated water bottle](https://takeyausa.com/collections/actives/products/actives-insulated-water-bottle?variant=15399654883437)
*   UVA and UVB-blocking sunglasses
*   [A portable hammock](https://www.eaglesnestoutfittersinc.com/shop/singlenest-hammock/)
*   [Camping equipment](https://www.rei.com/h/camping-and-hiking)
*   [A waterproof tote bag](https://www.yeti.com/en_US/bags/camino-carryall-35/YCCA35.html)
*   Beach towels
*   A beach umbrella

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Step Challenge Idea: Longest Walk of the Year

### When creating an activity challenge, it’s important that you take the time to set an appropriate goal. You want it to be challenging for your participants, but not so difficult that it discourages them.

A good challenge goal goes a long way. It encourages users to incorporate more activity into their day and helps to maintain engagement throughout your program. On the other hand, a poorly chosen challenge goal can cause users to lose interest in the challenge, which can increase participant drop-off and decrease engagement.

Whether it’s your first step challenge, or your 100th challenge, you can follow along with our best practices below. 

### Three factors to consider when creating a fitness challenge goal

Take the following factors into account when creating an activity challenge goal:

1.  **Average daily activity of your participants**
2.  **Challenge mode**
3.  **Duration of the challenge**

### Use our benchmarks as a guide for your first activity challenge.

For your first challenge, you’ll need to estimate your participants’ average daily activity. As you may not have historical activity data to reference, you can use the ranges below. These represent a common range of average daily activity among users on our platform. 

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/ffcf7ea0-0344-11eb-9528-f5a6da2be217-Activity-Level-Benchmarks.png)Your average daily activity estimates will be used to set your challenge goal. Each MoveSpring challenge mode is scored differently. Some have a daily goal, while others are based off of a cumulative goal to reach by the challenge end. Try our suggested goals by challenge mode. 

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/143f6da0-0345-11eb-9528-f5a6da2be217-Challenge-Goal-Matrix.png)

### Or, use prior challenge data to calculate your new goal.

When you’ve hosted at least one activity challenge, you can reference your past participant data to calculate your new goal. There are a few ways you can do this using the MoveSpring platform.

#### 1\. Dashboard quick view

Use the dashboard in the MoveSpring Admin Center to view graphs of your participants’ overall progress and activity levels. Filter the date range of the **Step Ranges** and **Activity Distribution Chart** to your most recent challenge dates.

*   Reference the **Step Ranges ****pie chart**. Which activity range shows the largest percentage? 
*   Then, reference the **Activity Distribution bar chart** to determine where the majority of users fall within that pie chart range. This helps you identify outliers and choose a number that works for the largest volume of participants. 

A major benefit to this method is the ability to quickly find your group’s daily activity without having to pull a report. Additionally, these charts automatically filter out any users who didn’t sync, or reported zero activity during the selected date range.

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/36805960-0345-11eb-9528-f5a6da2be217-Both-dashboard-charts.png)

#### 2\. Pull a report

For a more detailed approach, utilize the Reporting tab in the MoveSpring Admin Center, and follow the steps below. 

*   Pull a **User Report** for the date range of your most recent challenge. 
*   Delete any users who have zero or no data populating in the total activity columns.
*   Calculate the total number of users remaining in the report to get an **Active User Count**. _Note: be sure you’ve omitted any users that scored zero data._
*   Locate the **Total Steps**, **Total Minutes** or **Total Distance **column. Calculate the **Activity Grand Total** of all users’ total steps, minutes or distance.
*   Divide the **Activity Grand Total** by the number of days in the challenge (or date range you filtered by). This will calculate the **Group Daily Activity Average**. 
*   Divide this number by the **Active User Count** to see the daily activity average for an individual participant.

To assess outliers, sort the **Average** **Steps, Minutes or Distance** column in descending order. This will show you individual daily activity averages from high-to-low. If notice many outliers that are either highly active or inactive, consider making two different challenges that can better cater to each group.

