25 Contest Ideas for Your Team Wellness Challenge

Get your team excited about the new year and personal health with wellness-based challenges. Need help getting started? Check out Kickstart the New Year With Fun Wellness Challenges for Your Team for tips on planning and promoting a successful program. With the right contests, you can keep your team motivated and engaged all year long

Contests boost team engagement, foster camaraderie, and make wellness challenges more enjoyable. They provide structured goals, encourage participation, and create friendly competition that helps drive lasting healthy habits across your organization.

Take your wellness program to the next level and explore our full list of 25 creative contest ideas to find the perfect fit for your team. 

 Individual Contests

1. Biggest Loser: Recognize the individual who loses the highest percentage of body weight.  
2. Step Superstar: Award the person who logs the most steps during the challenge.  
3. Workout Warrior: Celebrate the employee who completes the most workout sessions.  
4. Hydration Hero: Track water intake and reward the employee who meets their hydration goal most consistently.  
5. Mindfulness Master: Recognize the individual who completes the most meditation or mindfulness minutes.  
6. Healthy Eater Extraordinaire: Award points for meal tracking, with extra credit for nutritious choices.

 Team-Based Contests  

7. Step Battle Royale: Create teams and track which group logs the most steps collectively.  
8. Fitness Bingo: Have teams complete a wellness bingo card with activities like “Attend a yoga class” or “Pack a healthy lunch.”  
9. Group Challenge Goals: Set goals like “Walk 1 million steps as a team” and reward everyone who contributes.  
10. Cooking Crews: Run a healthy recipe contest, with teams competing to create the most nutritious and tasty meal.  
11. Wellness Scavenger Hunt: Encourage teams to complete activities from a checklist, like attending a fitness class or exploring local trails.  

 Creativity and Participation-Based Contests  

12. Best Wellness Photo: Employees submit photos of their workouts, healthy meals, or self-care routines for voting.  
13. Inspirational Story: Reward individuals who share their wellness journey or inspire others to participate.  
14. Participation Champion: Recognize employees or teams that complete the highest number of wellness activities.  
15. Best Team Name or Spirit: Give prizes to the team with the most creative name, outfits, or overall enthusiasm.

 Long-Term or Sustained Effort Contests  

16. Consistency Champ: Track and reward employees who meet daily or weekly goals most consistently.  
17. Streak Tracker: Celebrate individuals who maintain a streak (e.g., logging steps or meals) for the longest time.  
18. Monthly Mini-Challenges: Introduce smaller contests each month, such as “Yoga Month” or “Meditation March,” and award cumulative winners.  
19. Habit Builder: Recognize employees who adopt a new healthy habit and stick with it for the duration of the challenge.  

 Fun and Low-Pressure Contests  

20. Deskercise Pro: Encourage creative workplace exercises, like chair yoga or stair sprints, and award prizes for participation.  
21. Wellness Trivia: Host trivia games focused on health and fitness knowledge.  
22. Self-Care Star: Reward employees for completing activities like journaling, reading, or taking breaks.  
23. Snack Swap Showdown: Encourage participants to bring in healthy snacks for a taste test and vote on the best one.  
24. Healthy Habit Tracker: Track and reward employees for logging healthy habits, such as going to bed early, getting enough sleep, or stretching regularly.  
25. Office Olympics: Host a series of physical challenges (e.g., chair races, wall push-ups) that can be done in the office, and reward the team with the best overall performance.

Ready to kickstart your team’s wellness journey? MSP Design Group can help you create a seamless program that’s engaging, fun, and tailored to your goals. From creative contest ideas to branded materials, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today to start planning a wellness program that your team will love!