The new year creates an opportunity for a fresh start and a chance to focus on personal goals. Many clients run activity challenges at the beginning of the year to help their employees prioritize health in the new year.

However, New Year's resolutions rarely stick. Roughly 8% of Americans who set New Year's goals actually achieve them. In fact, 80% of people abandon their New Year's resolutions by February.* 

## This year, help your employees reach their goals by focusing on resilience. Our Climb to the Top challenge explores grit, overcoming fear, and taking risks.

Encourage your employees to dream big and take the risks needed to overcome life's challenges. Help them understand that failure is part of the journey to success, and that periodic stumbles shouldn't keep them from reaching their goals.

This challenge embraces the messiness of adversity. As participants move in real life, they will virtually progress up a mountainside. Along the way, they will unlock motivating content that provides encouragement and discover tools to help them reach their goals, even if they stumble.

Climb to the Top is a fun way to kick off the new year. However, building resilience can be a focus at any time during the year. Incorporate a Climb to the Top challenge in your annual program by following this guide.

---

#### CHALLENGE DETAILS

Follow these specifications when [creating your challenge](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/1872650-how-to-create-a-challenge) in the Admin Center.  

### **Challenge Name:** Climb to the Top

### **Challenge Modes & Goals:** 

- Virtual Race - Reach 60 miles by challenge end
- Stick to It - Reach 20 active minutes* at least 10 days during the challenge

**Consider enabling **Activity Override**, which will allow participants to manually enter active minutes. Participants using an iPhone as their device (instead of a wearable device) will not be able to sync active minutes automatically, since the Apple Health app does not track active minutes on its own. Learn more [here](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/4636416-should-i-allow-activity-override-for-my-users).* 

### **Duration:** 30 days

### **Description:**

Need motivation to achieve your goals? Get inspired to overcome obstacles as we make our way through the Climb to the Top map! As you move in real life, you'll virtually climb up a mountainside and unlock the secret to persevering through the toughest of challenges.

Challenge goals:

🚀  Complete a 60-mile virtual race

🌟 Move 20 active minutes a day for at least 20 days

Ready to get moving? Set your sights high, and let's climb to the top!

**Head to the Admin Center to [create the challenge](https://admin.movespring.com/challenges/create/) now.**

---

#### COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

### **Challenge Invitation**

Send this invitation as an [in-app announcement](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/3854206-how-to-use-the-announcements-feature) and as a message in Slack, Teams, or email.

**When:** 7 days prior to challenge start

**Title:** Let's Build Resilience

**Optional Image:**

![Main-Image-02-optimized.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1637173554/blog/Main_Image_02_optimized_14621dbd8b.jpg)

**Description:**

Join our company-wide health and fitness challenge, starting [XX DATE] on the MoveSpring app. Each participant will work to complete a 60-mile virtual race. As you move in real life, you will unlock content that explores grit, overcoming fear, and taking risks.

Follow these steps to sign up:

1. Click this link: [INSERT CHALLENGE LINK]
2. [Connect](http://help.movespring.com/en/collections/854577-getting-started-in-movespring#connecting-a-fitness-tracking-device) & [sync](http://help.movespring.com/en/collections/854577-getting-started-in-movespring#syncing-activity-to-movespring) your device

If you have technical questions or issues, [contact the MoveSpring support team](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/2207782-how-do-i-contact-customer-support). 

Happy stepping! 

### **Challenge Announcement**

Get your users engaged from day 1 by sending an [in-app announcement](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/3854206-how-to-use-the-announcements-feature) that promotes your challenge and encourages users to engage via chat.

**When:** First day of challenge

**Title:** Let's climb to the top!

**Optional Image:** 

![Main-Image-03-optimized.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1637173600/blog/Main_Image_03_optimized_6f97f99183.jpg)

**Recipients:** Send to challenge participants

**Description:**

Today kicks off our Climb to the Top challenge! Every step gets you one inch closer to the finish line and every minute gets you closer to the active minutes goal. 

Make sure you're syncing distance and active minutes from your connected device. Contact the MoveSpring support team if you need any help with syncing.

Check out the chat and join in the conversation there! Let's help keep each other motivated by sharing how you'll be getting active during this challenge.

Let's go! 

### **Chat Prompt**

All chat messages should be posted from your MoveSpring account in the mobile app or from the [MoveSpring web app](https://app.movespring.com/) in the challenge chat. 

Kick your challenge off by encouraging users to share how they plan to get active throughout the challenge. Be sure to include your plan in the placeholders below.

**Message:** 

Climb to the Top starts today! Get ready for fun, adventure and lots of steps. 

To kick things off, share how you plan to keep active during the challenge, whether you're starting a new habit, or sticking with a routine that works for you! 

[EXAMPLE: I'm going to start taking a 20 minute walk during my lunch break 👟 ]

---

#### REWARDS STRATEGY

Reward your users who complete the Virtual Race and the Stick to It goal.  

We suggest prizes that will reinforce the themes of the challenge, such as goal setting, trying new things, and taking risks. 

### **Prize Ideas**

For completing the Virtual Race goal: 

- [Moleskine planner](https://www.moleskine.com/en-us/shop/planners/)
- [Goal setting journal](https://www.lifehack.org/851916/goal-journal)

For completing the Stick to It goal (raffle):

- Rock climbing class
- Indoor skydiving experience
- [Ember smart mug](https://ember.com/products/ember-mug-2?variant=30843977826389&a=1&a=1&a=1&a=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw2bmLBhBREiwAZ6ugo23Atm5Q1dWKYeKORfjH4SIFxLVGZro4s4DbN2CBPk1hQ-Z77HdythoCKkUQAvD_BwE)
- [AirPods](https://www.apple.com/airpods/)

**Want more challenge templates? Ask your client success rep about our [Ultimate plan](https://movespring.com/pricing).**

*Sources*

[https://www.thetimestribune.com/news/local_news/tips-for-making-sure-your-new-years-resolutions-stick/article_8cd14b54-17fd-51a9-ab5a-89859e6e34c4.html](https://www.thetimestribune.com/news/local_news/tips-for-making-sure-your-new-years-resolutions-stick/article_8cd14b54-17fd-51a9-ab5a-89859e6e34c4.html)

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Help your employees become more resilient in the new year

## Building on our latest Virtual Race [updates](https://movespring.com/blog/virtual-race-run-walk-event-mode-72), we are excited to announce the ability for all clients to fully customize a Virtual Race challenge right from the MoveSpring Admin Center.

