How to successfully organise a step challenge at work ?
Organising a step challenge at work is an engaging way to improve your teams’ health, boost their morale, and bring them together under a shared goal.
Whether you’re planning a corporate step challenge or a step challenge for charity, these events will encourage your employees to get physically active while working as a team.
The best part is that you can easily manage your challenge with a wellness app and track progress while motivating your team at the same time. With the right strategy, you can create an experience that is enjoyable for your team and impactful in creating a healthier workplace culture.
In this post, we’ll share tips on how to create a successful step challenge that gets your team members moving and productive. Ready? Let’s go!
What is a step challenge?
First things first: a step challenge is a friendly competition where your employees try to take as many steps as possible over a set period. This challenge encourages physical fitness by turning every day walking into a fun event.
In a corporate environment, employees track their steps using fitness apps or pedometers and compete to see who can walk the most.
It’s a simple but effective way to promote health and wellness in your office.
Running a company step challenge can improve overall fitness, build team spirit, and boost morale among your teams. It’s also a flexible activity that can fit into different wellness programs in your workplace.
In other words, whether you want to help your workforce become healthier or promote teamwork, an office step challenge is a great way to get everyone involved and motivated.
Why organise a corporate step challenge?
It’s not about counting steps, it’s about promoting teamwork, encouraging healthy habits, and improving your workplace culture.
Let’s look at why step challenges can be a game-changer for your company.
1. Improved Employee Health
A step challenge for the workplace encourages your employees to be more active.
The study “Influence of Physical Activity on Hypertension and Cardiac Structure and Function” has shown that regular walking can lead to lower blood pressure, weight management, and better health.
Additionally, as your team members walk regularly, they can improve their physical fitness, reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes, and improve their mental health.
This ultimately leads to a healthier and more productive workforce.
2. Boosted Team Morale
Team step challenges can help your staff feel like they’re part of a community. Moreover, working together towards a common goal can boost team morale.
Better team morale equals a more positive work environment.
3. Increased Engagement
This type of challenge offers your teams something a little out of the ordinary.
This can be a great way to break the monotony of their daily routines and give your teams something refreshing to engage with. You may find that this keeps them motivated and maybe even excited about coming to work.
4. Enhanced Productivity
A recent study from the Mental Health Foundation has shown that regular physical activity, like walking, can improve focus and boost energy levels. Encouraging your teams to be more active at work can make them more productive and focused – it’s a win-win for you and them!
5. Cost Savings on Healthcare
Healthier employees mean fewer sick days and reduced medical costs.
Encouraging your team to take part in regular physical activity through corporate challenges can lead to long-term savings on healthcare expenses.
6. Promotes Company Culture
Organising exciting and health-oriented activities promotes a positive company culture.
It shows that your organisation values its employees’ well-being and promotes a healthy balance between work and life.
7. Data-Driven Insights
Many wellness apps used for step challenges offer data analytics. This allows you to track participation, measure the impact on your teams’ health, and find areas for improvement in their wellness programs.
Ready to organise a step challenge?
8. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
You can host step challenges for charity as a way to show your company’s commitment to social responsibility and being involved in the community. Your employees will definitely feel more motivated for a step challenge if they know it’s raising money for a good cause.
9. Quality of Work Life (QWL)
Fitness challenges can contribute to a better quality of work life. It encourages a healthy lifestyle, reduces stress, and improves overall job satisfaction.
10. Fun and Motivation
Adding an element of fun to your work environment can greatly improve your team’s motivation. Step challenges at work offer a refreshing break from regular tasks. They keep your employees excited and eager about something other than their daily routines in the work environment.
11. Encourages Healthy Competition
A friendly step competition at work can encourage your employees to challenge themselves and each other in a supportive way. Turning it into a healthy competition raises the stakes just enough to where teams can push each other to the right level.
12. Builds Leadership Skills
Running a step challenge can give your employees a chance to lead, especially if you organise different teams. When you allow your team members to take initiative, they can develop new skills.
This might turn into an opportunity to find potential leaders within your organisation.
