Mindful Exploration challenge starts May 1

Apr 18, 2023

Get ready for your next team challenge!

The Mindful Exploration Challenge starts May 1.

What does mindfulness mean? It’s about being aware of yourself and being present in the moment. It’s not a foreign idea—most cultures have mindful practices. During this challenge, you’ll be going around the world learning about them. Are you and your team ready? Time to step!

The Mindful Exploration Challenge runs from May 1 through June 25. Team up with colleagues for your virtual tour of mindfulness practices around the world. Registration opens April 17!

In this challenge, we’ll visit and learn about mindfulness in 15 cultures around the world:

  • Japan
  • China
  • India
  • Australia
  • Iran
  • South Africa
  • Turkey
  • Greece
  • Germany
  • Denmark
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • Hawaii, United States
  • Peru
  • Brazil

What is it?

The Aetna Get Active – Mindful Exploration Challenge is a simple, friendly competition that you can take on as a team (limited to 10 team members) and track your steps over the course of 8 weeks.

Remember, you can use the Virgin Pulse mobile app to join a challenge, chat with others and monitor your progress! Need a pedometer or want to track other activities? Keep reading – we’ve got you covered.

Challenge Rules

This is your chance to team up with colleagues to get active and start a little healthy competition. Here’s how: Go to the team challenge page to join a team, start a team, or get others to join. Track your steps manually online, via app, Alexa skill, or sync your fitness tracker.

The challenge is FREE and open to every employee of The Arc of Washington County at any fitness level. You don’t need to be enrolled with Aetna to participate!

Dates

  • Challenge Registration Opens: April 17, 2023
  • Challenge Starts: May 1, 2023
  • Challenge Ends: June 25, 2023
  • The last day to upload your steps is June 27. Tracking daily is more fun!
  • To be in the prize drawings you must record steps at least weekly.

To Get Started

  • Go to the team challenge page on Aetna Virgin Pulse! (If you don’t already have an account, visit tinyurl.com/ArcWCjoin or check out our Aetna Virgin Pulse page to find out more.)
  • Join a team (they’ll be happy to have you)
  • Or make your own team (lead the way, Captain)
  • Make sure your activity tracker is connected to get credit for all your hard-earned steps
  • If you don’t have a connected activity tracker, you can enter your steps manually online at Aetna Virgin Pulse or by using the mobile app.

Teams

  • Teams can have up to 10 participants.
  • You can join an existing team or create a new team. It’s up to you!
  • Either way, try to have a full team of 10 to maximize your score.

Scores

  • Team scores are based on total team steps.
  • The more steps your team gets, the better your score.
  • To contribute to your team score, upload steps from a fitness tracker or manually enter steps online or through the Virgin Pulse app.
  • Track your steps daily to get your team closer to the goal. Track other activities and convert them into steps – it’s easy!
  • You can get credit for up to 30,000 steps a day (so aim high)!
  • The team with the most steps at the end of the challenge wins. What do you win? Bragging rights! But, wait! There are prizes! Keep reading.

Good to Know

  • If you leave a team after the challenge start date, you can’t rejoin the challenge.
  • If you join a team after the challenge start date, some of your steps may not count. (Skip the heartache — join before the challenge starts.)
  • Participant names and step counts may be shared with other challenge participants and administrators.

Tracking

Need a pedometer? Join a team and participate in the challenge. If you need a pedometer, let your your team captain know and we can provide you with a digital pedometer for FREE! (Annual limit is 1 per employee, while supplies last.) You’ll need to log steps or activities for at least the first five days of the challenge to eligible for the pedometer. Use this activity to steps conversion chart (PDF) to help you track steps without a pedometer. You can also track other activities such as biking, swimming, housework, or mowing the lawn.

Prizes

Win prizes and earn online badges to brag about your accomplishments!

Participation Prize

Everyone who signs up and participates will receive a mental health awareness enamel lapel pin, while supplies last. Please request your participation prize through your team captain.

Individual Prizes

Some may run and rack up many steps while others are just starting out. All we ask is that you track your steps at least every week. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the challenge via random drawing—and prize winners must participate for all eight weeks of the challenge in order to receive a prize. Prizes include:

  • Hagerstown Parks & Recreation — 10 yoga classes with free yoga mat and case
  • All Seasons Chunky Knit Weighted Blanket
  • Regenerate Float Center—one hour float

Goal Getter Prize

Achieve and track the suggested 7,000 steps a day. Prize will be awarded by random drawing at the end of the challenge — and the prize winner must have participated for all eight weeks of the challenge:

  • Bodyworks Massage Center—one hour massage

 

Team Prizes

Every team reaching the final destination will be entered into a team prize drawing at the conclusion of  the challenge. The team prizes for eligible team members are:

  • $10 in Arc Bucks
  • Gratitude Journal
  • ReThink Card Deck: Mindful Conversation Starters

Only employees of The Arc of Washington County are eligible for prizes. Because of changing availability of some items, we may need to provide substitute prizes. If we do, we’ll do our best to find prizes of similar quality and value.