Clients of all plan types can customize their map, milestones, and more in our new Racetrack Creator. 

Previously, we offered clients the option to customize their map and milestones for a fee. Over the past few years, the enthusiasm and demand for customized virtual races has quickly grown. We find that clients who customize their Virtual Race often have higher participation, engagement, and overall satisfaction with their challenge experience. We wanted to bring this opportunity to every client, without the extra cost. 

## Now, every client has the ability to customize the map, milestones, and more in our Virtual Race mode—at no additional cost.

![Main Image 02.png](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1633984481/blog/Main_Image_02_effaeb4c89.png)


## How it works
We built our Racetrack Creator tool to be flexible. Keep it simple by customizing milestones for our existing maps. Or, upload your own map, with the option to include milestones.

### Access the tool from the Challenges section of the Admin Center
Then, click on the “Custom racetracks” tab at the top of the page.

![1. Navigate to creator.gif](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1633984606/blog/1_Navigate_to_creator_41c1b93931.gif)


### Use a MoveSpring map and customize your milestones.
Select from our [entire library](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/4201968-guide-to-virtual-race-themes) of existing virtual race maps. Then, upload your own milestone content.

![3. Create milestone.gif](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1633984609/blog/3_Create_milestone_6f041bc9e2.gif)


### Or, upload your own custom map for a fully branded challenge experience.
Upload a series of photos or graphics to create a custom map. Then, select the path that participants will move along. You have the option to include milestones. 

![5. Select path.gif](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1633984608/blog/5_Select_path_39bdf0049e.gif)


### Then, create a Virtual Race challenge and select your new racetrack!
Choose an individual or group race.

![6. Create challenge.gif](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1633984608/blog/6_Create_challenge_f6b570e40a.gif)


## Tap into your creative side and build a personalized challenge experience
Try some of these fun ideas to customize your next Virtual Race challenge.

### Feature celebrity shoutouts on Cameo
Check out [Cameo ](https://www.cameo.com)to feature inspiring or silly shout-outs from your employees’ favorite celebrities and athletes. Use these videos in your milestones to make the challenge extra special.

### Share motivational messages from leadership
Have your top leadership record a quick, motivational video message right from their phone, then add the videos to your milestones.

### Inspire with videos from around the web
Pick a theme for your map, then find educational or entertaining videos on YouTube that go deeper on specific aspects of your theme. For example, our *Climb to the Top* racetrack takes participants up a mountain while exploring the theme of overcoming challenges. While the users move in real life, they progress up the mountain and unlock milestones about grit, setting goals, and [taking risks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6A7kLf-cfw).

### Reward and recognize employees
Use milestones to reward and celebrate your employees. Reward employees with things like additional PTO days or a free UberEats lunch. Try recognizing or highlighting random employees in the milestones to celebrate top performers, birthdays, or to get to know new employees.

### Get in the seasonal spirit
Get in the seasonal spirit by creating racetracks for upcoming seasons or holidays. Customize the milestones in our spring, summer, fall, winter, or holiday maps. Upload your own map for an event that is specific to your organization. 

### Take a global office tour
Bring your remote workforce together with a custom racetrack that travels to all your offices across the country or world. Each milestone can feature a video or fun fact about a different office.

### Use free stock photos for a fast custom map
Download a series of photos from [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com) or [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com) to quickly create a high-quality custom map. 

## Boost challenge participation and engagement with a custom Virtual Race experience. 
Click [here](https://admin.movespring.com/racetracks) to create your first custom racetrack. Be sure to check out our [how-to videos](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrClmZ2cH2qLVkwHOW6wD1PButfFxnNOz) and [help articles](http://help.movespring.com/en/collections/854648-admin-resources#using-the-movespring-racetrack-creator) for helpful tips and best practices.


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Customize your next Virtual Race challenge

So you've decided to run a corporate step challenge and need some great prize ideas to go along with it. You've come to the right place! 

We'll be covering 70 prize ideas for any budget to help you find the right rewards for your company step challenge.  Incentivizing with rewards and prizes is a great way to motivate your participants to do their best and have some fun.

After years of running challenges for companies of all sizes at MoveSpring, we've discovered 4 key points about rewarding and employee recognition:

 - Rewards can help to drive engagement.
 - Rewards work best when they are customized & thoughtful.
 - Rewards should be available to more than just the top steppers.
 - Rewards can fit any budget!

Rewards are a cornerstone of a successful wellness program and can incentivize habit change and health engagement. While the saying goes "cash is king", prizes actually work best when they're uniquely curated to your challenge theme or organization itself! When you take the time to reward participants based on their interests and goals, it helps to foster appreciation between employer and employees. 

If you're feeling worried that you don't have a large budget to spend on prizes, no sweat! You can show recognition to your participants with any budget. Really!

![prize-ideas-4.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1634073064/blog/prize_ideas_4_00d8246f7a.jpg)

In this blog post, we'll be covering creative ways to reward your participants that go beyond recognizing top steppers. In addition, you'll find our favorite 70 prize ideas for a corporate step challenge broken down by category and budget.

If you're ready to create a reward strategy for your challenge that ensures participants are engaged, excited, and ultimately more active, read on!


## Rewards: The Basics


Let's start off with the basics. When creating a reward strategy for your company step challenge, you'll want to decide on a couple of key points upfront:

### What's your overall budget & how many prizes will you be offering?

Budget is a big thing to consider starting out. By identifying your total allocated budget, you'll be better prepared to figure out what kinds of prizes you can offer for your step challenge!  If you're only running one challenge, we recommend offering around 5-10 different prizes for participants to win. If you're running company step challenges often, 2-3 prizes should be enough per challenge to keep competition and excitement high. Keep in mind, prize number recommendations might vary based on the size of your organization.

With the prizes we've listed below, we're sure you'll find some great options, no matter what your budget may be.

### How will you structure your rewards strategy?

Next, you'll want to decide how you'll structure your rewards strategy. Rewards can be based on the entire duration of the challenge, or you can make users eligible for different rewards weekly for more fun! 

For example, include smaller weekly prizes for participants who average a certain amount of steps. Then, announce the grand prizes after the challenge ends based on total challenge stats. Participants will have something to look forward to every week!

Looking for an extra-exciting option? Create a raffle where participants become eligible for entry when they meet certain challenge goals or maintain activity averages. This keeps anticipation high and ensures everyone has a chance to win while they're crushing their goals. 