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/52cd38e0-0345-11eb-9528-f5a6da2be217-User-Report---EXCEL.png)

 **Pro Tips**

*   Use the date range of your most recent challenge, as users consistently sync their data during a challenge period. 
*   If you adjust your goal before the challenge starts, be sure your communications and instructions reflect your latest challenge goal.

### Setting goals by challenge type

Now you know how to determine your participants’ average activity level, let’s break down how to use that information to calculate the best challenge goal for each type of MoveSpring activity challenge.

#### Streak Challenge

With the Streak mode, participants track the number of consecutive days they meet a daily step or active minutes goal. You, the admin, will choose the daily goal during challenge setup. Reference the daily activity averages you calculated to determine an achievable daily goal. Best practice tip: start low and increase over time! 

As you gather more data with each step challenge, you can explore [segmenting challenges to accommodate a group with a wide range of activity levels](https://movespring.com/blog/how-to-accommodate-a-group-with-a-wide-range-of-activity-levels-5c7a01d25ced0b51dd83d720).

#### Example

Reference the **Activity Distribution Chart **in the MoveSpring Admin Center dashboard. In the scenario below, we’d suggest a 30 active minutes/day goal.

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/939786a0-0345-11eb-9528-f5a6da2be217-Minutes-Distribution-chart.png)

#### Stick to It! Challenge 

With our Stick to It! challenge mode, you set a daily steps or active minutes goal. Then, you decide how many times each participant needs to meet this goal over the course of the challenge. As your participants don’t need to hit this goal everyday, you can set the daily steps or minutes goal higher than you would in a Streak challenge. 

Further adjust the difficulty by increasing or decreasing the number of times the participant has to meet this daily goal throughout the course of the challenge. Reaching 10,000 steps/day 10 times over the course of a 20-day challenge is a lot easier than hitting it 15 times over the course of a 20-day challenge.

1.  **Average daily activity of your participants**

Reference the **Step Range** and **Activity Distribution charts **in the MoveSpring Admin Center. In the example scenario below, we’d suggest an 8,000 steps/day goal, achieved for at least 75% of the total days in the challenge.

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/b0393ce0-0345-11eb-9528-f5a6da2be217-Both-dashboard-charts.png)

#### Target Challenge

Set an individual total steps or active minutes goal to be achieved over the duration of the challenge. Participants will pace themselves to make sure they can reach the cumulative target goal before the end of the challenge. As this is a cumulative goal, it requires an additional calculation step.

#### Calculation

**Daily steps or active minutes average x Total days in challenge = Target goal**

 #### Example 

Reference the same **Step Range** and **Activity Distribution Charts **in the MoveSpring Admin Center (shown above). In the example scenario above, we’d use a **7,000 steps/day average** to calculate our goal. If the challenge is **21 days**, then the Target goal would be **147,000 total steps****:**

7,000 daily step average x 21 days in challenge = 147,000 total steps

### Journey Challenge

In the MoveSpring Journey challenge, participants compete in a virtual, long distance race. Set a total distance goal for participants to reach by challenge end. As participants move in real life, they progress through a virtual map in the app. Along the way, they’ll unlock new map scenes and milestones. Similar to Target, this is a cumulative goal, and requires an additional calculation step.

#### **Calculation**

**Daily distance average x Total days in challenge = Journey distance goal**

 #### Example

Reference the **Activity Distribution Chart in the MoveSpring Admin Center. In the scenario below, we’d use a 3.5 miles/day average to calculate our goal. If the challenge is 14 days, then the Journey goal would be 49 total miles.**

3.5 Daily Distance Average x 14 days in challenge = 49 total miles

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/406e3310-0346-11eb-9528-f5a6da2be217-Distance-Distribution-chart.png)

_Note: Journey and Group Journey are distance-based challenge modes. You also have the option to turn off Journey milestones._

### Group Challenges

Our Group Journey and Group Target challenges allow you to set a collective goal for all users to achieve together. This challenge type requires you to calculate both the daily activity average and an estimated participant count. Our group challenges engage the entire office, and get everyone working together towards a common goal. 

