## We reimagined our beloved Journey mode to bring the best parts of an in-person race to the MoveSpring app. With our new Virtual Race experience, participants have more ways to win: cross the finish line first, or move the most miles by challenge end. Enhanced social interaction gives users a more detailed view into each other’s stats and activity.

![virtual-race-01.gif](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1627672326/blog/virtual_race_01_8aa83e8744.gif#300)


Our new Virtual Race challenge lets you experience the competition and fun of an in-person race, right in the MoveSpring app.

### More ways to win
Race participants can win in two different ways: by crossing the finish line first, or by accumulating the most miles by challenge end. Creating more ways to win makes the competition more exciting and inclusive for all users.

- **Time to finish:** Win by crossing the finish line first. Participants are scored by the total days it took them to reach the challenge goal. Multiple people can tie for first, second, and third place.
- **Move the most miles/km:** Win by moving the most miles or kilometers by challenge end. The competition isn’t over when you cross the finish line. See how far you can go!

### Celebrating and recognizing wins—big and small.
It’s a big deal when you achieve that coveted first place medal. You deserve to be recognized! Once scores are finalized, winning participants will see a gold, silver, or bronze medal next to their photo on the leaderboard. When top-placed participants check their scores in the app, personalized confetti and congratulations make the win feel extra special.

However, we know getting first place isn’t everything. Making it to the finish line is a big deal for everyone! We want users who reach the challenge goal to feel rewarded and recognized. Each finisher will see a green flag next to their photo on the leaderboard and a shower of confetti in the app 🎉.

### Enhanced race standings
Get a more detailed preview of your race standings when scrolling through your challenge page. Check your place on the map and see those closest to you on the leaderboard. On your stats page, you’ll see a clear indicator of your race progress, rank, and daily pace.

![virtual-race-02.gif](https://res.cloudinary.com/movespring/image/upload/v1627672326/blog/virtual_race_02_5954045a29.gif#300)

## Keep the pace with other participants
The Virtual Race leaderboard now includes more details and interactive capabilities.

### Profile overlays
Dig into each participant’s leaderboard stats by tapping on their name. An overlay will appear that shows that user’s daily stats, as well as an interactive chart summarizing their weekly trends. Track their progress and see if you can match their pace. If a participant is friends with that user, they’ll have easy access to a chat button to cheer them on!*

*Note: exact information displayed dependent on user’s profile privacy settings and friend status.*

### See who reached milestones, and when
Users can now see how many people have reached each milestone and how long it took them to reach it (shown in days). Keeping tabs on your friends? Easily see which of your friends reached the milestone; they will be listed first.

### Filter the leaderboard by Friends
It’s fun to see everyone’s stats, but sometimes you want to know the scores of those you know best. Now, users can filter the leaderboard for their friends.

### Additional leaderboard detail: customizable location
We may not all be moving from the same place. Now, you can see a user’s location under their name on the leaderboard. Location is an optional and customizable field located in the user profile. While we prompt users to provide a general “location,” we often see users treat this field like a mini bio. Fill in a funny nickname, give a nod to your department or team, or keep it literal with a location. Way to go, BigStepper123 from Chi-town! 

## Explore a variety of racetracks or create your own!
With 20 racetrack map options and growing, you’ll never feel like you’re running in place.
- **Seasonal maps:** Be in step with the seasons. Try our winter, spring, or summer racetracks. Keep an eye out for holiday themes, including Thanksgiving and Halloween, coming soon.
- **Travel the world:** Explore Rome, Tokyo, and London. Host a tropical beach race. Or embark on a global adventure with our International Globetrot.
- **Participate in the Olympics:** Go for the gold with our Summer Games racetrack that features videos from current and former Olympians. 
- **Create your own racetrack!** Option to fully customize your racetrack to reflect your unique race, organization or event. [Contact us](https://movespring.com/request-demo?utm_source=virtual-race-jul21&utm_medium=ms-blog&utm_campaign=custom-racetrack) to learn more.

## On your mark, get set…go virtual! Run a MoveSpring Virtual Race for your next run, walk, or corporate fitness challenge.

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 Bring the energy and excitement of an in-person race to your next corporate fitness challenge.

