> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help-empuls.xoxoday.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Manage fitness challenges
> Enable fitness challenge templates, configure milestone rewards, manage leaderboards, send nudge emails, view activity reports, and control the exclusion list.
Fitness challenges in Empuls let you launch structured wellness programs using pre-built templates. Employees join challenges, connect their fitness devices, and compete on leaderboards. You configure the milestone rewards, monitor participation through the management dashboard, and nudge employees to keep engagement high.
## Video walkthrough
## How fitness challenges work
The lifecycle of a fitness challenge follows these stages:
1. You select a challenge template and configure milestone reward points.
2. Employees join the challenge through the Empuls app or web platform and connect a fitness device (Apple Health, Google Fit, Fitbit, Strava, Samsung Health, or Garmin).
3. Activity data syncs automatically from connected devices.
4. Leaderboard rankings update according to the challenge's reset frequency (monthly or weekly).
5. When employees hit milestone thresholds, Empuls automatically distributes the reward points you configured.
## Challenge templates
Empuls provides six pre-built challenge templates. You cannot modify the core template configuration, but you can set the reward points for each milestone.
| Challenge | What's tracked | Duration | Resets |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------- | ----------------- | ------- |
| Stepathon | Daily steps | 1st–21st of month | Monthly |
| Workout Warrior | Workout minutes (max 120 min/day) | 1st–21st of month | Monthly |
| 5K Weekend Run | Distance (km) | Saturday–Sunday | Weekly |
| 10K Weekend Run | Distance (km) | Saturday–Sunday | Weekly |
| Half Marathon (21.1 km) | Distance (km) | Saturday–Sunday | Weekly |
| Full Marathon (42.2 km) | Distance (km) | Saturday–Sunday | Weekly |
## Enable a challenge
In the admin sidebar, go to **Incentives > Fitness Challenges**. The page shows two sections: **Enabled Challenges** (currently active) and **Available Challenges** (templates ready to enable).
Under **Available Challenges**, click the template card you want to activate.
A modal opens with details about the challenge: **How it works**, **Why it's beneficial**, and **What's needed** (device requirements). Review the details and click **Continue**.
Set the reward points employees receive for each milestone threshold. Optionally, attach a gift to a milestone by using the gift selector. Choose the Empuls group whose members will participate, and select the reward sender (the Empuls user account that distributes rewards).
Click **Enable** to activate the challenge. It moves to the **Enabled Challenges** section and becomes visible to employees in their fitness challenges menu.
Set milestone reward values that align with your existing recognition budget. Employees earning significant reward points from fitness challenges increases overall redemption activity, so plan budget allocation accordingly.
{/* SCREENSHOT: challenge info modal (step 1) showing How it works, Why it's beneficial, and What's needed sections */}
## Manage a challenge leaderboard
On the **Fitness Challenges** admin page, find the challenge under **Enabled Challenges** and click **Manage Leaderboard**.
The management page shows the challenge banner with start date, score reset frequency, and total participant count.
Click the dropdown icon on the challenge banner to access:
* **Edit Reward Value** — update the reward points assigned to each milestone without disabling the challenge.
* **Disable Challenge** — deactivate the challenge (see [Disable or re-enable a challenge](#disable-or-re-enable-a-challenge)).
## Send nudge emails
Send email reminders to participants to encourage continued engagement during a challenge.
On the challenge management page, click **Nudge All** at the top of the page.
Edit the **Email subject** and **Email body** fields. Use the token `\{\{dateRange\}\}` anywhere in the body — Empuls replaces it automatically with the current challenge run's start and end dates.
Select who receives the nudge:
* **All users** — sends to everyone in the challenge's participant group.
* **Enrolled users only** — sends only to employees who have actively joined the challenge.
Click **Send**. Participants receive the email at their registered address.
Send nudges mid-cycle — around the halfway point of a monthly or weekly run — when participation typically dips. Nudges sent at the start and end of a cycle have lower impact.
## View participant reports
The Reports tab shows a detailed activity log for all participants.
On the challenge management page, click the **Reports** tab.
Use the date range picker to narrow the report to a specific period — useful for reviewing a single monthly or weekly run.
The Participant Activity Report shows:
* **Employee** — name and details
* **Metric value** — steps, workout minutes, or distance depending on the challenge type
* **Date** — the date the activity was recorded
Use the pagination controls at the bottom to browse all participant records.
## Manage the exclusion list
Exclude specific employees from leaderboard rankings without removing them from the participant group.
On the challenge management page, click the **Exclusion List** tab.
Click **Add Users**, search for the employee by name, and select them from the results. Confirm to add them to the list.
Find the employee in the exclusion list and click **Remove** next to their entry.
Common reasons to exclude users: employees on extended leave, HR staff who administer the program, or test accounts used during setup. Excluded users can still see the challenge and leaderboard but are not ranked or eligible for milestone rewards.
## Disable or re-enable a challenge
Navigate to the challenge you want to disable under **Enabled Challenges** and click **Manage Leaderboard**.
Click the dropdown on the challenge banner and select **Disable Challenge**. Confirm in the modal that appears.
To re-enable a disabled challenge, find it on the admin fitness page (it will appear as available again), click it, and follow the enable flow.
Disabling a challenge stops new activity from being tracked and removes it from employees' fitness challenge listings. All historical leaderboard data and participant reports are preserved and remain accessible in the management dashboard.
## FAQs
No. Fitness challenges are based on six pre-built templates (Stepathon, Workout Warrior, and four running distance challenges). You can configure milestone reward points and group assignment, but the core challenge type, metric, and schedule are defined by the template.
After joining a challenge, employees scan a QR code in the Empuls app to connect a supported fitness platform — Apple Health, Google Fit, Fitbit, Strava, Samsung Health, or Garmin. Activity data syncs automatically once connected. Employees need the Empuls mobile app and a compatible device or fitness app.
All historical data is preserved. Leaderboard rankings, participant activity reports, and milestone achievement records remain accessible in the management dashboard even after a challenge is disabled. Active data collection stops immediately on disable.
Yes. Use the **Edit Reward Value** option from the dropdown on the challenge management page. Updated values take effect immediately and apply to future milestone distributions.
Activity data syncs from participants' connected devices through the Empuls mobile app. The frequency depends on the participant's device and sync settings. Leaderboard rankings reflect the most recently synced data available.
Yes. You can enable multiple challenge templates at the same time. Employees can join as many active challenges as they choose.
## Related
Configure engagement leaderboards with custom scoring rules, categories, and milestone rewards.
Set up company-sponsored gym memberships, health checkups, and other wellness benefits.
See how employees join challenges, connect devices, and track their progress.