#### Calculation

**Daily activity average x Estimated total participants x Total days in challenge = Group challenge goal**

#### How to estimate your total participants

How many users do you anticipate participating in this challenge? 

*   **If this is your first challenge**, estimate that 40% of the people you invite will ultimately participate in the challenge. If you find that many users are signing up, that's great! You can always adjust your goal based on the final participant numbers a day or two before the challenge starts. 
*   **If you’ve run a challenge before**, check out the Challenges tab in the MoveSpring Admin Center. What is the average number of participants you see across all the challenges you've run? You can also run Challenge Reports to average out an exact participant count.

#### Pro tip 

We suggest using the lower end of your average participation numbers. It’s easy to increase your goal once you know how many people have joined.

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/85f608e0-0346-11eb-9528-f5a6da2be217-Admin---Challenges-tab.png)

### Setting an activity challenge goal is a science and an art. 

As you host more challenges, you’ll hit your stride in setting the best goals for your group! The MoveSpring Customer Success and Support teams are a great resource for any goal setting questions, suggestions, and advice. We’re always happy to help!

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How to set a goal for your next activity or step challenge

## Syncing your smartwatch and fitness tracker's activity to the MoveSpring app, or other apps, may seem like magic. Here's how it really works.

You take your daily walk and peek at your fitness tracker a few times a day. You open the MoveSpring app and see your steps, distance and active minutes reflected in the company step challenge. Syncing usually works reliably, but there are scenarios where syncing can break. This article will cover all the moving pieces, what can go wrong, and ways to fix common issues.  

First, let's make sure we define what we mean by fitness tracker and smartwatch. These are often referred to as fitness devices and activity trackers. Here are some common fitness trackers and smartwatches, which are all supported on MoveSpring and Stridekick:

*   Fitbit (all models)
*   Apple Watch
*   Android Wear OS
*   Garmin Activity Trackers
*   Misfit
*   Withings
*   iPhone w/ Apple Health
*   Android w/ Google Fit

### Common misconceptions on how syncing works:

#### Data is continuously syncing from your smartwatch to your phone

Users think their fitness tracker is syncing data to their paired apps in real-time. In reality, the sensor on the tracker or smartwatch isn't sending the activity anywhere. The sensor is collecting the data locally, but only sending data to its paired app on intervals controlled by the tracker's proprietary algorithm. Data syncs to the paired app when opened on the user's iPhone or Android.

#### Apps like MoveSpring can pull any data, at any time from your fitness tracker

Users believe that 3rd party apps, like MoveSpring, are able to pull data directly from the fitness tracker at any time. In reality, 3rd party apps don't have access to the tracker due to privacy, security and battery reasons. We have access to an API and are notified when new activity data is available for each user. Depending on many factors, this could happen once a day or a dozen times per day.

### Here's how syncing actually works:

1.  A person accumulates steps by walking or any other activity
2.  The fitness tracker's sensor records this data in real-time, but the data stays local on the device
3.  The fitness tracker will background sync the activity data to the device app on your phone  (i.e. the Fitbit app) at various intervals. Background syncing usually happens between 1–20 times per day.
4.  The fitness tracker app (i.e. Fitbit app) will immediately send that data to its cloud/API
5.  The cloud/API will notify authorized 3rd party apps, like MoveSpring, of new user activity data
6.  The 3rd party app (i.e. MoveSpring) will receive the notification and immediately retrieve the data from the cloud/API (i.e. Fitbit API). MoveSpring will then run through scoring and update the challenge rankings.

Steps 4-6 happen quickly, in just a few seconds. Unfortunately, steps 2-3 are up to the fitness tracker and its paired app to determine how often they sync.  

This is a high-level view into how syncing works. Feeling technical? Let's dive even deeper on the subject.

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### Syncing Deep Dive

Let's use MoveSpring as the example target to illustrate how syncing works. Most 3rd party apps like Stridekick and Strava work in a similar way.  

Our goal: How do we get data synced from the fitness tracker to the MoveSpring app?  

