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2020 Campus Challenges

 

Hit The Road To The U.S. National Parks

Team Walking Challenge  |  October 5 – November 29

Pre-Registration Begins September 28

 Log into YP4H 

 

Welcome, wilderness explorers! It’s time to get outside and Hit the Road to some of our stunning National Parks. From desert canyons to seaside cliffs, this journey is one for the scrapbooks. Teams of ten will work together to “visit” several iconic parks during the 8-week challenge. Earn up to 5,100 points for participating.

Challenge Basics

  • Teams can have up to 10 participants
  • You can self-enter activity or use a device
  • You can change teams until October 4 (but not after the challenge begins)
  • The challenge map is interactive – be sure to click around to learn facts about each park
  • See full challenge rules

Take A Lap

During the first week of Hit the Road (October 5-11), kick off the challenge by Taking A Lap in nature! Whether you head to a nearby metropark or visit the woods in your neighborhood, get some steps while enjoying the great outdoors. Submit a photo of your excursion on the challenge chat board for your chance to win $10 PulseCash*. Photos must be submitted by 11:59 PM on October 11 to be included in the contest. Only photos submitted within the challenge comments are eligible for the drawing. Ten winners will be drawn and notified the week of October 12.

See Take a Lap winners

Photo Scavenger Hunt

Each week the challenge email will provide you with two items to search for on your nature walks. Submit a photo of each of the weekly scavenger hunt prompts for your chance to win $25 PulseCash*. Photos must be submitted by 11:59 PM on Sunday to be included in the contest. Only photos submitted within the challenge comments are eligible for the drawing. Two winners will be drawn and notified each week of the challenge.

See weekly prompts and winners

Conquer The Parks Grand Prize

Teams who unlock all challenge destinations will be entered into a drawing to win $50 PulseCash* for all team members. Three winning teams will be drawn and notified at the challenge conclusion.

 

See grand prize winners

Points** Available (up to 5,100 max)

  • Individual average of 4,000 – 7,499 steps/day: 1,000 points
  • Individual average of 7,500 – 9,999 steps/day: 2,000 points
  • Individual average of 10,000 – 12,499 steps/day: 3,000 points
  • Individual average of 12,500+ steps/day: 4,000 points
  • Individual step average ≥ challenge step average: 1,000 bonus points
  • Photo submission: 100 bonus points via voucher code (one time)

Challenge Resources


Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks features 19 outstanding natural area parks with more than 230 miles of trails and over 27,700 acres of land in seven Central Ohio counties.

Ohio residents are lucky to have Cuyahoga Valley National Park nearby. In addition, there are several other historic sites, monuments and memorials in The Buckeye State.

With more than 5,000 miles of trails, from biking, hiking, running, walking, water trails, and equestrian, Ohio has numerous opportunities to get out and explore.

While not a comprehensive inventory, check out the waterfalls, parks, and overlooks listed on these pages.

 

National Geographic has a great list of activities for families to try while visiting a park or green space.

Scavenger hunts can make any walk a little more interesting. Try any of these hunts – option 1, option 2, option 3 – or find one of the many available lists online.

Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices to find hidden containers at locations all over the world. Sign up today to get started!

Orienteering is the sport of navigation, using a highly detailed map. Whether you’re an experienced hiker, competitive runner, or just a family or group out for an activity in a park, this sport helps you improve your navigation each time. Find a club near you!

 

Check out this flyer that lists 8 Mental Health Benefits of Spending Time in Nature, put together by our EAP partners at the OSU Health Plan.

Being in nature can restore our mood, give us back our energy and vitality, refresh and rejuvenate us. Learn more about the benefits of ‘Forest Bathing’ and how to do it.

Nature is not only nice to have, but it’s a have-to-have for physical health and cognitive function. Learn more about ecopsychology and how immersion in nature benefits your health.

Take a mindful hike – by adding a little extra awareness to the experience, your outing can benefit both your body and your mind. Try listening to this 30 minute guided meditation on your next walk.

