Why Challenges and Shared Experiences Make Wellbeing More Rewarding
Better Together: Why Challenges and Shared Experiences Make Wellbeing More Rewarding
Why is it sometimes easier to go for a walk with a friend than on your own? Or more exciting to join a fitness class than to follow the same routine at home?
The answer isn't simply motivation. Sharing an activity gives us opportunities to connect, enjoy the experience and celebrate progress together. And when there's a goal to work towards, even familiar activities can become more engaging.
This is the thinking behind wellbeing challenges, community events and rewarding experiences. They bring together three things that can help people stay involved in healthier routines: motivation, connection and a sense of achievement.
Table of Contents
- Why Motivation Alone Isn't Enough
- The Power of Doing Things Together
- How Challenges Turn Goals into Action
- Why Rewards and Recognition Matter
- Bringing Wellbeing into Everyday Life
- References and Further Reading
Why Motivation Alone Isn't Enough
Most of us know that staying active, eating well and making time for our wellbeing are important. The challenge is turning that knowledge into something we do consistently.
Motivation can change from one day to the next. A busy schedule, competing priorities or a lack of visible progress can make it difficult to maintain new routines.
Research suggests that enjoyment and personal motivation play important roles in physical activity participation. A 2012 systematic review published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found that motivation linked to enjoyment, personal choice and feeling capable was associated with physical activity engagement.
This helps explain why enjoyable experiences can be more appealing than routines that feel like obligations. When an activity offers something to look forward to, participating becomes about more than completing a task.
The Power of Doing Things Together
Wellbeing is often presented as a personal responsibility, but our social environment can influence the choices we make.
Think about joining a weekend walk, attending a yoga session or participating in a group fitness event. The activity itself may be familiar, but sharing it with others can make the experience more enjoyable and create opportunities for connection.
Research supports the importance of social relationships in health. A 2010 meta-analysis published in PLOS Medicine, involving 148 studies, found that stronger social relationships were associated with a greater likelihood of survival over the periods studied.
Although this research doesn't specifically evaluate wellbeing events, it highlights the broader importance of social connection as part of a healthy life.
Community activities create opportunities for people to meet, share interests and feel part of something beyond their individual goals. For some, that social experience may be just as valuable as the activity itself.
How Challenges Turn Goals into Action
A goal such as "I want to be more active" is a good starting point, but it can be difficult to measure. Challenges make goals more specific by introducing a target, a timeframe and a way to follow progress.
A walking challenge, for example, can encourage participants to find more opportunities for movement throughout the day. A consistency challenge can help people focus on showing up regularly, while a wellbeing quiz can make learning about health more interactive.
The concept isn't limited to fitness. Challenges can encourage people to explore different areas of wellbeing, develop awareness and engage with activities they might not otherwise try.
At VIWELL, challenges are designed around this approach, turning wellbeing goals into experiences people can actively participate in. Whether it's tracking steps, completing activities or testing wellbeing knowledge through quizzes, users have opportunities to engage with their progress in different ways.
The value of a challenge isn't only reaching the final target. It's also having a clear reason to begin and opportunities to recognise progress along the way.
Why Rewards and Recognition Matter
Reaching a milestone can feel satisfying on its own. Recognition adds another layer by making progress more visible and giving participants something to celebrate.
Rewards can also encourage people to try an activity they might otherwise overlook. However, incentives work best when they complement an enjoyable experience rather than becoming the only reason to participate.
This is reflected in VIWELL's approach, where users can earn VIWELL Coins through eligible activities and challenges and explore rewards connected to everyday lifestyle experiences.
The idea is to make participation more engaging while creating additional value beyond the activity itself. Rewards might provide an initial reason to join, while enjoyment, progress and social connection can help make the experience worthwhile.
Of course, not everyone is motivated by the same things. Some people enjoy competition, others appreciate recognition, and many simply want an enjoyable way to stay active. Offering different experiences allows people to engage with wellbeing in ways that suit them.
Bringing Wellbeing into Everyday Life
Wellbeing doesn't have to happen exclusively in a gym or through a structured routine. It can be part of a community event, a group activity, a friendly challenge or an experience that brings people together.
That's why VIWELL combines challenges, events, community activities and rewards within its wellbeing offering. Users can discover opportunities to participate, work towards personal goals and enjoy experiences that connect physical activity with social wellbeing.
This approach also extends beyond physical health. Educational activities, interactive quizzes and experiences across different wellbeing areas can encourage people to explore new topics and develop a broader understanding of their health.
For organisations, shared wellbeing activities can create opportunities for employees to connect outside their usual responsibilities. For individuals, they can make healthier routines feel less like another task and more like something enjoyable to be part of.
The goal isn't to turn every healthy choice into a competition. It's to create experiences that make participation easier, more engaging and more rewarding.
Because sometimes, the best motivation isn't another reminder to be healthy. It's having something worth showing up for.
References and Further Reading
- Teixeira PJ, et al. (2012). Exercise, Physical Activity, and Self-Determination Theory: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-9-78
- Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TB, Layton JB. (2010). Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-Analytic Review. PLOS Medicine.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316
- World Health Organization (2020). WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour. Evidence-based recommendations on physical activity and health.
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128
- World Health Organization. Social Connection. Information about the role of social relationships in health and wellbeing.
https://www.who.int/groups/commission-on-social-connection
