Corporate wellness challenge
🏀 Active March Madness
The biggest team showdown of the year. For 21 days in March, teams face off bracket-style, earning points through steps, active minutes, quizzes, photo challenges, and missions. Three rounds, rising stakes, one champion. Game on.
Why this challenge works
- Tournament bracket format creates escalating excitement over 3 weeks
- Points reward total engagement, not just athletic performance
- March Madness is a recognized cultural moment — instant buy-in
- Multi-engagement metric showcases the full platform (steps, minutes, quizzes, photos, missions)
- Competitive format ideal for large organizations with many teams
The biggest team showdown of the year
For 21 days in March, your organization turns into a tournament arena. Teams face off bracket-style, accumulating points through every possible engagement channel: daily steps, active minutes, health quizzes, photo challenges, and active missions. Three rounds, rising stakes, one champion.
March Madness is already a cultural phenomenon. Active March Madness channels that same bracket energy into wellness — with the same drama, the same water-cooler conversations, and the same "did you see what happened?" moments. Except here, every employee is a player.
How the tournament works
Teams are seeded based on size and placed in a bracket. Each week is a round:
Week 1 — Opening round: All teams compete simultaneously. Points per capita determine who advances. The bottom third is eliminated but keeps participating for individual points. The bracket narrows.
Week 2 — Sweet Sixteen: Remaining teams are paired head-to-head. Direct matchups create intense daily rivalries. The stakes rise. Bonus missions appear: surprise photo challenges, flash quizzes, weekend step goals.
Week 3 — Final Four and Championship: The top teams battle for the crown. The entire organization watches the leaderboard. Every point matters. Every quiz completed, every photo shared, every active minute logged could be the difference.
Why points?
Points are the only metric that captures total engagement. In March Madness, the winning strategy isn't just "run the most" — it's "engage the most." The team that completes every quiz, participates in every photo challenge, AND stays physically active will outperform the team that only focuses on steps. This creates a dynamic where the office quiz enthusiast contributes as much as the marathon runner.
Up to 30 points per day from steps, up to 70 from active minutes, plus weekly bonus points from quizzes, photo challenges, and active missions. The math favours consistency and breadth over single bursts of effort.
The bracket effect
There's something about a bracket that makes people care. Seeing your team's name on a tournament board, watching matchups unfold, tracking who's advancing and who's on the bubble — it taps into a competitive instinct that a simple leaderboard can't match. Teams start strategizing: "We need everyone to complete the quiz tonight or we lose the matchup."
Eliminated teams keep earning individual points, so nobody checks out. But the bracket drama keeps the spotlight on the teams still fighting for the championship.
March timing
March is the transition month. The winter fatigue is real, but the days are getting longer and the promise of spring creates energy. A tournament format channels that restless energy into structured competition. It's also early enough in the year that engagement habits built here carry forward into spring and summer challenges.
Example activities
- Complete daily health quiz to earn bonus points
- Share a photo of your active commute for a photo challenge
- 30-minute gym session for active minutes
- Take the stairs all day for step points
- Weekend group walk with teammates
- Surprise flash mission: 10-minute stretch break
- Lunchtime walking meeting for double credit (steps + minutes)
Frequently asked questions
Does this challenge have to run in the suggested month?
No. Our challenges are thematic templates you can launch any time of year. The suggested month offers seasonal relevance, and our team adapts the challenge to your HR calendar.
How do teams sign up?
Directly in the Propulsion app. A manager or coordinator creates the account and adds team members.
How do we track results?
The app provides a real-time dashboard of individual and team performance, available at any time.
Can the challenge be customized for our company?
Yes. Our team adapts the challenge to your context, goals and culture.