Organizer guide and templates
How to run a step challenge at work, with templates.
Eight steps from choosing the goal to reporting results, a week-by-week timeline, and a copy-ready template with settings, rules and the messages to send.
Product tour
See it in action
Every screen below comes from a working eFit challenge. The people and organizations are fictional demo accounts.
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A readiness check confirms your setup before launch.
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Follow every participant from one page.
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Spot people who have gone quiet and send a nudge.
The eight-step plan
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Pick a goal and a length
Four weeks is a good first challenge; six to eight weeks builds more of a habit. Pick one goal everyone understands, such as 7,000 steps or 30 active minutes a day. On eFit, the Activity Score treats reaching 70% of the goal as success, so people who start slowly still finish in good standing.
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Decide the format
Individual challenges are simple to run. Team challenges produce more conversation and keep less active people involved, because teammates notice when someone goes quiet. Mix fitness levels on each team, and put people from different departments together if connection is a goal. For large or multi-site organizations, create a group per location or division.
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Write fair, inclusive rules
Most complaints about workplace challenges come from rules that feel unfair. Settle these before launch:
- How cycling, swimming, yoga and wheelchair activity count (active minutes are the simplest answer).
- Whether the leaderboard is public, and that joining it is optional.
- What happens when someone is sick, injured or on vacation.
- That participation is voluntary, with no penalty for sitting out.
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Choose low-cost prizes
Large prizes for the top step count reward the people who were already active. Spread rewards across the whole group: a raffle among everyone who reached the goal, a most-improved award, recognition in the company newsletter, or a charity donation chosen by the winning team.
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Set up tracking before launch
Manual tracking is the biggest time cost for organizers. With eFit, participants connect Google Health once and steps and active minutes sync every day from their phone or tracker app. Run through the Challenge Readiness checklist a week before launch so invitations, dates and scoring are ready.
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Launch with a clear invitation
Send a single, friendly invitation one week before the start. Include the dates, the goal, a join link, a note on privacy and one sentence on why the organization is doing this. A senior leader who joins and says so publicly does more for sign-ups than any prize.
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Keep momentum mid-challenge
Week two is where most challenges lose people. Share team standings, a short story or photo, and a shout-out to people who reached the goal that week. On eFit, badges, the Walking Journey map and accountability pods give participants reasons to open the app between your messages.
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Wrap up and report
Close with the Final Fitness Check so each person sees their own change. Recognize every finisher alongside the winners; eFit issues a completion certificate to participants who reach the goal. Share participation, goal completion and before-and-after results with leadership, and send a three-question survey to plan the next season.
Week-by-week timeline for a six-week challenge
| When | Organizer task | Message to send |
|---|---|---|
| 3 weeks before | Get leadership sign-off, pick dates, goal and prizes | None yet |
| 2 weeks before | Create the challenge and groups, run the readiness checklist | Save-the-date teaser |
| 1 week before | Open registration, help people connect their phones | Invitation with join link and rules |
| Week 1 | Confirm everyone is syncing, follow up with anyone who is not | Kickoff and Baseline Fitness Check reminder |
| Weeks 2–3 | Watch participation by group, nudge quiet teams | Weekly standings and a participant story |
| Week 4 | Midpoint check, announce a mini-challenge | Midpoint results and encouragement |
| Weeks 5–6 | Push for the finish, remind about the final check | Final-stretch message |
| After the end | Pull reports, award prizes, send survey | Results, thank-you and next season date |
Workplace step challenge template
Copy what you need. Every piece assumes steps sync automatically from each person’s phone or tracker, so nobody types in a number.
Recommended settings
| Setting | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Six weeks | Long enough to build a habit, short enough to keep energy high |
| Daily goal | 7,000 steps or 30 active minutes | Reachable for beginners, motivating for regular walkers |
| Success line | 70% of the goal | Keeps slow starters in good standing to the finish |
| Teams | Four to eight people, mixed fitness levels | Every member matters, and one busy week stays survivable |
| Team ranking | Average score per person | Small and large teams compete on equal terms |
| Tracking | Automatic sync from each phone or tracker | Every number comes from the same source, every day |
| Leaderboard | On, with opt-in names | Competitive people get rankings, private people stay comfortable |
| Prizes | Raffle among everyone who reaches 70% | Rewards consistency across the whole group |
Rules template
Dates: the challenge runs from [start date] to [end date].