### How will your participants qualify for prizes?

Finally, you'll want to determine exactly how participants qualify for prizes. While you may feel tempted to reward the top steppers on the Leaderboard, this method can be a bit disheartening! You may inadvertently discourage other participants who are trying their best, but ultimately can't compete with your most athletic employees. After all, the goal is to be inclusive and reward everyone who is working hard to be engaged and more active!

There are many ways to recognize participants that go beyond just recognizing your top steppers. We recommend giving participants a few different ways to earn a reward to diversify your reward strategy. The more ways they have to participate and engage, the more chances they have to win! 

![prize-ideas-7.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1634073218/blog/prize_ideas_7_194582cd94.jpg)


## Ways to Reward Participants

Below, you'll find four ways to reward your participants creatively, whether you're using the MoveSpring platform or not:

### **Achievement**

Reward top-stepping participants as one part of your overall reward strategy. We also recommend recognizing users who are most improved over the course of the challenge. Additionally, you can recognize participants who made new personal records (like most activity in one day)!

**For example, reward a few users who are most improved from weeks 1-2 to weeks 3-4 with PTO half day passes.**

*💡The Leaderboard, Journey, and Target modes on MoveSpring are ideal to measure individual achievement.*

### **Teamwork**

Reward winning teams in competitive challenges or celebrate goal completion in collaborative challenges.

**For example, reward the team with the highest average steps with a team pizza party.**

*💡Try the Team Leaderboard, Group Journey, Group Target, or Group Target Fundraiser modes on MoveSpring to recognize teamwork.*

### **Consistency**

Reward participants who consistently meet their activity goals over time. Those who average a certain number of steps, distance, or active minutes throughout the duration of the challenge become eligible for prizes.

**For example, create a raffle to reward users who maintain a 5k step average for 30 days with a $20 gift card to a local grocer.**

*💡The Streak & Stick to It modes in MoveSpring are a great way to measure consistency and stay on top of your goals.*

### **Participation & Engagement**

Reward participants for joining the challenge and actively syncing. With the help of MoveSpring admin reports, you can also recognize those who engage with the app, content, or chat on a regular basis.

**For example, reward the most engaged user in the MoveSpring app with a healthy snack box.**

*💡With MoveSpring’s Engagement Reports, you’ll have access to engagement stats from the MoveSpring Admin Center.*


## Reward Ideas for Any Budget

Now that you've got your reward strategy basics down, let's get to the fun part: prizes! 

Sure, we all love an Amazon gift card, but there are plenty of other outside-of-the-box prize options for you to choose from as well. We recommend tailoring your rewards specifically to your challenge theme or your employees' goals and interests. Your employees will appreciate the personal touch, and they'll be more motivated to engage with your challenge and ultimately their health.

Our favorite 70 prize ideas are broken down into five main reward categories: wellness prizes, prizes beyond wellness, experiences, corporate benefits, and recognition. Each category has options for any budget; the opportunities to get challenge participants pumped are endless!

### Budget Key:

🆓 ($0 per participant)

💲 ($1-$50 per participant)

💲💲 ($51-$100 per participant)

💲💲💲 ($101+ per participant)

---

## **Wellness Prizes**

![prize-ideas-1.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1634073340/blog/prize_ideas_1_3f9efda559.jpg)

*This is a fitness challenge after all! Your participants will feel motivated to keep up the investment in their health and wellbeing with these wellness-themed rewards.*

### 💲

**1** Yoga mats  

**2** Workout equipment (for example: weights, resistance bands, or foam rollers)  

**3** Mini desk humidifier  

**4** Insulated water bottles  



### 💲💲

**5** Healthy snack boxes  

**6** SodaStream machines  

**7** Corporate care packages 

**8** Blender or smoothie-maker  

**9** Light therapy desk lamps  


### 💲💲💲

**10** Free workout or personal training passes  

**11** Bikes  

**12** Standing desks or ergonomic chairs  

**13** Weighted blankets  

**14** White-noise sleep sound machine  


### 💲 -💲💲💲

**15** Subscriptions to health & wellness apps (for example: Headspace, Calm, or Noom)  

**16** Food kit subscriptions (for example: Blue Apron, HelloFresh or Daily Harvest)  

**17** Gym memberships or fitness subscriptions  

**18** Fitness trackers  


---

## **Prizes Beyond Wellness**

![prize-ideas-6.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1634073384/blog/prize_ideas_6_7f16b97dec.jpg)

*There are endless options of prizes beyond wellness that you can purchase for your participants! Go with the theme of your challenge or something unique to your organization. By customizing, you'll get folks excited to participate in future challenges!*

### 💲

**19** Company swag (Go with practical options! For example: Water bottles, shirts, hoodies, coffee cups, Moleskin notebooks, or backpacks)  

**20** Sunglasses  

**21** Small potted plants or flowers  

**22** Golf umbrellas  

**23** Scratch-off tickets  

**24** Dry cleaning gift certificates  

**25** Gourmet olive oil or spice sets  

**26** Books  

**27** Paid subscriptions to media (for example: The New York Times, New York Magazine, Tech Crunch, or Audible)  

**28** Adjustable laptop stands  


### 💲💲

**29** Themed gift baskets  

**30** Kindles  

**31** Coolers  

**32** Upgraded office supplies (For example: a new keyboard, mouse, monitor, or speakers)  

**33** Air Fryers  

**34** Outdoor hammocks  


### 💲 -💲💲💲

**35** Gift cards (For example: large retailers or grocery stores. Support your local businesses by opting for gift cards to local shops, restaurants, or cafés)  

**36** Tech (For example: headphones, portable charging batteries, Bluetooth speakers, instant cameras, or tablets)  


---

## **Experiences**

![prize-ideas-5.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1634073419/blog/prize_ideas_5_5db11222d4.jpg)

*Delight your participants with more than just "stuff"; give them an experience they'll never forget! Experiences can be especially effective in team challenges as an additional team-building exercise that's sure to be a good time.*

### 🆓

**37** Host a potluck  

**38** Host a spirit day. Pick a fun theme like costumes, sport jerseys, or fun socks!  


### 💲

**39** Catered/ food truck team lunch (if you have a remote team, try offering delivered lunches via a courier service like Postmates or Uber Eats)  