<p class='large'>Expand your wellness initiatives beyond steps, distance, and active minutes. Help your employees build a variety of healthy habits that align with your company’s unique goals and culture. Run a challenge based on any custom action you specify. Water challenge, anyone? How about a daily meditation challenge?</p>

In our latest feature, Custom Activity Challenges, you determine the action or activity you want users to complete. Users log their completion of your custom activity and are scored into one of our two daily goal challenge modes: Streak or Stick to it!

### How it works

#### 1. Determine your daily goal

First, decide what action you want your employees to complete every day. The sky is the limit! Custom goals are open-ended and only require you to describe your daily goal in 50 characters or less. Need some inspiration? Check out [this list](https://movespring.com/blog/custom-activity-challenge-ideas-5ff4bd76cd17240007baf4e8) of Custom Activity Challenge ideas. 

**Try one of these ideas for your first Custom Activity challenge:**

*   Drink 8 glasses of water each day
*   Go to bed 15 minutes early each day
*   Complete 10 push ups each day
*   Save $1 each day
*   Meditate for 10 minutes each day
*   Call a family member to say hello each day

Note: the same action will be repeated each day, or for a set number of times, throughout a Custom Activity Challenge. If you want users to complete a daily activity that varies, check out our [Actionable Content](https://movespring.com/blog/promote-and-track-a-variety-of-health-actions-through-our-latest-feature-actionable-content-5f99a56440e4ca00087226cf) feature, which allows you to upload a different prompt each day. 

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/8b82fa30-4f8a-11eb-8325-27ef00c1513d-Main-Image-02.png)

<p class='large'>Custom Activity Challenges require participants to complete the same, single action each day, or for a set number of times, throughout the challenge. This feature is great for building habits and consistency around a very focused goal.</p>

#### 2. Pick your challenge type

Custom Activity Challenges are compatible with two challenge modes: Streak and Stick to it! Each challenge mode asks users to complete a daily goal. In Streak, users try to complete the daily goal as many days in a row as possible. In Stick to it! users can miss a few days, but instead work towards a total number of completions, such as 10 daily goal completions over the course of a month.

**Example: I want my participants to drink 6 glasses of water each day.**

*   In a Streak challenge, your participants would drink 6 glasses of water _every day of the challenge_, trying to never miss a day. 
*   In a Stick to it! challenge, your participants would drink 6 glasses of water at least (ex) 15 times over the course of a (ex) 30-day challenge.

#### 3. Specify your challenge dates, prizes, and additional content

As with any challenge, set a start and end date for your challenge. If you're running a challenge to create new habits, we recommend somewhere between three and six weeks in duration. Determine your prize strategy and plan out any additional content you may want to post with your challenge.  

Pro tip: Use our Content Library for a [curated collection](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/4106367-adding-collections-to-your-content-module) of content across a variety of topics including habit formation, productivity, nutrition, mindfulness, and more.

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/ca9183a0-4f89-11eb-8325-27ef00c1513d-Main-Image-03.png)

### Users can easily log the custom activity right from the app dashboard.

Users can quickly and easily log their daily goal with a single swipe. Users participating in a Custom Activity Challenge will find a new section at the top of their dashboard called “Log an Activity.” 

Your custom activity will appear with a button to “Log for today.” Users simply tap and swipe to complete the activity. Forget to log one day? Users can log an activity up to seven days in the past. 

Users can track progress like they would with any challenge. Participants can view scores inside the challenge page, see how others are doing, and keep track of all the days they’ve completed the daily goal.

Participants can log their activity in many places throughout the app: on the dashboard, inside the challenge, and when viewing their past data. Activity logging is easy and accessible no matter where you are in the app, ensuring challenge scores are consistently up-to-date.

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/d3267980-4f89-11eb-8325-27ef00c1513d-Main-Image-04.png)

<p class='large'>Add some variety and excitement to your 2021 wellness program by incorporating a Custom Activity Challenge. </p>

Need inspiration? Check out [this list of ideas](https://movespring.com/blog/custom-activity-challenge-ideas-5ff4bd76cd17240007baf4e8) for your next Custom Activity Challenge.

Not sure which activity logging feature you should try for your next challenge? Check out [this handy guide](https://movespring.com/blog/should-you-use-actionable-content-or-a-custom-activity-challenge-5ff4c2b6a9eaf30007837ba3) to determine if Custom Activity Challenges or Actionable Content is best for your next initiative.

