5 challenge ideas to get your staff moving
From fitness bingo to walk ‘n’ talk meetings, find out how you can get your employees involved in an engaging, activity-based step challenge
Whether it’s walking the dog, cycling to work or playing sports, encouraging staff to engage in physical activity can be crucial for improving their mental and physical wellbeing and boosting colleague connections if events are organised through work.
As businesses are also continuing to navigate the shift to hybrid and remote working, at a time when overall rates of employee health are in retreat according to Vitality findings[1], encouraging staff to get active, strengthen social connections and make healthy lifestyle choices is increasingly an imperative for employers.
After all, Vitality data shows that healthier employees are better for business, with those engaging in heathy behaviours losing significantly less days of productivity on average than those who are not[1].
Ahead of ‘Steptember’ – an annual fitness challenge – we share five fitness challenge ideas that could help you get your staff moving and connecting, both now and in future.
1. Step count challenge
Whether it’s a cross-department step contest or a company-wide push to reach a shared goal, set a collective walking distance for you and your team to cover.
Earlier in the year we heard from Geolytix, a location planning consultancy firm who combined mapping skills with physical activity days to encourage staff participation. The team thought creatively and, at Easter, wrote out ‘Happy Easter’ by marking walking routes on Strava.
Whatever you choose, think outside of the box and give staff the chance to come on a journey that will give them a shared sense of purpose and the opportunity to get active.
2. Fitness bingo
Swap ‘Clickety Click’ and ‘Two Little Ducks’ for fitness bingo cards that suggest physical activities that your staff can cross off to increase their step counts. From visiting new nature trails, going on hikes or even joining their local park run, brainstorm a variety of long and short fitness activities to populate your digital bingo card.
Getting staff involved in the setup of the challenge will not only help them to feel included but it will ensure that the fitness bingo activities are ones that they actually want to participate in.
3. Office Olympics
Nothing says childhood nostalgia like a team sports day or an office Olympics to get your colleagues involved with. We’re talking a dedicated day of team sports ranging from relay races to skipping, welly throwing and egg and spoon races. Plus, any others that you fancy adding to the list!
Ensure that there are a range of activities suitable for different abilities so that all colleagues can join in. On the day, you can organise staff into small groups, helping them to build cross-department connections, get active and increase their step counts.
4. Photo scavenger hunt
Create a treasure hunt with a twist that prompts employees to get moving. Rather than asking staff to search or collect items, get them to photograph a range of low- and high-ticket items for this fitness-based scavenger hunt.
From nearby, easy to spot items – like a lamp post or post-box – to items that are further away and require more walking – think townhalls or local landmarks – compile a list of photos that employees can take (as proof of their efforts) and meet their step count goals.
5. Walk ‘n' talk meetings
Swap virtual meetings for on-the-move calls to encourage exercise throughout the day. Unless colleagues are required to join a meeting from a desk (e.g. if you need to share your screen or attend a confidential call), ramp up the competition factor and challenge staff to see how many meetings can be done on the go.
Studies have also found that walking can improve creativity, so you may find you get more out of your meetings as well[2].
The above tips might act as a useful springboard for you to start your own Challenges initiative but there are plenty of other activity-based contests that you can roll out to encourage employees to get active now and in future!
What is Vitality’s Employee Challenges initiative?
Employee Challenges is Vitality’s new digital-first initiative prompting businesses to roll out activity-based challenges to get their staff moving.
Tapping into the power of gamification and social accountability to drive behaviour change, Challenges seamlessly integrates with the broader health and rewards ecosystem on the Vitality platform.
The more employees move, the more they can benefit from rewards in the Vitality programme – a win-win for businesses and their employees.
[1] 10 years of Britain's Healthiest Workplace: The changing face of the UK at work, 2025
[2] Give Your Ideas Some Legs: The Positive Effect of Walking on Creative Thinking
Related: Employee Challenges
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- Support your employees’ mental and physical health - with award-winning private medical insurance.
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- Keep them engaged and motivated - with discounts and rewards from our top brand partners.
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