13. Encourages Accountability
When employees set personal goals and share them, they’re more likely to stick to them. This accountability can help them make lasting changes to their lifestyles.
14. Increases Social Interaction
Last but not least, creating a challenge at work encourages your teammates to interact more with each other outside of their regular work tasks. It creates stronger workplace relationships between teams. The result? A more collaborative and supportive work environment!
How does tracking work in a step challenge?
Staff members simply need to connect their smartphones or smartwatches to a wellness app. This ensures you can track steps accurately and fairly across all teams.
Here’s how tracking works:
Connecting to Health Apps
Many step challenge apps seamlessly sync with the built-in health apps on mobile phones. Android users can use Google Fit and iPhone users can use Apple Health.
These built-in apps make it super easy for teams to track their steps throughout the day.
Linking Wearable Devices
Wearable devices, like Fitbit’s or Garmin’s, can be linked directly to the step app. These wearables offer real-time step counts and extra fitness data. They’re ideal for staff who want to get more serious about tracking their steps and improving their global wellbeing.
Syncing with Sports Apps
Our Teamupp app works with other sports apps, like Strava, to track your team’s steps. Your teams can record their steps on another app and have the data automatically synced with Teamupp. This makes it easy to see all of the data in one place whilst ensuring that every step is counted accurately.
Manual Entry Options
Even though it is the least practical option, teams can manually track their steps using Excel or Google Sheets by logging their steps into a spreadsheet every day.
However, this is a pretty dry and time-consuming way to track steps. Staff may forget to log some days and they may be tempted to add a higher step count than they actually did. Overall, manual entry options aren’t a great option.
Leaderboards and Progress Reports
Teamupp’s app has a leaderboard and progress reports that let your employees see how they perform compared to their teammates. It encourages teams to participate in healthy competition with each other. You can also show the progress reports to teams regularly so that they can see how far they’ve come. It’s a great way to keep your staff motivated and excited to continue.
Custom Goals and Alerts
Some tracking platforms allow you to set custom goals for your team. Some even allow you to set alerts and reminders to encourage your teams to get moving if they’ve not been active for a while. These features help keep the engagement levels high all through the challenge.
Data Privacy and Security
Keeping your teams’ data safe and secure is important.
Thankfully, many wellness apps, ours included, take the issue of privacy seriously and encrypt personal data. It allows your team to control the information they share with the app. This builds trust and may encourage more of your employees to participate without worrying about their data being compromised.
What are the rules and rewards for a step challenge?
Having clear rules and exciting rewards is important for running a successful step challenge in your workplace.
To give you a hand we thought about some rules and rewards for your next step challenge.
Rules
Establishing well-defined rules will help your teams understand the structure and objectives of your challenge. Common rules you can include are as follows:
- Eligibility to participate: Define who can join the challenge – full-time staff members, remote workers, or teams from different departments. Of course, we encourage you to open your challenge to as many people as possible.
- Set clear start and end dates: Set a specific timeframe for the challenge. It’s a great idea to choose a timeframe between four weeks and a few months. This will give enough time for your team to achieve meaningful progress and build healthy habits.
- Step tracking method: Establish how your team members will log their steps. Will it be through a dedicated wellness app, synced wearables, or manually?
- How to participate: Clarify if the challenge will be individual or team-based. Team-based options are often the best because they provide team building opportunities.
- Daily step goals: Establish realistic daily or weekly step targets. For instance, you can aim for 10,000 steps per day, which is an inclusive amount for all fitness levels.
- Guidelines on fair play: Ensure your teams understand activities that count towards step totals, such as walking, running, or using a treadmill. It will be helpful to include reminders for fair play to discourage activities that would unfairly boost step counts, such as shaking their step-tracking devices.
- Breaks and rest days: It’s a good idea to allow for rest days to prevent burnout and encourage everyone to stay on the challenge. It also shows your thoughtfulness in acknowledging that your employees have different levels of fitness.
- Regular updates: Sharing progress updates or leaderboards with your team members keeps the excitement going. It also motivates them to push harder. You could also launch a friendly competition with regular updates.