To reach its final destination, activity will be synced and stored through four unique touchpoints.

####   1. The fitness tracker/smartwatch sensor

The fitness tracker will collect your activity in real-time and store it locally on the smartwatch. Every step taken is tracked by the device's accelerometer, gyroscope, and other specialized sensors in real-time. However, this data does not leave the device while tracking. Fitness trackers optimize for long battery lives over frequent syncing to the mobile app. The majority of the steps registered by the tracker stay on the device until a triggering event happens.

####   2. The fitness tracker's corresponding mobile app

For Fitbit trackers, it would be the Fitbit app. For the Garmin smartwatch, it would be the Garmin app. The paired mobile app is the only app able to talk directly to the smartwatch hardware.

####   3. The cloud/API for the fitness tracker

Most reputable fitness trackers will have an API that allows 3rd party apps and developers to integrate. Without an API, 3rd party apps cannot integrate or utilize data from the tracker. Many off-brand or low-cost fitness trackers don't have APIs and as result cannot be integrated. 

####   4. The 3rd party app or service, such as MoveSpring

For example, MoveSpring, Stridekick and Strava. There are thousands of 3rd party apps that utilize this activity data.

### Common problems with syncing

Syncing is reliable in most cases, but there are scenarios where syncing doesn't work. Here are the most common.

#### Data isn't syncing between the fitness tracker and its corresponding mobile app.

*   Normally, the tracker should send data to its paired mobile app between 1-20 times per day.
*   If this not occurring, it could be because the paired mobile app is not running in the background. The tracker will not be able to sync activity to the app if it is not running in the background. The two common reasons for an app to stop running in the background are: 1) the user "[hard closes](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201330)" the app or 2) the operating system terminates the app due to low memory/battery
*   The fitness tracker has low battery, as a result it will not sync the activity to the paired smart phone app
*   The users iPhone or Android device has low battery, as a result it will not sync data in background
*   The user has set the iPhone or Android to low-battery mode

**Solution:** The best way to address these common issues is to open your paired mobile app. This would be your Fitbit, Garmin, Withings, Misfit app.  If you use an Apple or Google Wear OS Watch, then MoveSpring would be the paired app. Opening the app will trigger a sync to occur between the tracker and paired app. The next time you soft close the app, it should continue to run in the background. If there are no other issues, then automatic background syncing should resume. If this is a common problem, you may want to check that you don't have "low battery" on or "allow background refresh" off.

#### Data is syncing to the user's mobile app, but isn't being synced up to the cloud/API.

*   Low data mode is enabled on the phone
*   Allow background refresh is disabled on the phone
*   The user is on a WiFi network that is blocking access to the cloud service/API. This happens often when users are on a corporate WiFi network that aggressively blocks many social and entertainment websites and apps

**Solution:** Check that you aren't on a restricted WiFi network. Verify that your stats match between the paired mobile app and web app. For example, you might find that the Fitbit app has your latest stats, but your profile on fitbit.com does not. This indicates that your data isn't syncing from your mobile app to the cloud.

#### Data is being synced up to the cloud/API, but MoveSpring does not show the latest activity.

*   MoveSpring's authorization to the user's data was revoked or interrupted
*   A notification subscription wasn't properly established upon connection or device authorization. This authorization allows the fitness tracker API to notify MoveSpring that new data exists
*   The fitness tracker API is currently having issues or downtime. These events are rare, but they do happen occasionally

**Solution:** Reconnect your fitness tracker inside the MoveSpring app. When you reconnect, it should create a new authorization and establish a new notification subscription. If this still doesn't work, it's possible the cloud service/API is currently having issues. You can check for issues with your device's cloud/API by checking their website's status page.  

