How to Create a Wellness Challenge

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Trying to find a relatively quick way to get the office in shape and motivated? Have you considered implementing a wellness challenge? Wellness challenges can be exciting programs that promote healthiness in the office, with a good dose of healthy competition. Here are four ideas and tips on creating a wellness challenge.

Time limit

First determine how long you would like challenge to last. It should have a clear start and end date. Be sure to give yourself the appropriate amount of time in order to see results but not too long where people get bored with the challenge. An ideal range for this would be anywhere from 2-8 weeks.

Short time challenges can include walking challenges, logging foods, or hydration challenges. Long time challenges can be a “Biggest Loser” sort of program or training for a local 5k.

Decide what’s important

Sending out a survey prior to deciding the challenge can help determine what wellness goals are needed. From weight loss to hydration, learning what’s important to your team will help create an effective program because people will be actually have an initial interest to take part.

Provide incentives 

Sometimes improving health and wellbeing just isn’t enough to get motivated. So help out with that! Offering gift baskets, money, or onsite office chair massages. Office perks can be offered too. That could be anything from a pass to wear casual clothes for a month or additional vacation time.

Tracking

Another element to define is is how the challenge will be tracked. Will results and progress data be private  or public?  Personal tracking may result in more participation but might require more of an “honor system” approach and can sometimes be ineffective. Public display  of results or progress may seem a little harsh, but it does help with accountability and natural encouragement.

So, ask your employees if they have ideas for wellness challenges or incentives. Engaging everyone helps create a team-like mentality that helps in every friendly competition. The best part? A simple challenge can help keep workers healthy which in turn improves productivity and office moral. That’s a win-win-win!