Rewards
Offering rewards can greatly motivate your employees to commit to the challenge and stay active.
Here are some budget-friendly rewards you can use:
- Free perks: These are small but meaningful rewards that your team will appreciate. Examples include extra break time or premium parking.
- Gift cards and vouchers: You can give gift cards for local stores or wellness-related products to top performers.
- Charity donations: If you’re running a step challenge for charity, you can donate to a charity chosen by the winning team.
- Wellness subscriptions: You can give the winners access to premium packages on your chosen wellness apps, gym memberships, or online fitness courses to support their ongoing commitment to being healthier.
- Branded gifts: You can include branded items like water bottles, backpacks, and hoodies in the gift list. These gifts help to promote a sense of pride and belonging in the company.
- Team prizes: For team challenges, some ideas of group prizes include team outings or sponsored lunches to promote team spirit while rewarding their collective effort.
- Recognition: You can mention the winners of the challenge in your company’s communications or offer them symbolic awards like certificates signed by the CEO or the MD of your company.
- Personal development opportunities: You can give the winning employees access to courses or workshops that focus on professional growth. Rewarding your team members with skills and knowledge will not only benefit their career development but also the company. Once again, that’s what we like to call a win-win!
What format should you use for your company step challenge?
Choosing the best format is one of the key elements to success when planning a step challenge at work.
There are different formats for different fitness levels and interests, and selecting the right one will make your event more inclusive and fun.
Here are some popular formats you can consider for your step challenge for the workplace.
Daily step challenge
This format encourages your team to aim for a particular number of steps each day, such as 10,000 steps per day, for example.
Your team can then track their progress using the Teamupp app, which offers an easy way to log steps and view leaderboards.
This simple goal is achievable for most employees and can fit into their daily routines.
Distance challenge
An example of this challenge is the “Walk 5 km Challenge.” The challenge can be done individually or as a team to promote teamwork.
A wellness app, like Teamupp, can help your team track the distance they cover and make it easier for them to stay motivated.
Company-wide challenge
This format is a fun and engaging way to get everyone involved in the challenge.
For example, a “Walk 16 Million Steps for the Planet” challenge can be a great CSR initiative for your company. Everyone in the company can work together to achieve a collective goal.
You can consider unlocking donations at different step milestones for an added boost of motivation.
It’s also a great idea to display a shared counter on your chosen wellness app to indicate the number of steps everyone has contributed towards the challenge. This will promote a sense of community and purpose among your teams.
Team competitions
For this format, you can create teams to compete against each other in a step competition at work. This will encourage collaboration and accountability among the team members as they work towards a collective goal. Finding a name for the teams can also be part of the fun.
How to choose the right format ?
The best format for your team step challenge depends largely on your company’s culture, your employees’ preferences, and your overall goals for the challenge.
Whatever you decide, here are 3 essential points to help you choose the right format:
- Evaluate your teams’ interest levels: If you should only listen to one piece of advice, here it is, before you decide on a specific format, understand your employees’ interests.
They are the most important part. To do so, you can ask their opinions through surveys or discussions.
Once you have understood what makes your team excited, you can then tailor the challenge to suit their specific preferences. - Include everyone: Choose a format that everyone can participate in, regardless of their schedule and fitness levels. This ensures that everyone gets to participate and feel included in the challenge.
- Keep it fun: Regardless of the format you choose, include some fun elements to the challenge.
For instance, you can have themed days or friendly rivalries. The whole idea is to improve engagement and motivate everyone to participate.
9 Tips for creating an inclusive step challenge
One of the best ways to make all your employees feel welcome and engaged in your step challenge is to create an inclusive event. This helps to promote a sense of belonging and encourages everyone to participate, regardless of their ability or fitness level. Here, we’ll look at nine tips to help you create an inclusive step challenge at work.
- Personalise the steps goal
Understand that not everyone has the same fitness level. Therefore, allow your employees to set personalised step goals based on their abilities. With this approach, you can encourage everyone to take part without them feeling overwhelmed. - Inclusive communication
Be sure to use encouraging and inclusive language as there may be people on your team who are feeling a little intimidated by the challenge.
