The Move More Challenge is returning to Emory! The ever-popular, employee physical activity challenge is back this spring with an all new approach.

Now in its third year, the Move More Challenge is a fun, interactive community-wide event that encourages Emory employees to increase their daily physical activity using an activity tracker and engage in a little friendly competition with their fellow co-workers. This year’s challenge, however, is a bit different from past year’s challenges.

First, it is offered through Healthy Emory Connect, Emory’s new health and wellness platform, so employees must join Healthy Emory Connect in order to participate in Move More. Joining is easy and free, and more than 4,500 employees from Emory University and Emory Healthcare have already joined.

Also new for this year, employees will create or join a team with a maximum of 10 people. All participants must be part of a team.  Individuals who need help finding a team can contact healthyemory@emory.edu for assistance.

Using the Healthy Emory Connect platform, the teams will take a “virtual” journey around Emory starting at Oxford College, followed by nine additional Emory destinations. As teams accumulate step counts, they will reach new destinations, unlocking fun facts about the location as well as health and well-being tips.

The eight-week challenge officially kicks off on Monday, March 5, and continues through April 29. Registration is now open to all benefits-eligible employees of Emory University and Emory Healthcare. To join, log into Healthy Emory Connect and go to the “Challenges” tab to join the 2018 Move More Challenge. Then you can then create or join a team.

Samantha Henry, a wellness champion for Emory University Hospital, says she is excited about this year’s enhancements to the challenge.

“Working with transplant patients, the nurses on our unit are very busy and often find it hard to step away during the work day. Being able to create our own team will be a great way to support each other in our efforts to stay physically active.”

While employees can still take advantage of Emory’s Fitbit subsidy, many participants will be glad to learn that they can now use a number of different fitness tracking devices including Apple Watch, Garmin and many more. 

“Each year that we’ve offered the Move More Challenge, we’ve heard from employees that they want more flexibility in how they track their steps,” says Melissa Morgan, manager of wellness programs. "We’re very happy to be able to have employees use such a wide range of different activity trackers this year.”

Earn rewards

Employees who participate in the Move More Challenge will have an opportunity to win prizes and earn points toward their medical plan incentives:

• Simply wearing your activity tracker each day and accumulating steps can earn up to 140 points per day on Healthy Emory Connect.
• Move More participants can earn up to 7,800 points during the 8-week challenge to boost them toward the next level of incentives.
• Bonus points will also be awarded for those who meet step thresholds by the end of the challenge—1,000 bonus points for those who accumulate 330,000 steps, or 4,000 bonus points for those who accumulate 610,000 steps.
• Random prize drawings will be held at the end of week 4 and week 8 for those who accumulate a minimum number of steps.
• Random grand prize drawings will take place at the end of the challenge for Fitbits (including the new Ionic smart watch), Apple Airpods, and $250 Amazon gift cards.

For more information, including FAQs, visit the Move More Challenge webpage.