**40** Host an office party or picnic!  


### 💲💲

**41** Professional development courses (For example: LinkedIn Learning)  

**42** Cooking class passes  

**43** Museum or art exhibit tickets  


### 💲💲💲

**44** Local boat cruise tickets  

**45** Food or brewery/winery tours  


### 💲 -💲💲💲

**46** Spa experience certificates (For example: massages, facials, or manicures/pedicures)  

**47** Local event tickets (For example: concerts, festivals, movies, or sporting events)  

**48** Airbnb experiences  


---

## **Corporate Benefits**

![prize-ideas-3.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1634073457/blog/prize_ideas_3_2d29b3f2e4.jpg)

*If your company offers benefits to employees, why not include those options to reward your challenge participants? A practical solution that is sure to be exciting.*

### 🆓

**49** PTO day pass  

**50** One-on-one mentoring with a fellow employee  


### 💲 -💲💲💲

**51** Company stock  

**52** Student loan contribution  

**53** Transit benefits (For example: Uber/Lyft credit or credit towards local public transportation)  

**54** Session with a financial advisor  

**55** Pay one month of a utility bill  

**56** Donate to a charity of your participant's choice on their behalf  

**57** Bike share credits  

**58** Subsidize one month of health insurance premiums  

**59** HSA contribution  

**60** One-time monetary bonus  


---

## **Recognition**

![prize-ideas-2.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1634073491/blog/prize_ideas_2_8aa61c658a.jpg)

*You don't always have to shop or spend for the perfect reward! Leverage existing resources or individuals in your organization to recognize participants uniquely.*

### 🆓

**61** Feature in a company newsletter or signage around the office  

**62** Standing ovation during a meeting  

**63** Entry into an employee hall of fame  

**64** Temporarily re-name a conference room (or something else in your office) after the participant for bragging rights  

**65** Video shout-out or handwritten note by CEO or other company executive  

**66** Extra long lunch pass  

**67** Create a custom Slack emoji with a company-wide shoutout  

**68** Give a professional endorsement on LinkedIn  


### 💲 -💲💲💲

**69** Dinner with the CEO or other company executive  

**70** Order a Cameo of someone famous in your industry (or a favorite celebrity)  


---

So there you have it! The most important rule is to have fun with creating your rewards strategy and give it a personalized touch. We're certain your fitness challenge participants will appreciate the uniqueness you've added to the experience. Aside from bragging rights, they'll sure have a lot more to brag about. 😉 Happy Stepping!


70 Prize Ideas for a Corporate Step Challenge

You're thinking of running a company step challenge but aren't ready to commit to a dedicated step challenge platform. To get started, you're looking for a free, simple solution, so you go old school: a manual spreadsheet.

While hosting a step challenge with a spreadsheet is not ideal (we'll share more on that later), it certainly gets the job done. We've outlined our experience using a spreadsheet to host a step challenge below so you can know what to expect for your upcoming event.

## Why run a step challenge in the first place?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of running a step challenge using a spreadsheet, here are a few reasons why you might want to run a step challenge at your company.

### 1. Step challenges are fun and engaging!

One of the best reasons to consider a step challenge at your organization is simply to have some fun with your colleagues. Step challenges are a great way to connect and enjoy some friendly competition. The lighthearted nature of a step challenge allows everyone to get involved and enjoy a fun group activity.

### 2. Step challenges connect your employees and boost company morale.

Hosting a step challenge at your company shows you care about your employees and their overall wellbeing. Step challenges foster camaraderie and allow fellow colleagues to get to know one another, particularly if you're part of a remote team. They can also be a source of accountability to help you set and meet your fitness goals.

### 3. Step challenges get your employees moving.

At their most basic form, a step challenge gets you moving! When your steps are counting toward a challenge, you'll be more likely to say yes to the stairs, take a morning or evening stroll, or even take a few stepping breaks during the workday to boost that total count and catch up to your competition! Plus, all that exercise will help to increase both your mental and physical wellbeing. A win-win!

## Choosing & setting up a spreadsheet tool

To host a free step challenge for your company using a spreadsheet, we'd suggest a tool like Google Sheets. Google Sheets or a similar online spreadsheet tool offers a few key advantages over tools like Excel and Numbers. For the challenge we hosted, the main advantage we found was that we could **[link a Google Form to our Google Sheet.](https://support.google.com/docs/answer/2917686?hl=en&ref_topic=6063592)**

This was helpful because it eliminated the need for a middleman to collect participant data and input it into a collective spreadsheet. Instead, participants could submit a daily Google Form to input their step totals directly into the spreadsheet.

![spreadsheet-challenge-1.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1634077120/blog/spreadsheet_challenge_1_8a611419fd.jpg)

This form asked for the participant's email, the step date, and their step total. Once a response was submitted, this information was collected into Sheet 1, called "Form Responses". The participant who submitted the form would also get an email as a record of what they had logged.

### Formulas & spreadsheet set up details

To help make management of the challenge easier, we also set up a few formulas in 2 additional Sheets.  These formulas accomplished 2 goals: (1) combining each participant's daily steps together and (2) sorting each participant's step totals from high to low in a leaderboard fashion.

In Sheet 2 called "Participants", we set up the following formulas:

**In cell A1:**

=unique('Form Responses'!B$2:B)

**In cell B1:**

=SUMIF('Form Responses'!B$2:B,A1,'Form Responses'!D$2:D)

Then, in Sheet 3 called "Leaderboard", we set up the following formula:

**In cell A1:**

=SORT(Participants!A:B,2,FALSE)

After this initial set up, each entry submitted would automatically get scored in the "Leaderboard" sheet shown below.

![spreadsheet-challenge-2.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1634077120/blog/spreadsheet_challenge_2_9be89f7eed.jpg)

We referred to this Leaderboard sheet throughout the challenge to communicate current scores.

## Recapping our 2-week, 10-person step challenge using a spreadsheet

Our step challenge had its ups and its downs. We've recapped our highlights, limitations, and what we'd do differently below so that you can make an informed decision for your own company step challenge.

### Challenge highlights

While we encountered several limitations during our step challenge using a spreadsheet, we would say it was still worth it overall! 

It was fun to connect with fellow participants and to see who you could pass on the leaderboard before the next update came out. We also enjoyed celebrating at the end of our challenge with a couple of rewards and a few superlatives, so even participants who weren't number one on the leaderboard could be acknowledged. 

Our challenge also helped to foster a sense of community with our group, as we all pushed ourselves to keep moving during the challenge and encouraged one another to keep up the great work. With that in mind, here are a few highlights of what went well during our challenge.