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Run a challenge based on any activity. Introducing Custom Activity Challenges.

## Promote and track a variety of health actions through our latest feature, Actionable Content.

Clients often ask us, “How can I track more than just physical activity?”

After all, health is so much more than just steps, distance, and active minutes moved. The foods you eat, the way you manage stress, and how much sleep you get every night all have a big impact on your health. However, it can be hard to track and reward these behaviors.

Our newest engagement tool, Actionable Content, is designed to help our clients promote and track these critical health actions.

With Actionable Content, you can post an action, behavior, or video you want your participants to complete. Once achieved, your employees can mark this action as complete in the app. Track who completed each task and which prompt drove the most actions. 

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/affc4c30-1944-11eb-88c4-75bc05a83ddc-Actionable-Content.gif#300)

### Encourage more than just physical activity. Track and reward health actions you specify, such as a completing a guided meditation or getting a flu shot.

Create a holistic health program by adding Actionable Content to any activity challenge. Actionable Content enables you to post an action, article, or video that your employees can mark as complete.* Actionable Content is managed the same way as standard content uploads, keeping the process simple and turnkey for the program administrator.

**How it works**

1.  When creating your challenge, include the content option.
2.  When selecting the content feature, toggle “Actionable Content” to be on.
3.  [Upload content](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/1868596-upload-and-manage-content-within-the-content-module) as you would normally, scheduling posts, articles, or videos throughout the duration of your challenge. In the app, each piece of content will include a button for participants to mark as complete.
4.  Once the challenge is over, pull a report to see which actions each participant completed. Also, learn which content was effective in driving the most actions.

_*Participants self-report the action as complete. We are unable to verify the validity of self-reported actions._

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/487dd6e0-1940-11eb-88c4-75bc05a83ddc-Admin-Modal.png)

### Participants can easily track their completed tasks and catch up on past prompts.

As with all content, participants are notified by a push notification when a new post is available in the app.* Participants can tap the notification, view the content, then mark the action or task as complete. 

Participants can see the most recent posts right from their challenge page. Tapping to view all content allows users to see which content they completed and which actions they have not yet done. They are also able to keep an eye on their completion score, shown at the top of the page. 

With each post, users can view all the participants that have marked the action as complete. Seeing others complete the task provides social motivation, making it more likely that the participant will take the action themselves. Don’t forget: encourage your employees to leave comments on the post to describe how it went, or what they thought.

_*Users must enable push notifications to receive this alert._

_![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/5376fb80-1940-11eb-88c4-75bc05a83ddc-3-Phones.png)_  

<h3>Use Actionable Content to build up a specific skill or habit over the course of a challenge. Or, encourage your participants to complete a wide variety of basic health actions.</h3>

#### Help your participants build a new habit or skill

Guide your participants from beginner to pro with a new daily task that builds upon each previous post. Do you want to promote daily meditation at your organization? Try a gradual approach using Actionable Content:

*   An article introducing and explaining mindfulness
*   An article on the benefits of meditation
*   A 1-minute guided meditation video
*   A 5-minute guided meditation video
*   An 8-minute guided meditation video
*   A 10-minute guided meditation video
*   A self-guided nighttime stress relief meditation

**Pro tip**: Begin by introducing the topic, educating users on the benefits, and then prompt them to try it out with small, simple tasks. Gradually build up to larger or more difficult actions. By challenge end, your participants will have gained a new skill and healthy habit.

#### Focus on variety: Post a new, mini health challenge each day of your program.

Keep your participants engaged with a new, simple health task to accomplish each day of the challenge. This approach allows you to promote a wide variety of health behaviors, such as: 

*   Getting a flu shot
*   Going for a 15 minute walk after lunch
*   Calling a loved one to catch up
*   Going to sleep 10 minutes earlier than the night before
*   Incorporating at least 3 different vegetables in your diet today
*   Drinking 8 glasses of water in one day
*   Skipping coffee or caffeine for one day

**Pro tip**: Does your company have a fall wellness checklist? Ensure your employees complete every requirement on that list by uploading a new item each day of the challenge. By challenge end, your employees should have completed the entire wellness checklist!