You should also ensure that teams understand exactly how the challenge works. To keep everyone in the loop and answer questions, use email, boards, company intranets, and team meetings. - Include wheelchair users
You can include wheelchair users in these challenges with some simple tweaks. Instead of tracking steps, you can track the distance they travelled in a wheelchair. - Encourage teamwork
While planning the event, creating teams promotes collaboration and support. It builds relationships among your employees and creates a sense of community.
The teams can compete against each other or work together to achieve a common goal during the challenge. - Promote a virtual walkathon
If your team is remote or hybrid, consider organising a virtual walkathon using an app like Teamupp’s. This challenge format will allow everyone to participate from their location. You can monitor their progress and track the steps through our app. A virtual walkathon keeps everyone engaged and active regardless of their physical distance. - Provide resources and support
To keep everyone engaged, share tips for achieving step goals with them.
For example, they can take the stairs instead of the lifts and go for walks on their lunch breaks. You can also share resources with them, such as workout videos, fitness classes or course materials to motivate and engage them more actively. - Celebrate your team’s achievements
It’s important to recognise and celebrate every team member’s achievements during the challenge, no matter how small.
You may want to create categories for different milestones, such as “Best Team Spirit” or “Most Improved”. This highlights and celebrates everyone’s efforts. - Gather feedback
Once the challenge has ended, gather feedback from your teams. This data can help you better understand what worked and what didn’t. You can then figure out what needs improving for next time. - Connect to a cause
It’s also an excellent idea to organise your corporate step challenge around a charitable cause. For instance, you can use Teamupp’s app to organise a step challenge for charity to add an extra layer of motivation for your team.
This makes them feel they are contributing to something greater than themselves, creating a higher sense of fulfilment.
How to host a steps competition at work : step by step guide
Now that you have understood the benefits of creating a step challenge at work, we’re here to help you organise one.
To ensure a successful challenge, here is a little step-by-step guide to make the best out of it.
Step 1. Define your goals
The first step is to decide on what you want to achieve. Do you want to help your team members improve their health, boost their morale, or raise money for a cause? Answering this question will help you create the perfect step challenge for your team.
Step 2. Choose the challenge format
Next, decide if you want a team competition or an individual challenge. For example, you can choose a virtual walkathon where your employees can log their steps from anywhere they are.
Step 3. Select a wellness app
Choose a wellness app that everyone can use. Make sure the app can track steps and is easy to navigate. A simple-to-use interface is also something you should look for.
Not sure about what app to choose? Just ask for our app’s free trial!
Step 4. Set the rules
Explain clearly how the competition will work. Make sure they understand everything before you start. You should include details on the start and end dates, how to track their steps, and what prizes will be given to the winners.
Step 5. Promote the challenge
Now that you have everything in motion, the next step is to promote the challenge to your employees. Use different channels, including emails, newsletter, meetings, and posters to encourage your teams to participate. Make it exciting and share stories about the benefits of moving and being more active.
Step 6. Encourage your team to participate
Create a supportive environment to ensure everyone participates in the challenge. Share tips with your team and encourage them to motivate each other. Also, celebrate their small achievements and get everyone excited about the challenge.
Step 7. Track the progress
Regularly update your teams on how everyone is doing. You can do this through leaderboards or progress reports sent through email or your chosen wellness app.
Step 8. Celebrate the grand finale
After the challenge, host a fun event to conclude the competition. During the grand finale, announce the winners and hand out prizes. This can be a great way to end your challenge on a high note and keep your staff excited for the next one.
Step 9. Gather feedback
Once the challenge is over, ask your employees what they liked and what they think could be improved. This feedback can help you create a better challenge next time.
It’s time to improve your team’s bonding and promote a healthier workplace culture. Are you ready to start your own step challenge? Try our Teamupp wellness app today to boost your employees’ happiness and productivity at work!
Ready to organise a step challenge?