Goal: [7,000] steps or [30] active minutes a day. Reaching 70% of your goal on average counts as success.
Teams: teams of four to eight compete on average score, so every team size has a fair shot.
Tracking: connect your phone or tracker once at sign-up. Your steps and active minutes sync automatically every day.
Other activities: cycling, swimming, yoga and wheelchair activity earn credit through active minutes.
Leaderboard: you choose whether your name appears. Everyone contributes to their team either way.
Prizes: a raffle among everyone who reaches the goal, plus recognition for the top team and the most improved walker.
Voluntary: joining is optional and every fitness level is welcome.
Invitation email template
Subject: Join the [Spring] Step Challenge, starting [date]
Hi everyone,
From [start date] to [end date] we are walking together. The goal is [7,000] steps a day, and reaching 70% of it counts as a win. We will place you on a team of four to eight.
Sign up at [link] and connect your phone once. Your steps sync automatically from there, so the only thing to do each day is move. Every fitness level is welcome, and cycling, swimming and other activities count too.
Please join by [date]. The full rules are below.
See you on the trail,
[Name]
Weekly update template
Week [2] standings
We walked [1.2 million] steps together this week. [Trailblazers] lead the teams at [96%], with [Step Squad] close behind.
Shout-out to the [18] people who reached the goal every day, and to [name], our most improved walker.
This week’s mini-challenge: [share a photo from your favorite walk].
Check your score and badges any time. Keep moving!
Need a different format for your season? Browse 40 fitness challenge ideas for work and groups.
Why spreadsheet step trackers break down
Many organizers start by searching for an Excel step challenge tracker. eFit was built after watching that approach wear organizers out: every Monday goes to chasing totals, typos change the standings, self-reported numbers start arguments, and the leaderboard sits out of date between updates. Automatic syncing fixes all four, and adds fair scoring against a goal, opt-in privacy and reports you can hand to leadership.
| Spreadsheet | eFit | |
|---|---|---|
| Collecting activity | Weekly self-report | Daily automatic sync |
| Mixed devices | Everyone reports their own number | Google Health covers phones and many trackers |
| Fair scoring | Usually raw totals | Activity Score toward a 70% goal |
| Privacy | Everyone sees the sheet | Opt-in leaderboard |
| Engagement tools | Organizer emails | Badges, Walking Journey, pods, wellness modules |
| Results | Winner list | Baseline and final fitness check, score reports |
Ready to launch this template? See how a workplace step challenge runs on eFit, try the live demo, or read about the benefits and evidence.
Frequently asked questions
Organizer questions, answered.
Have a different question? Tell us about your group and we will help map the right challenge.
Email support@efit.healthHow long should a workplace step challenge last?
Four to eight weeks. Four weeks suits a first challenge; six to eight weeks gives more time to build a habit. Short seasons repeated twice a year beat one long challenge.
What is a good daily step goal for a work challenge?
Set a goal most people can reach, often 6,000 to 8,000 steps or 30 active minutes a day. Scoring 70% of the goal as success keeps beginners in the game.
How do we stop people from cheating?
Sync activity automatically from phones and trackers, publish how non-step activity counts before launch, and reward goal completion more than raw totals so there is little reason to game the numbers.
How do we include people who cannot walk much?
Count active minutes from any activity, let people take part without appearing on the leaderboard, and score progress against a goal.
What prizes work for a step challenge?
Recognition and small perks work well: an extra hour off, choosing the team lunch spot, a donation to a charity the winning team picks, or a raffle among everyone who reached the goal.
Is there a workplace step challenge template?
Yes. This page includes a step challenge template with recommended settings, copy-ready rules, an invitation email and a weekly update, written for a challenge where steps sync automatically.
Why skip a spreadsheet step tracker?
Spreadsheet trackers depend on people reporting their own steps, so the organizer spends every week chasing totals, fixing typos and settling disputes, and the leaderboard is out of date between updates. Automatic syncing from each phone gives everyone the same reliable numbers every day.
Start the conversation
Want help running your first challenge?
Send your group size and preferred start date. We will help you set the goal, groups and invitation, and you can use this plan as your checklist.