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/3e035b50-1944-11eb-88c4-75bc05a83ddc-diagonal-phone-grid.png)

### Automate your program with our Content Collections

Not sure what to post? Use MoveSpring [Content Collections](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/4106367-adding-collections-to-your-content-module) to take the guesswork out of your program strategy. Content Collections include 10-20 curated articles, videos and posts around a variety of health topics, such as Mindfulness, Stress management, Meal Planning and more. Pick and choose specific pieces to upload, or evenly distribute an entire collection throughout the course of a challenge in just a few clicks. 

### A healthier organization—in a single swipe.

Try out our new Actionable Content feature today. Available to all one-time and subscription clients.

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Beyond steps: Track other activities with Actionable Content

<p class='large'>At MoveSpring, we believe all achievements are worth celebrating, no matter how small. With our latest feature, Badges, it's more rewarding than ever to celebrate your accomplishments!</p>

## ![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/58449280-7a76-11ea-9702-d3cd06045ef8-Badges.gif)

### Consistently and automatically recognize employees for more than just challenge scores.

Previously, achievements in MoveSpring were focused on a participant's challenge score. Users experienced a sense of accomplishment for placing in the top three of a Leaderboard challenge or hitting a seven-day Streak.

With Badges, users can earn an achievement on their own time, whether they're in a challenge or not. Earning these individual, ongoing badges keeps participants engaged. It also encourages them to take consistent, small health actions. Even better, Badges require zero set-up work for admins. They are ready to use by default in the MoveSpring app.

### How Badges work

As employee fitness levels vary, we want to make sure Badges are accessible to individuals of all activity levels. In the new MoveSpring Badge system, users can earn badges in four different categories: Challenge, Activity, Community, and Seasonal.

#### Challenge badges

Recognize users for completing each challenge type as well as for their challenge performance. For example, the Gone Streakin' badge is earned every time a user completes a Streak challenge. The Above & Beyond badge rewards users for completing 150% of their Target challenge goal.

#### Activity badges

In the Activity Badge category, users receive personal recognition for improved or consistent activity, regardless of whether or not they are in a challenge. The Up and Up badge is earned when a user increases their monthly step average. The 5K Pro badge rewards users for maintaining at least 5,000 steps per day for one month.

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/ee7b0d00-7a77-11ea-9702-d3cd06045ef8-Main-Image-3.png)

#### Community badges

The Community Badge category celebrates those users who simply engage with the app. Earn badges for liking content, syncing your device, adding friends, sending chat messages, and more. You don't need to be incredibly active to earn Community Badges, just enthusiastic.

#### Seasonal badges

Our rotating Seasonal badges will reward users for reaching activity or engagement goals that are connected to a timely seasonal theme. For example, the Be Mine badge is earned when a user moves 5,000 steps on Valentine's Day. We'll be adding and updating Seasonal badges often so users always have a chance to earn a limited-time achievement.

Users will find a complete list of available badges on their profile. Tapping on a badge will bring up details about how to unlock it or when the user earned it.

### How we created badges

We looked at a **_ton_** of inspiration before we started creating badges. Many step-tracking apps (and even apps that aren't fitness-related) allow users to earn badges. We decided from the start that we wanted our badges to be fun, colorful, and easily digestible to match our brand. We came up with an initial list of badges users could achieve, and started on some ideas.

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/bba1de70-7a88-11ea-9702-d3cd06045ef8-Main-Image-2.png)

Once we determined a template for all the badges, we started designing them one by one. We designed each badge to be eye-catching, fun, and inspiring. This first batch includes 40+ badges for users to achieve!

### Get started with Badges today

Give your employees that extra boost of motivation they need with our fun, inclusive MoveSpring Badges. Badges are available in all MoveSpring subscription plans, which you can check out [here](https://movespring.com/pricing). 

*Note: Badges are turned on by request for existing clients. Please contact your client success manager to activate badges for your account.*

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Celebrate your achievements with MoveSpring Badges

### Our clients often tell us that MoveSpring step challenges are their most successful corporate wellness initiative.

We love to hear that! We ask clients what makes the MoveSpring wellness program a success, and they usually give us a few key reasons:

1.  Employees developed an [interest](https://movespring.com/resources/success/stewart) in their health
2.  Employees [improved](https://movespring.com/resources/success/uky) their fitness levels or created a lasting lifestyle change
3.  The program boosted company [culture](https://movespring.com/resources/success/ramey-kemp) and morale
4.  Everyone had fun!