 

 

 

The Fine Print
*Team members who did not participate in the challenge (i.e. join a team but do not log activity) are not eligible for prizes. PulseCash is subject to taxation at the time it is earned, so raffle winners can accept or decline the prize.

**You must log/sync your activity with the Virgin Pulse portal/app at least once per week (Mon-Sun) during five of the eight weeks of the challenge timeframe in order to be eligible for the reward points. Team members who did not participate in the challenge (i.e. join a team but do not log activity) will not receive points. Final points will be awarded by 12/9/20.

Past Challenges

 

Step & Save Team Walking Challenge

Team Walking Challenge  |  February 3 – March 1

Pre-Registration Begins January 27

This unique team challenge combines both physical and financial wellness. Set a daily step goal that is achievable for you. Decide on a daily savings goal that fits within your budget. For each day that you meet your step goal, set aside what you pledged to save. At the end of the four weeks, celebrate your step and savings successes!

Challenge Resources

  • Explore the new Journeys section of Virgin Pulse and begin a Managing My Finances module
  • Visit the Ohio Saves website to sign up for weekly financial wellness information
  • Read the articles here and here to learn how to begin building an emergency savings fund
  • View the financial resources available through our EAP provider
  • Check out the Financial Fitness center on the YP4H website for additional resources

Challenge Details

  • Teams can have up to 5 participants
  • You can get credit for up to 30,000 steps a day
  • Team scores are based on total steps
  • If self-entering activity, you must do so in the challenge activity conversion tool
  • If you are using an app/device for syncing activity (e.g. Fitbit), you have to regularly open the dashboard of that app/device in order for that data to be synced to the Virgin Pulse portal/app

Points* & Prizes** Available (up to 2,500 max)

  • Track/log steps daily: 25 points (up to 700 points total)
  • Track/log steps every day BONUS: 300 points
  • Individual step average ≥ challenge step average: 1,000 points
  • Take the Ohio Saves pledge: 500 points (complete this during America Saves Week 2/24 – 2/29 to be entered to win a $100 gift card)
  • Share your step and savings successes with the YP4H team at the end of the challenge to be entered to win $100 PulseCash

*Team members who did not participate in the challenge (i.e. join a team but do not log activity) will not receive points. Final points will be awarded by 3/13/20.

**Team members who did not participate in the challenge (i.e. join a team but do not log activity) are not eligible for prizes. Under the Internal Revenue Code, the university is required to report taxable income for financial incentives. Therefore, you will be taxed if you choose to accept the PulseCash.

 

walking up the stairs

Step Into Self-Care

Team Walking Challenge  |  May 4 – June 14

Pre-Registration Begins April 24

 Log in to YP4H 

 

In times of uncertainty, it is easy to lose sight of our health and wellness journey. Utilize this challenge as motivation to stay focused on your well-being. Through walking and practicing self-care techniques, the university is here to support your wellness goals. Stay strong, Buckeyes!

Challenge Details

  • Teams can have up to 8 participants
  • You can self-enter activity or use a device
  • You can change teams until May 4, when the challenge begins
  • You can earn YP4H points (see below) if you are regularly tracking
  • Join our Friday Fundays! (see below)
  • See full challenge rules

Friday Fundays

Each Friday, join us in one (or all) of these mini-community challenges — we’re in this together! 

cameraSubmit A Photo

Post your challenge walks, workouts or self-care from the week using the hashtag #StepIntoSelfCare. Those that submit a photo will be entered to win $25 PulseCash* in our weekly raffle. See weekly winners

Fitness app Go The Distance: Log A 10K Day

On Fridays, you are challenged to obtain 10,000+ steps. Those that accomplish that feat will be entered to win $25 PulseCash* in our weekly raffle. (If the weather is terrible or your work schedule does not allow, we will accept a 10k Saturday instead.) See weekly winners

Join Us For Lunch

Join the OSU Health Coaching Team on Fridays from 12:30PM-1:00PM for a 6-week self-care webinar series to discuss strategies from different wellness dimensions such as social support, physical activity, nutrition, and emotional well-being. Register here

