The Fitness Challenge Handbook

Introduction

Corporate fitness challenges are a hot topic these days. According to the 2012 Towers-Watson study, the use of fitness challenges in the workplace has increased over 40% compared to the previous year and is expected to increase another 33% in 2013. Why all the fuss? Corporate fitness challenges provide the following benefits to employees and employers:

• Promotes engagement in the corporate wellness program
• Fosters a positive and healthy corporate culture
• Can generate significant cost reductions from healthcare providers
• Provides a low-cost enhancement to an effective wellness program

This handbook was designed for the novice fitness challenge administrator but even the seasoned professional will discover methods to spice up challenges and improve participation. The guide starts with an in-depth discussion on designing the challenge: determining goals and parameters, setting awards and creating a definition document. The guide then steps through launching and running the challenge where data is collected and feedback is provided to participants. Finally, the guide covers wrapping up the challenge and preparing subsequent competitions.