For the month of September our team decided to get moving. Coming out of winter time could be the perfect time to get started. “Let’s start a step challenge”, we said! So, team Gem-Steppers was created, and the competitive streaks came through.
Let’s face it, when we get busy it’s often our health and wellbeing that takes a backseat. I notice when I work from home, my incidental walking diminishes as there is no walking to the train station, no walking to get some lunch or coffee. On work from homes days, I just walked from the bed to the home office, to the dinner table, and to the driveway for a school drop-off, and sometimes barely reach 2000 steps a day.
The Gembridge walking challenge provided a fun and accessible way for our team to prioritise health, foster a culture of collaboration and support, plus a little friendly rivalry.
Our Challenge
We each set a personal goal, as everyone is different. We have people without cars that already walk a lot, marathon runners, and some recovering from injuries. The range of personal goals set varied between 6,500 steps and 10,000 steps. The intention was for everyone to beat their own goal for the entire month of September. We named ourselves, the “Gem Steppers”! To encourage participation, Gembridge donated $100 per person to charity.
So what actually happened...
So what actually happened, well it appears we have quite a competitive bunch! Very early on we had people trying to "win" and be on top of the leaderboard. Every morning was the banter about who thought they had won, until the "night time walker" (Thanks Javi!) topped the leaderboard after everyone had gone to bed! or the Marathon runner in training decided to have another jog (That’s our Jenni D).
People also changed their daily habits…
Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
Star jumps at night
Walking laps inside the house because it’s raining.
Walking to work
Using lunch breaks for a short walk, referred to a “blocky” (walk around the block)
Scheduling walking meetings instead of sitting down in a conference room
Parking farther away from the train station to get in more steps
We also noticed the team building benefits…
Increased social interaction
Friendly competition – and lots of banter
Enhanced mood
The camaraderie, friendly banter, team collaboration we got from this was gold. Benefits of better health and mental wellbeing was a bonus.
Technology - The App
There are many apps on the app store for this, we used a "free" app called StepUp (a couple of dollars and it was ad free). The app provided the basic functionality of a combined leaderboard and the ability to download the data. Plus, it had some features that suiter our office banter, like the ability to Cheer, Taunt or Nudge your team members. Nudge and Taunt were frequently used! 😂
Awards...
We had weekly prizes along the way, which we mixed up what it was for, either a weekly leaderboard winner (Tessa, Michelle, Troy), or a blitz their own goal winner (Lauren), with certificates printed and left on their desks for a bit of fun (with small prizes for motivation).
We then finished the month with a big finale and one true overall winner with the greatest steps on average for the month. Congratulations Tessa.
Inspired? Thinking of doing a Team Step Challenge?
Perhaps this is something that you could incorporate into your workplaces.
While the challenge might sound simple, its impact on physical and mental wellbeing is profound. Here’s how a step challenge can benefit employees and the workplace as a whole:
Boosts Physical Health
Improves Mental Wellbeing
Fosters Team Collaboration and Social Connection
Encourages Healthy Habits
Boosts Employee Engagement and Morale
Accessible to All Fitness Levels
Cost-Effective and Easy to Implement
As for apps, there are lots of apps out there like StepUp, Strava, Pacer pedometer step tracker, 10000 steps, 10000 step challenge, and many more that you can pay for too. They all either connect directly to your smart watch, or via the apple health app.
When setting step goals, although 10,000 steps is a nice round figure, studies have recommended that 7,500 steps a day will have significant health benefits.
Conclusion
A team walking challenge offers a range of wellbeing benefits. By promoting regular movement, encouraging healthy habits, and fostering a culture of collaboration, these challenges create a win-win for both employees and employers.
We definitely recommend trying it with your teams if you like the idea of a workplace where you could improve your health, strengthen team bonds, and boost morale - all while engaging in a little friendly competition.
So get your walking shoes on… and get stepping!