![spreadsheet-challenge-4.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1634077120/blog/spreadsheet_challenge_4_aa6d81c12f.jpg)

### 1. Our step challenge was fun!

We had a lot of fun over the challenge, especially as we eagerly waited for score updates to see who was going to come out on top! We noticed that we were all moving a bit more than we normally did to make sure we kept our spot on the leaderboard. We also had fun teasing the top steppers as we attempted to out-step them.

Although not required, we also enjoyed raising the stakes with a couple of simple prizes. We awarded the participant who completed the most steps with a Starbucks gift card, and we also included a random raffle drawing for a second gift card so everyone had a chance to win. This made for an exciting wrap-up to our challenge as everyone hoped for their name to come up as the raffle winner! If you plan to include prizes for your challenge, check out our best prize ideas [here](https://movespring.com/blog/70-prize-ideas-for-a-step-challenge-74). 

### 2. Our step challenge kept us motivated and competitive.

Similar to what we shared above, hosting this step challenge helped us stay motivated to keep moving throughout the 2-week period. Some of us even set personal goals during the challenge period, such as reaching 200,000 steps total by the end, to help us stay on track and try to beat out the competition.

### 3. Our step challenge helped us stay connected.

We communicated with participants throughout our challenge, which helped us all stay connected. Here is a sample message we shared for one of our ranking updates to give you an idea of what we were sharing:

**Daily update sample:**

"As promised, here’s the update for totals through 9/29! Drumroll please. 🥁

[INDIVIDUAL EMAILS & STEP TOTALS HERE]

Looks like someone’s gotta beat Scotty!! Let’s get moving this weekend! 🏃‍♀️ The last day for steps to count towards the leaderboard is this Sunday! 😱"

We kept our communications lighthearted and fun by including some friendly banter and fun emojis, and participants joined in on the fun too!

### 4. Our step challenge was inclusive.

We wanted our challenge to be inclusive for participants who prefer other activities over walking/running, as well as for participants who prefer not to run with a fitness tracker or their phone. To accommodate these participants, we allowed everyone to convert their time spent performing an activity into steps using [this chart](https://movespring.com/resources/activity-converter). This helped to keep things inclusive regardless of how you like to stay active.

In addition to our random raffle that gave everyone a chance to win, we also announced superlatives so that we could recognize more than just our prize winners:

📅 **Daytripper** (most steps in a single day)

🐢 **Biggest Procrastinator** (most days logged at once)

🦥 **Sloth Award** (least steps in a single day)

✅ **Mr./Ms. Consistent** (longest log streak)

🕵️ **Is Anybody Out There?** (fewest days logged)

🦉 **Night Owl** (latest log)

These superlatives were a fun way to sum up our challenge in an engaging way, and we hope you'll use them in your step challenge as well!

### Challenge limitations

Now that we've covered the highlights of our challenge, here are several limitations we experienced when hosting a step challenge with a spreadsheet. 

![spreadsheet-challenge-3.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1634077120/blog/spreadsheet_challenge_3_fdfd068c61.jpg)

### 1. It was time consuming.

The first drawback to using a spreadsheet for a company step challenge is the large time commitment required. 

For the initial set up, we spent time thinking through various spreadsheet options before landing on the Google Sheets and Google Forms solution. We weighed the pros and cons of basic tools like Excel or Numbers versus an online platform like Google Sheets, and settled on Google Sheets since we knew the Google Form would help us reduce our management time. The formulas we set up in Google Sheets also helped to reduce the amount of manual work we needed to do. Otherwise, we would have needed to manually combine participant totals and then rank them from high-to-low. Once we settled on a tool, we also spent time testing and troubleshooting our set up to make sure everything worked as expected. If you choose to follow the same format we chose, this blog post should hopefully reduce your initial set up time. 

However, there was still a fair amount of manual effort required to host this challenge. Participants had to manually log their totals through the form, and we had to make sure that the spreadsheet was functioning correctly throughout the challenge and watch out for any errors. Since participants couldn't see the live scores, we also had to share leaderboard updates manually during the challenge so participants could know where they ranked. One more manual task we encountered was that a few participants asked us for a reminder of what days they had logged. This was manageable for a group of 10 participants, but would be much harder on a larger scale of 100 participants or more. 

It's also important to note that any step challenge will require some time commitment regardless of what method you use to run it, but the manual elements of using a spreadsheet made it particularly difficult and time consuming.

### 2. There was a high risk of user error.

A significant hurdle we encountered during this challenge was managing the risk of user error. Before the challenge started, we considered a few drawbacks of using the participant's emails as our unique identifier for each form submission. The first issue we foresaw was participants forgetting the email they entered. Our challenge only included personal emails of friends and family, but a work challenge could lead to participant confusion due to their juggling of multiple email accounts. This did not occur during our challenge, but if it had, additional time troubleshooting the spreadsheet would have been required to resolve any logging mistakes.

Another issue we foresaw was participants submitting duplicate data, since there was no limit on the number of Google Forms you could submit for any given day. Because participants would sometimes bulk-log their step totals before a step update, they'd often forget which days they'd already recorded. Even those of us hosting the challenge were guilty of forgetting on several occasions! We did set up our Google Form to send an email confirmation that allowed you to double-check what you'd already submitted. However, we still received questions on this and did have a user double-log one day. To resolve this, we had to manually remove their extra day directly from the spreadsheet.

Finally, we realized that even simple typos either in a user's email or in their step count could be detrimental to our set up. We didn't experience any typos in the emails during our challenge, but we did have a user accidentally submit one day as "1108" steps instead of "10108" steps. We caught the mistake and updated their totals from the spreadsheet, but if this was missed, it could have impacted the challenge results.

### 3. It was not scaleable.

During this experience, we quickly realized that our spreadsheet set up for a step challenge was not a scaleable solution. It worked well with our small group of 10 participants for 2 weeks, but if you were to invite even 50 participants, management could get much more difficult. Increasing the length of the step challenge would have a similar impact, so we'd suggest sticking to shorter challenges only if using a spreadsheet.

### 4. It was easy to forget.

The old adage, "Out of sight, out of mind!" rang true for our spreadsheet step challenge. Without the manual reminders to log your steps into the spreadsheet and subsequent score updates, it was easy to entirely forget we were hosting a challenge.

