The Pitfalls of Step Competitions and Weight Loss Competitions
If you and your friends or family are trying to get in better shape, a step competition or a weight loss competition can be seen as a fun and interactive way to motivate each other. While these competitions can be effective with certain groups of friends, they can also create traps that could de-motivate or shame people within a group.
If you’re looking to manage a competition with friends, there are potential downsides these contests might bring, including unintentional exclusion and feelings of shame:
People can become embarassed if they can’t keep up with the group.
It can be incredibly frustrating if the people who are already fit win every competition. (“Stupid Blake runs 5 miles every day! What’s the point of doing this if I will never win.”)
As people build up shame and frustration, they will stop participating, undermining the effectiveness of the competitions as long-term wellness strategies.
Rather than focusing on these competitions, consider approaches that encourage sustainable, inclusive, and holistic wellness. Here are some pitfalls and alternatives that can help you avoid them.
Exclusion in Step Competitions
While step games or walking competitions aim to encourage more physical activity, they can inadvertently leave out those who need the activity the most.
Step competitions usually score people based on who walks the most steps or longest distance. The problem is that people who are new to physical activity or managing chronic health conditions will have a lower step count compared to people who are already physically active.
This gap can result in feelings of discouragement among those who can benefit most from participating in a competition to increase their physical activity.
Alternatives to Step Competitions
Consistency Competitions: Instead of competing on steps, try a competition that focuses on consistency. Challenge your group to log physical activity every day. Whoever breaks the streak last is the winner. To remain inclusive and promote recovery, include low-strain activities like yoga and walking.
Group Physical Activities: Sometimes it doesn’t have to be a competition. Encourage activities that can be enjoyed in a non-competitive setting, regardless of fitness level. This could include group yoga sessions, bike rides, or hikes.
Effort Competitions on Pantheon: Pantheon offers a unique competition based on effort. Everyone is assigned their own personal goal. Participants earns points based on hitting their own objectives. Pantheon is designed to eliminate shame and never shares any sensitive information about steps taken or calories burned. Pantheon automatically aggregates fitness and mental wellness activity for a group across iPhone, Android, Apple Watch, Garmin, and Fitbit devices, so you don’t have to track steps and activities for your group.
Shame in Weight-Loss Competitions
Despite their intention of encouraging healthier lifestyles, weight-loss competitions can create an environment of shame.
Weight is a sensitive topic for many people, so the public nature of a weight-loss contest will inevitably create embarrassment for people during weigh-ins. If you’re sensitive about your weight, imagine how it would feel standing on a scale in front of your friends!
These competitions can also create shame by stigmatizing those who don't lose weight or those who opt-out of participating due to personal reasons. Weight-loss can be unpredictable, so even if someone is completing all the right actions, they may not see the results on a scale, which can lead to incredible discouragement.
These competitions can also become unhealthy. By focusing on weight, these competitions can encourage extreme dieting or cause people to fixate on their body.
Alternatives to Weight Loss Competitions
Healthy Habits Challenge: Instead of a weight loss contest, create a challenge that encourages healthier habits. This could include drinking water consistently, trying new healthy recipes, cutting out junk food, or establishing a regular sleep routine. By focusing on the healthy habits, you can reward the things that are in everyone’s control, and help establish long-term lifestyle changes. Your Healthy Habits Challenge can include a fitness component, so consider all the recommendations above as alternatives to step competitions.
Support, Not Competition: Create an environment of support and encouragement rather than competition. There are many factors that contribute to weight-loss, so consider making the support group about more than just weight. Share individual wellness goals and encourage each other to meet them. Make sure to celebrate when someone takes the right actions or when they achieve a personal goal. Celebration is a powerful motivator.
Remember, the goal of any health and wellness initiative should be to promote healthier, happier lives. Rather than focusing on step games and weight loss contests, consider strategies that serve everyone inclusively and sustainably.