Fitbit status page: [https://www.fitbitstatus.com/](https://www.fitbitstatus.com/)

Garmin status page: [https://connect.garmin.com/status/](https://connect.garmin.com/status/)

### Additional Information

*   MoveSpring is the cloud/API when using an Apple Watch, Google Wear OS device, iPhone or Android as your activity tracker. In these cases, it's important to make sure the MoveSpring app is running in the background for consistent syncing.
*   Some 3rd party apps utilize a data aggregator to integrate with fitness trackers. When this occurs, there is an additional step in syncing. The two primary aggregators in this space are Validic and Human API. MoveSpring does not utilize a 3rd party aggregator. We built the tracker integrations ourselves in order to reduce costs for our service. This also has the benefit of increasing syncing speed as we are able to remove a middle man from the syncing process.
*   We see users with older phones and fitness trackers having issues more frequently. New trackers and smartphones have better battery life and thus background syncing seems more reliable.
*   Unfortunately, the fitness tracker and smartwatch manufacturers don't publish their internal algorithms on how often they'll sync in the background. We see a wide variation among users, but generally fall in the range of 1-20 times per day on average.

### Final Thoughts

Syncing your fitness tracker is a fairly complex, multistep process. When everything works, it feels like magic. If issues arise, the most common fixes include opening your fitness tracker app, opening the MoveSpring app or reconnecting your tracker to MoveSpring. One of these steps will often get syncing to work again.  

We used MoveSpring as the example 3rd party app, but syncing works similarly for 80% of other 3rd party apps. The most common difference is whether they use a data aggregator, such as Validic.  

If you encounter syncing issues with your fitness tracker, simply reach out to our support team. We are always happy to help!

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How syncing your fitness tracker and smartwatch works

## Challenge themes create a constraint, which actually makes it easier for you, the admin, to get creative.

There are a lot of reasons why creating a theme or topic for your step challenge will make the experience more enjoyable for you and your participants. 

Themes give purpose and focus the attention on something specific. This piques participants’ interest and sparks curiosity, leading to higher challenge participation and engagement. Which of these sounds more interesting? An Apollo Lunar Space challenge or a more generic Summer Step challenge?

Themes keep things fresh and interesting. If you’re running [multiple challenges a year](https://movespring.com/resources/playbook), make each experience feel different by changing more than just the challenge mode.

Themes add an element of entertainment or education to your challenge that allows users to engage with something other than just their activity stats. Why does this matter? Not everyone at your organization is a super stepper. They may be more motivated to keep moving if they can also learn something or be entertained along the way. 

Themes create constraints for you, the admin, which allows you to narrow your focus and produce more creative ideas. It’s true! There’s a [real science](https://www.fastcompany.com/3067925/how-constraints-force-your-brain-to-be-more-creative) behind using constraints to boost creativity. Your theme gives you a starting point for when you have to decide things like: challenge name, what content to post, or what kind of prize to give out. With a theme, you can focus your decision-making to a narrower field of ideas that will inspire you to look more creatively at the limited options at hand.

<p class='large'>“Constraints give us a starting point and some building blocks to work with—a problem to solve, an innovative twist to be revealed, or a person to please.”</p>

[Source](https://www.forbes.com/sites/groupthink/2013/07/12/creativity-how-constraints-drive-genius/#600ea1603d89)

## Follow these steps to create your own constraints and work more creatively within the MoveSpring platform:

#### 1\. Select a theme or topic

*   Be inspired by a specific health, fitness, or wellness topic such as sleep, mindfulness, eating more vegetables, meal prep, stress-free living, mobility, bone health, memory, breaking bad habits, smoking, dealing with tech addiction, etc.
*   Be timely with a seasonal theme related to holidays, weather, seasons, etc. 
*   Inspire professional growth with workplace topics such as productivity, ways to work smarter, managing stress, communicating more effectively, how to appropriately regulate emotions, creativity, teamwork, etc.
*   [Make it really matter](https://movespring.com/blog/step-because-it-matters-5d800cd9734f8f4e8eaae475) by focusing on a charitable cause or topicsuch as skin cancer, youth education, veterans, environmental sustainability, taking care of our elderly population, building homes for the homeless, etc. [Run an entire charitable campaign](https://movespring.com/charitable-giving) on our platform and donate directly in the MoveSpring app.  
*   Bring attention and build excitement around an organizational event such as tax season if you’re an accounting firm or a big, team bonding outing that happens every year. 
*   Tap into pop culture that your organization would relate to such as local sports teams, festivals, food, music, etc. 
*   Go for a throwback by picking a historical topic to inspire learning that is relevant to your location, the present time, or your organization’s industry/service.
*   Get nerdy with science themes that inspire learning and curiosity through topics such as nature, animals, the environment, technology, space, etc. 