Take A #BuckeyeBreak

Join us for a 30 minute virtual hang out with real-talk from you, your peers, and members of the EAP team. We’ll chat about what is helping you get through these days. Get real suggestions that help in a fun & productive environment. Click on each date to register (5/8 | 5/15 | 5/22 | 5/29)

Virtual Group Fitness Classes

Choose from a variety of special edition Friday lunchtime classes including Bootcamp, Yoga, Zumba, Meditation and STRONG. If you find one you like, consider participating in the regularly scheduled weekly classes sponsored by Buckeye Wellness. View classes here

Challenge Resources

Points** Available (up to 5,000)

  • University unlocks Stage 2 (Relaxing The Body): 500 points
  • University unlocks Stage 3 (Relaxing The Mind): 500 points
  • University unlocks Stage 4 (Some Serious Downtime): 500 points
  • University unlocks Stage 5 (Mr. Sandman): 1,000 points
  • Individual step average ≥ challenge step average: 2,500 bonus points

*Team members who did not participate in the challenge (i.e. join a team but do not log activity) are not eligible for prizes. PulseCash is subject to taxation at the time it is earned, so raffle winners can accept or decline the prize.

**Team members who did not participate in the challenge (i.e. join a team but do not log activity) will not receive points. Stage unlock points will be awarded within 48 hours of unlocking (must log activity twice between stage unlocks to earn). Final bonus points will be awarded by 6/26/20. See full challenge rules

 

Mindful Minutes

Individual Challenge  |  August 3 – August 30

Pre-Registration Begins July 27

Mindfulness is about slowing down and being present in the moment. It could be practicing yoga, or just closing your eyes and focusing on your breathing. It can reduce stress and help you experience life on a deeper level. In this challenge, you’ll be asked to set a goal for how many mindful minutes you will take each week. Once the challenge begins, start tracking and watch your progress toward that goal.

Challenge Resources

Join the Mindful Minutes Group Health Coaching series to learn how to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life

Consider taking advantage of the five free mindfulness coaching sessions through our EAP

 

Attend the Mindfulness/Meditation group meetings on Fridays from 8:45 AM – 9:30 AM

Sign up for the Mindfulness in Motion Booster Zoom session on August 20 from 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM | Password 653347

 

Participate in any of the free virtual yoga classes offered on various days and times

View classes on: 8/2 – 8/8  |  8/9 – 8/15  |  8/16 – 8/22  |  8/23 – 8/29

 

Listen to a 5 Minute Mindfulness Practice, categorized by topics from resiliency to positivity to sleep

Try out one of these 20 Guided Imagery & Mindfulness Exercises

 

Visit the JustBreathe Resource Center for tips on how to activate the body’s natural relaxation response – deep breathing

 

 

Journal Starter Pages

There is a simple way to process the day’s thoughts and activities. Try writing about them in a journal. A single sentence written at the end of the day can allow you to reflect on an important conversation you had or revisit something wonderful that happened. Looking for other journaling ideas? Check out these starter pages to help get the ink flowing. Print them out to complete, recreate these pages in your own journal or simply use the concepts to guide your daily mindfulness practice.

Challenge Details

  • This is an individual challenge that is customizable to your own mindfulness goal
  • The minimum weekly goal is 35 minutes (5 minutes/day) and the maximum weekly goal is 840 minutes (2 hours/day)
  • If you leave the challenge after the start date (8/3) you won’t be able to rejoin
  • You have up to 14 days to go back and enter minutes if you aren’t able to track on a daily basis
  • See full challenge rules

Points Available (up to 2,500 max)

  • Reach 25% of your 4 week challenge goal – 500 points
  • Reach 50% of your 5 week challenge goal – 500 points
  • Reach 75% of your 5 week challenge goal – 500 points
  • Reach 100% of your 5 week challenge goal – 500 points
  • Reach 110% of your 5 week challenge goal – 500 points

Anytime

 

Create Your Own Challenge

You have the ability to challenge your peers by creating your own challenges at anytime.

You can choose from a steps challenge or many healthy habit challenges.

Learn how to create your own challenge here.

Events & Challenges