8 Unique Winter Wellness Challenge Ideas Employees Will Want to Do

December 21st marks the first day of winter, shortly followed by the New Year. This is when many people identify their current habits and work on revamping them and creating new goals.

Often, these goals and habits surround fitness, finances, and tweaking everyday routines to be more aligned with their goals. This makes winter the perfect time to support your employees with a wellness challenge that helps them in their New Year’s endeavors.  

Supporting and investing in employees’ overall health and wellbeing has a proven track record of increasing employee happiness while decreasing employee turnover. Check out some winter wellness challenge ideas.

Winter Wellness Challenge Ideas

1. 21 Days of Healthy Habits‍

Studies show that it takes 21 days to make a habit. The new year is a great time to support employees in creating and maintaining new healthy habits. Create a list of practices that could become habits that employees can complete with a weekly minimum.  

2. Walk off the Holidays with a Walking Challenge‍

The holiday season is a time for indulging. Encourage employees to walk off any leftover sluggish feelings with a “post-holiday” walking challenge. Create a daily or weekly step minimum for participants to work towards. This can be an individual challenge or add more competition by creating teams!

3. Couch to 5k

Help support New Year’s resolutions by running a Couch to 5k wellness challenge. Not sure where to start? This one here provides a how-to guide and tips and tricks for success or check out this article on running for beginnings.

4. Incentivize Gym-Check Ins

Maintaining a fitness routine can become difficult in the colder months. Encourage employees to continue their workout routine by incentivizing a specific number of weekly gym check-ins over a 6, 8, or 10-week span.

5. Better Sleep Challenge

Sleep is vital for health and wellbeing. Help employees improve their overall wellbeing by implementing a sleep challenge. This can include creating sleep goals and making lifestyle changes, or healthy habits, to support these goals.

6. Financial Wellness‍

Help bank accounts recover from the holidays with a financial wellness challenge. Create weekly saving goals, positive financial habits, and “no-spend” days to promote financial wellness.

7. Tropical Walking Challenge‍

Tired of the cold? Distract from the dreary weather with a tropical walking challenge. Utilize Google maps to identify how many steps are needed to get from your office location to your favorite tropical destination, and let the virtual race begin!

8. Screen Time Challenge‍

The colder months tend to push people inside, resulting in higher screen time. Studies show that too much screen time can lead to an increased risk of depression, loneliness, and weight gain. Plan a challenge centered around encouraging participants to hang up and connect with the people and world around them.

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Wellworks for You specializes in creating interactive, customizable wellness challenges focused on various avenues, from walking and fitness challenges to healthy habits that concentrate on finances, mindfulness, and sleep.

In addition to the challenges managed by Wellworks, you can always create fun, internal challenges that allow your employees to support each other in their goals and the workplace.

Remember, challenges are proven to have the most success when they have a clearly defined start and end date, outlined requirements, and an incentive for those who meet all requirements.

If you currently have a wellness program with Wellworks for You, reach out to your wellness coordinator to plan and schedule your next challenge. If you still need a workplace wellness program to get your employees started on their journey, contact us today to see how we can help.