#### 2\. Determine challenge details

**Pick your challenge type.** Your theme can help dictate your challenge mode. For example, a challenge theme about the [benefits of curiosity](https://movespring.com/blog/step-challenge-idea-the-benefits-of-being-curious-5cf6e728140d2d294d83a6cd) pairs well with our Journey mode, which feels like an adventure and makes users curious as to what will happen next. An [Olympic-themed challenge](https://movespring.com/blog/step-challenge-idea-going-for-the-gold-5d110f87bb417c6305726eb6) would work well with a team leaderboard mode, mimicking the nation-teams that participate in the real Olympics. Is your challenge theme related to [building new habits](https://movespring.com/blog/step-challenge-idea-catch-some-zs-5d07e956fce63c258b252fd3)? Try out Streak or Stick to it! modes, which have users consistently achieve a daily goal.

**Determine your challenge goal**

*   Can you find a factoid related to your theme that can be repurposed into a challenge goal? For example, the moon is 238,855 miles away from Earth. Make your [moon-themed challenge](https://movespring.com/blog/step-challenge-idea-shoot-for-the-moon-5d35f70adb550255f7d29a7e) goal 238,855 steps. 
*   Look at your users’ [daily step average](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/2583629-setting-a-group-module-goal) and determine a realistic, but challenging movement goal.

**Set your challenge duration.** We recommend challenges last somewhere between 2 and 6 weeks for maximum participant engagement.

#### 3\. Curate your content  

The best part about MoveSpring is being able to do so much more than just track your steps. Our super flexible [content feature](https://movespring.com/resources/tour/content) allows you to upload articles, videos, and posts to your step challenge. 

Now that you have a theme, it makes picking your challenge content that much easier. Find interesting articles or videos from around the web that are related to your theme. 

Let’s say your theme is all about the importance of a[ good morning routine](https://movespring.com/blog/step-challenge-idea-i-woke-up-like-this-5cf8417e1ac13e46caa89a77). You can find content about how to wake up earlier, the habits of morning people, tips on how to transform your morning routine, and stories about how successful people structure their day. 

#### 4\. Pick your prizes

A creative incentive goes a long way in motivating participants. Resist the temptation to _only_ reward with money. This can lead to high levels of [cheating](https://movespring.com/blog/how-to-deal-with-cheating-in-a-step-challenge-5d658b386d2e59281553a929). There are much better, scientifically supported ways to motivate people. Intrinsic motivation, such as recognition or a fun experience, is highly effective and can lead to stronger, longer-lasting engagement.

Your theme can help you pick nontraditional, interesting prizes that may even include a fun experience! 

For example, if you’re running a [challenge all about curiosity](https://movespring.com/blog/step-challenge-idea-the-benefits-of-being-curious-5cf6e728140d2d294d83a6cd), consider prizes such as a book about curious thinkers, tickets to a TEDx talk, a subscription to the MasterClass online learning website, or even an in-person class to learn a new language. 

## A blank canvas can be terrifying. Embrace constraints and watch your step challenge creativity flourish! 

If you come up with a [super cool challenge idea](https://movespring.com/resources/success/stewart), let us know! We’d love to share it on our website and inspire other admins like you.

The MoveSpring Guide to a Happy, Healthy Remote Workforce

Step Challenge Idea: Longest Walk of the Year

How to set a goal for your next activity or step challenge

How syncing your fitness tracker and smartwatch works

How to create a themed step challenge

Download the MoveSpring Playbook

More Resources

Explore More

Make fitness fun at your organization