To help ensure a spreadsheet step challenge runs successfully, the burden falls on whoever is hosting to maintain frequent communication. In our experience, we learned that even if you intend to send an update at 8pm on Thursday, it's not so easy to follow-through with that commitment. (We ended up sending a few messages much later than we had initially anticipated--oops!)

To help combat this, we'd suggest setting up a schedule for communication up front with reminders to help ensure that messages are sent promptly.

### 5. We were limited in terms of metrics and our goal.

For our step challenge, we decided our winner would be the person with the most steps. This set up kept things simple, but what if we wanted to find out the person with the most distance logged, or the group's total active minutes logged? Asking for additional metrics from participants would require additional work from the end user, as well as on the management end.

We also considered that it might be neat to try out a group goal sometime, such as reaching 1 million steps together. This does seem possible with a similar set up to what we used, but it could be difficult to keep engagement high without the ability to regularly check scores.

### 6. We couldn't see live scores.

One of the most difficult parts of our spreadsheet step challenge was that participants couldn't see live scores. We did consider sharing the Google Sheet with all participants instead and allowing them to keep track themselves. This would have allowed everyone to see all data at all times.

However, we ultimately chose not to move forward with this idea for a couple of reasons. Our first concern was that we were nervous some of our less tech-savvy participants would accidentally change or delete data of other participants. While we didn't expect any cheating, we also realized that giving this kind of access to all participant data could lead to intentional altering of data. While this could all be resolved by undoing any changes made, we thought this would end up being a worse user-experience overall and decided against it.

## What we'd do differently

### 1. Share more frequent updates.

Although more frequent updates would take more work from a management perspective, the challenge would have been even more engaging with a daily update instead of an update every few days. A daily update would have also encouraged users to try to log more consistently versus batch-logging their steps.

### 2. Consider a step challenge platform.

While Google Sheets and the Google Form served its purpose, there was a lot of work involved in the set up and management of the challenge. To help solve for most of the limitations we encountered (the large time commitment, likelihood of user error, lack of scalability, and lack of live scores to name a few), we would look into a platform that would:

- Aggregate and score participant data automatically
- Allow participants to connect their fitness trackers directly
- Show live scores as participants sync their trackers
- Share reminders to sync automatically
- Provide a better, all-inclusive user experience
- Offer end-user support for device and syncing questions

## Looking for a step challenge platform?

### Try Stridekick for friends and family

If you're looking for a free step challenge platform for friends and family, **[Stridekick is a great option.](https://stridekick.com/)**  You can host challenges for up to 10 participants on Stridekick for free. Stridekick allows users to connect to a variety of fitness tracking devices directly, including Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, and more to sync their data into your challenges. Stridekick also offers several challenge modes so you can mix up your challenge goals.

Beyond the automation of your step challenge, you'll also get to enjoy a dedicated challenge chat where you can share friendly banter and photos of how you're getting in your steps.

### Try MoveSpring for an organization-wide step challenge

If you're looking for a step challenge platform for companies and organizations, **[check out MoveSpring](https://movespring.com/)**. MoveSpring allows you to host challenges with various goals so that there's something for everyone in your challenge. You can also host a Team Leaderboard challenge on MoveSpring, which is always a fan favorite.

Just like Stridekick, MoveSpring also allows users to connect their fitness tracking devices directly to eliminate the need for manual logging. There are also built-in sync reminders so that you don't have to remind your participants to sync. Chat, friends, and more help to make your step challenge a great user experience from end to end.

On the management side of things, MoveSpring also offers additional functionality. MoveSpring includes a dedicated Admin Center where you can create your challenges, manage user accounts, pull reports, and even schedule announcements to your participants ahead of time.

## Enjoy your step challenge!

Regardless of how you decide to host your step challenge, we hope that this article helps you make a more informed decision. Good luck, and happy stepping!

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Running a Company Step Challenge using a Spreadsheet

Workplace wellness is having a moment in the spotlight. The pandemic turned the world on its head and gave companies a chance to rethink how they operate. It also gave employees time to consider what benefits they value and desire in their place of work. Employees increasingly expect more than gym stipends and the occasional fitness class from their employers. This is especially true as more companies shift to fully or partially remote work. Employees are looking to their companies to go the extra mile and offer encompassing benefits that support their physical, mental, and social wellbeing.

If you're not offering wellness programming as a benefit, you're missing the boat! According to [SHRM](https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pages/employers-broaden-wellness-and-well-being-programs.aspx), around 80% of employers now offer wellness programs as part of employee benefits.  Corporate wellness programs are increasingly becoming an expectation. 

If you're looking to recruit and retain your top quality workforce, [wellness programs](https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/worksite-pa/index.htm) are an essential tool in your toolbox. In addition to helping your employees be healthier, wellness programs ideally also offer opportunities for fun competition. They can help combat employee loneliness in a remote or hybrid workforce by creating [meaningful social interaction amongst employees](https://www.forbes.com/sites/alankohll/2018/07/30/your-employee-engagement-strategy-needs-more-wellness/?sh=2d470c9842b5).

We recommend incorporating physical activity in your wellness program by starting off with a classic: the step challenge!

## What is a step challenge?
![success-1.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1634227657/blog/success_1_16dbcfd189.jpg)

A step challenge tracks participants' daily step totals over a set period of time. Users typically track their steps using a wearable fitness device or the built-in step tracker on their smartphone. There are lots of different ways to set up a step challenge! For example, participants can compete to earn the most steps and top the leaderboard. Or, they can build a streak by reaching a minimum number of steps each day. Regardless of how you set up a step challenge, it can help get your employees moving!

Walking has [proven health benefits](https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20046261), and has been shown to [help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470658/). It is accessible to almost everyone, and users of various fitness levels can join in. Folks with limited mobility can [convert other activities](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/2056408-how-to-convert-non-stepping-activities-to-steps-and-manually-add-them-into-movespring), such as using a wheelchair or swimming, into steps. Step challenges are easy to join and require almost zero equipment or expertise. With such a low barrier to entry, no one will be left on the sidelines and everyone can reap the benefits of moving!

Step challenges also naturally build community. Participants can encourage each other and compete against each other, share pictures of their walks, and chat about how the challenge is going. Running a company step challenge can help bring your workplace together with fun competition!

### Why should I run an office step challenge?

At MoveSpring, we believe in making fitness fun for everyone. A company step challenge, done well, does just that! It's engaging, it helps employees be healthier, and it creates community.