### On average, MoveSpring users open the app twice a day while participating in a challenge.

Admins are surprised to learn their employees use the MoveSpring app on a daily basis. Most other employee engagement tools see little love. Many employees only log into their benefits portal once a year. Nearly all employees are guilty of ignoring at least one email from HR. We realize how difficult it is for our admins to effectively communicate and engage their employees. We knew we could help close the loop.

### Our latest feature, Announcements, helps admins cut through the clutter and capitalize on employee engagement by reaching their employees where they already are—in the MoveSpring app.

We created Announcements to help admins take advantage of the momentum gained from running a MoveSpring wellness program. Our latest feature allows admins to send timely info and updates to employees directly in the app.

### How it works

#### Fast, customizable creation

Admins can create, send, and schedule announcements directly in the MoveSpring Admin Center. A basic announcement may simply include a headline and brief description. However, admins can also include an image or a button with a customizable call-to-action. This button can link users to a different website or portal.

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/8da63470-7435-11ea-ade5-d1d1b8ae4b1c-ContentCTA.gif)

#### Send to all or some of your employees

Quickly send an announcement to all your MoveSpring users, or select sub-groups based on the custom questions asked during your initial onboarding flow. Additionally, admins can send announcements to specific individuals as well as past challenge participants.

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/ace83810-7435-11ea-ade5-d1d1b8ae4b1c-Recipients.gif)

#### For immediate release, or schedule for later

Similar to our customizable [content uploader](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/1868596-how-to-schedule-articles-videos-or-announcements-within-the-content-module), admins have the option of immediate publication or scheduling the announcement for a later date and time. Create an entire schedule of announcements that are timed for critical communication points throughout your challenge or broader wellness program.

#### One, focused announcement at a time

Never battle inbox clutter again. Users will only ever see one announcement at a time, right at the top of their dashboard. Users see the most recent announcement until another is posted, or until the announcement expires after 10 days. Users can find all past announcements in their Utility Panel. This can be accessed via the menu icon at the top of the mobile dashboard. On web, users can access past announcements via the new Announcements tab in the nav.

![](https://cdn.cosmicjs.com/0c0b61f0-7436-11ea-ade5-d1d1b8ae4b1c-AnnouncementTap1.gif)

### Try some of these ideas for your first announcement:

*   Share ongoing tips on how to stay safe amidst the coronavirus outbreak. Link to the CDC [website](https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html) with lots of trustworthy information on treatment and prevention.
*   Invite and alert users to upcoming company events, such as a virtual happy hour or an impromptu company walk. 
*   Remind employees to get their flu shot (it’s never too late!). Link to a mobile-friendly [flu shot finder](https://www.cvs.com/store-locator/landing). 
*   Encourage employees to enroll in their annual benefits and include a button that navigates users directly to their enrollment page.
*   Post spontaneous praise, highlighting users who are working hard to improve their activity and are frequently engaging with the challenge.
*   Keep participants incentivized with prize reminders and details on when prize winners will be announced.
*   Educate users on how to make the most of the MoveSpring app even after their company-wide step challenge ends. Encourage users to [create their own challenges](https://movespring.com/blog/let-your-users-run-your-wellness-program-for-you-5d5ae37f1da6472ce52d6e31) with friends, shoot for new personal [records](http://help.movespring.com/en/articles/3676707-navigating-your-mobile-profile), and hold their [coworkers accountable](https://movespring.com/blog/making-fitness-more-fun-with-friends-5cfae3b5f644a764adf9dedf) to stay active.

_Announcements are available to all MoveSpring plans and one-time event clients._

Bring the energy and excitement of an in-person race to your next corporate fitness challenge.

Run a challenge based on any activity. Introducing Custom Activity Challenges.

Beyond steps: Track other activities with Actionable Content

Celebrate your achievements with MoveSpring Badges

Cut through the clutter with our latest feature: Announcements

Download the MoveSpring Playbook

More Resources

Explore More

Make fitness fun at your organization