[Research from Gallup](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236483/enhances-benefits-employee-engagement.aspx) has found that engagement and wellbeing are the two most important factors influencing employee performance. **An office step challenge is the go-to strategy for tying employee engagement and wellness together.** It builds relationships between employees and gets them moving at their own pace.

Do you want to help your employees focus on their physical and mental wellbeing? Interested in improving social connections at work? If the answer is yes (we sure hope it is), then a company step challenge is probably for you!

### Where do I start?
![success-2.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1634227708/blog/success_2_6c371c3968.jpg)

*Not sure where to start? We'll help you get going in no time! Follow our steps to success.* 

First, decide what platform you want to use to run your challenge. You can track steps **manually** or use a **step-tracking platform.** 

Manual tracking is the old school method of running a step challenge. The pro of manual tracking is that it is free. You can use your preferred technology to keep track of steps (Excel, Google Sheets, etc.). The con is that it can take a lot of time and energy to manage. If you're curious to learn more about manual tracking, we tested various methods and have advice for you [here](https://movespring.com/blog/step-challenge-using-spreadsheet-75). 

Using a step-tracking platform is a breeze compared to manual tracking! These platforms sync user step totals directly in from a connected device, which saves loads of time for admins and users. Users typically prefer this experience as they don't have to remember to send their totals to an admin every day. 

There are a few different step-tracking platforms out there, so we suggest thinking through some of these considerations when you're researching options:

- What [devices](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/1419827-what-fitness-trackers-and-smartwatches-can-play) does the platform connect to?
- What [challenge modes](https://movespring.com/product/challenge-types) does the platform offer?
- How user-friendly is the platform?
- What [support](https://movespring.com/product/admin-support) does the platform offer?
- Does the platform offer [manual entry](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/1868647-should-i-allow-manual-entry-for-my-users) or [conversion](https://movespring.com/resources/activity-converter) from other activities?
- Does the platform offer [reporting](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/1885101-get-creative-with-reporting) options?
- How can users [engage with each other](https://movespring.com/product/chat) on the platform (via chat or messaging, etc.)?
- How can you as an admin [communicate with users](https://movespring.com/product/announcements) on the platform?

Once you've decided on a platform, it's time to plan your challenge! 

## **7 Steps to Success:**

An office step challenge is only as successful as every participant stepping in it is. Set your employees up for success and avoid common pitfalls by investing some time up front to build out a fun and engaging challenge. 

We've distilled our experience from 5+ years of running step challenges into 7 key areas to focus on when running your step challenge.

**The 7 steps to running a successful company step challenge are:**

1. Set Simple, Clear Goals 
2. Choose a Challenge Structure that Works
3. Share Expectations Up Front
4. Communicate with Users
5. Recognize and Reward Participants
6. Get Your Timing Right
7. Make it Fun and Have Fun!

Let's dive in!

### 1. Set Simple, Clear Goals

First thing's first: Set goals for your step challenge. 
![success-3.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1634227757/blog/success_3_61d9db63ee.jpg)

You need to know why you're running an office step challenge before you can put one together. Are you interested in bringing the company together for some friendly competition? Do you want to encourage folks who usually don't move as much to get excited about stepping?

Whatever your goals, it can help to start with the people who will be stepping—your employees. Run a formal or informal survey to see who is interested in participating in a step challenge and why. Do they want to get to know their coworkers better, step for a cause, or move for rewards? Knowing what will help drive engagement can help you design your challenge around goals that matter to your company. 

This is especially important if your organization is new to step challenges!

Here are some common reasons companies get stepping together:

- Get employees moving and active
- Encourage participants to spend more time outside in nature
- Build community and friendly communication
- Step for a charity or cause
- Celebrate company holidays
- Create a culture of valuing physical, social, and mental health
- Have fun!

Whatever your goals, keep your challenge **simple, custom, and values-driven.** Don't just invite your participants to your step challenge. Tell them why they should participate and what they're going to get out of it. Share your goals with your employees to show them the value of joining in.

Need help setting a realistic step goal? [We've got you covered.](https://movespring.com/blog/how-to-set-a-goal-for-your-next-activity-or-step-challenge-18)  

### 2. Choose a Challenge Structure that Works

Next up? Decide how you want to run your challenge! 

There are tons of great ways to structure a challenge. Start by deciding if you want it to be competitive or collaborative. Think through how to be inclusive to your employee population. You might consider creating "tiered" challenges for your beginner, intermediate, and more advanced steppers. You can also choose a group goal, or reward for more than just the top steppers.

- **Want to fire up the competition?** Choose a classic Leaderboard or Team Leaderboard challenge, where users compete for the top spot!
- **Want to step together?** Have participants travel together in a [virtual race](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/4201968-guide-to-virtual-race-themes). We love seeing companies travel from office to office, moving the distance from a New York to a Boston office for example!
- **Want to step for a cause?** Pick a total amount of steps that will unlock a donation to a chosen charity!

Plan ahead and set up your challenge early to avoid last-minute scrambling. If you don't have a lot of time to plan, just stick to a simple challenge structure that lets you hit the ground running!

### 3. Share Expectations Up Front

When you're running a step challenge, you get to be the ref on the sidelines making sure everything is running fairly and smoothly. Share your expectations with your users before the challenge begins. Make sure you also share the goals and prize structure, so they know what they will get out of participating. This helps drive them to engage and see value in joining in. 

Here are some common expectations to share:

- How users can join the challenge and participate
- Important dates and deadlines for your challenge
- If users can convert activities other than stepping (i.e. biking, yoga, bungee jumping, the usual)
- How you'll handle non-syncing users (if you're running a team challenge) and user questions
- How you'll manage any suspected cheating (check out our [blog post](https://movespring.com/blog/how-to-deal-with-cheating-in-a-step-challenge-38) if you want some tips for this!)

It can be helpful at this stage to also get leadership buy-in to your challenge. We've seen that some of the most successful challenges are driven by company leaders engaging actively by stepping and chatting with other participants. Leadership buy-in helps set the stage that your challenge is aligned with your company values. And who doesn't think it's fun to try to out-step the boss? 

You should engage actively in the challenge as the admin as well. This will allow you to monitor how the challenge is going. You'll also show your users that you aren't just setting this up and forgetting it. Your participation shows users you care.

### 4. Communicate with Users
![success-4.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1634227784/blog/success_4_8259b7ffe3.jpg)

One of the most important parts of a successful company step challenge isn't actually the stepping! It's **communicating**. Sending well-timed communication with reminders and instructions is critical to the success of your challenge.

We get questions from admins about communicating with users all the time! Here are the key questions to consider:

***How often should I communicate with users?*** 

During a challenge, we suggest communicating at least 2-4 times per week! The key is keeping participants motivated and informed.

***What venue should I use for communication?*** 

This will vary by company, but we recommend having a few highly trafficked and visible venues for communicating. Identify the places you know your users check often. Communication options in MoveSpring include [announcements](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/3854206-how-to-use-the-announcements-feature), [challenge content](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/1868596-upload-and-manage-content-within-the-content-module), [content campaigns](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/4913331-how-to-create-a-content-campaign), and our beloved [in-app chat feature](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/3204481-using-the-chat-feature-in-movespring). Outside of MoveSpring you might have email, Slack, Teams, Zoom, WhatsApp, and the list goes on.

***What should I communicate?*** 

Think about what you want to communicate before, during, and after the challenge wraps up. Focus on keeping things fun and motivating. Here are some examples. 

- **Build the hype!** Before the challenge, let your users know how to join the challenge, when they'll need to join by, and how the challenge will run.
- **Call out stats, shout-out users, and keep everyone engaged.** During the challenge, share updates on how the challenge is going. Keep the comms light-hearted and fun to drive participants to keep engaging with each other and stepping to the end.
- **Announce winners and recap.** Make sure you end the challenge strong by showing everyone how they did! Announce how many steps were moved overall, who topped the leaderboard, and any prize winners.

With the Ultimate plan on MoveSpring, we provide email and print communication templates. These are easy to customize by inserting your organization details, such as company name or challenge start date. Don’t fret about the timing—our set of templates come with a recommended schedule.

### 5. Recognize and Reward Participants

One of the most important parts of any good step challenge is recognition! Rewards and prizes incentivize participation, drive engagement, and acknowledge everyone's hard work.
![success-5.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1634227834/blog/success_5_c5dc11d3f7.jpg)

We have a whole [blog post](https://movespring.com/blog/70-prize-ideas-for-a-step-challenge-74) with ideas on rewards, but the most important things we suggest are:

- Reward more than just the top steppers. Especially if you have some really high achievers or ultra-athletes. Even the playing field by rewarding users for consistency and participation, and by running raffles!
- Resist the temptation to reward with extravagant or expensive prizes. This can lead to high levels of cheating. There are 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.
- Get creative with your [prize ideas](https://movespring.com/blog/70-prize-ideas-for-a-step-challenge-74), and theme them to your company or challenge!

### 6. Get Your Timing Right

There are a couple of common timing blunders that can get in the way of a successful challenge. Here are some mistakes we've seen over the years that you can avoid:

- **Keep the challenge under 45 days.** When you drag a challenge on for too long, your users will lose steam. Keeping challenges to a few weeks actually increases engagement as users can stay focused the whole time.
- **Pay attention to the calendar.** If you run a challenge in your company's busiest season, it won't matter how exciting it is. Your users will be distracted with goals and deadlines and might not have the time to prioritize getting their steps in. Fit your challenge in when the most people can participate.
- **Avoid back-to-back-to-back challenges.** Users can experience burnout after a series of consecutive challenges. If you want to run an annual wellness program with multiple step challenges, build in breaks. Our most successful clients run between 2-6 company-wide challenges a year.

If you build out an annual wellness plan, you can always build hype for future challenges in your off-challenge times. 

### 7. Make it Fun and Have Fun!

Last but definitely not least, the most important part of any step challenge is the fun! We believe workplace initiatives should be fun above anything else. Why? If a challenge isn't engaging, users won't stick with it. 

Some of our favorite tips for keeping the stepping fun are:

- Create silly and fun themed [challenge and team names](https://movespring.com/blog/its-all-in-the-name-creative-challenge-names-27)
- Encourage everyone to share photos of their walks, and react with emojis in the chat
- Call out user stats (along with some lighthearted smack talking 😅)
- Come up with [creative prizes](https://movespring.com/blog/70-prize-ideas-for-a-step-challenge-74)

A lighthearted step challenge can have positive ripple effects through your whole company. It will lighten the tone at your office, help employees de-stress, and give everyone a way to socialize in a low pressure way.

**A step challenge isn't a silver bullet, but it can go a long way in creating a thriving, happy, and connected workforce.** 

## Keep the fun going!

One-time office step challenges can be a blast, and you might be wondering what comes next? Go beyond a one-time event with holistic wellness and annual wellness programming!

### Wellness challenges beyond stepping

If you want to keep the momentum going, think beyond just stepping! Focus on employee wellbeing with holistic health challenges. Some of our favorite examples of daily holistic challenges are:

- Meditate for one minute
- Drink 64 oz of water
- Get 8 hours of sleep
- Write down 3 things you're grateful for

We make it easy to [run a challenge based on any activity](https://movespring.com/blog/run-a-challenge-based-on-any-activity-introducing-custom-activity-challenges-1) on MoveSpring. You can [use our actionable content feature](https://movespring.com/blog/promote-and-track-a-variety-of-health-actions-through-our-latest-feature-actionable-content-6) to promote and track a wide variety of healthy actions. 

Need inspiration? [Check out our ideas](https://movespring.com/blog/custom-activity-challenge-ideas-4) for custom activity tracking challenges. 

### Stay active all year long

Build out a whole year's worth of programming! You can mix activity challenges with more holistic wellness challenges. Create a schedule that works for your company and focus on wellness all year long.

### Still not sure where to begin?

At MoveSpring, we offer complimentary onboarding to help you work through each of these steps! We want everyone to develop the most successful challenges possible for you and your employees.

We have the platform and the people standing behind you cheering you on every step of the way, regardless of your plan type. You can also take advantage of our program planning and guidance in our Ultimate plan if you want to leave the creative heavy lifting to us.

[Contact us](https://movespring.com/request-demo?path=nav) to learn more about what our platform can offer to your organization. We'd love to chat more about how MoveSpring can make a positive impact at your company. 

From all of us at MoveSpring, happy stepping! 👟

7 Steps to Running a Successful Company Step Challenge

Help your employees become more resilient in the new year

Customize your next Virtual Race challenge

70 Prize Ideas for a Corporate Step Challenge

Running a Company Step Challenge using a Spreadsheet

7 Steps to Running a Successful Company Step Challenge

Download the MoveSpring Playbook

More Resources

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Make fitness fun at your organization