3 Winter Wellness Challenge Ideas to Bring Your Team Together

As the days grow shorter, darker, and colder, keeping your team connected and energized can feel like a challenge. Winter often tempts us with cozy blankets, comforting foods, and endless streaming; however, that doesn’t mean wellness has to hibernate! With a bit of creativity, you can spark healthy habits and boost your team’s morale all winter long.

Here are three winter wellness challenge ideas to keep your team moving and motivated (even when the temperature drops).

Fitness: “Deskercise” Breaks

Winter can make outdoor workouts hard, and busy holiday schedules often leave little time for a full gym session. That’s where “deskercise” comes in! Encourage employees to commit to 10–15 minutes of quick, desk-friendly activity each day, whether it’s chair squats, seated stretches, or simply pacing during calls. These micro-movements boost energy, improve posture, and fight off that winter slump without adding extra time to their day.

Here’s how to start:

Send morning motivation emails featuring a quick “Move of the Day” (like 20 chair squats before the morning meeting, or 10 desk push-ups after lunch).
Use Teams or Slack nudges with GIFs or short videos to keep the energy up.
Encourage employees to set calendar alerts for mid-morning and afternoon stretch breaks.

At the end of the week, share a leaderboard and shout out those who moved the most. And don’t forget to make it social. Create a channel for employees to post photos of their deskercise moves. You can even offer small or silly prizes for creativity, like “Best Office Yoga Pose.”

Nutrition: Winter Colorful Plate

Your winter wellness challenge doesn’t have to revolve solely around fitness. A healthy eating challenge is a great way to promote winter wellness (especially when holiday treats like Christmas cookies tend to dominate our diets!).

One fun idea is the Winter Colorful Plate Challenge. Each day, encourage employees to work at least three different colors of seasonal produce in their meals. Think orange carrots, green kale, purple cabbage, or red beets.

To make it interactive, invite employees to share photos of their colorful plates in a team chat. Add a competitive twist by hosting a weekly spotlight for the most creative plate, or create a space where employees can swap recipes and cooking tips.

Mindfulness: 5 Minutes of Calm

Small pauses can make a big difference in reducing stress, improving focus, and beating the so-called “Winter Blues.” Encourage employees to carve out just five minutes each day for a mindfulness activity. Options may include deep breathing exercises, guided meditation, or gratitude journaling.

Mindfulness initiatives perform best when employees see that leadership and workplace culture truly support them. To foster buy-in and active participation in this winter wellness challenge, try:

Starting the day with a quick email or chat message with a mindfulness tip or reflection question.
Sharing short guided meditation videos or breathing exercises that employees can follow during breaks.
Hosting 10-minute virtual mindfulness meetups once a week for group meditation or gratitude sharing.

Looking for Winter Wellness Wins?

Winter wellness doesn’t have to be complicated! Sometimes all it takes is a little creativity and the right tools to keep your team connected, healthy, and motivated. If you’re looking for an easy way to launch a winter wellness challenge and track engagement, HUSK can help.

Our Challenge platform makes it simple for workplaces to engage employees with fun, interactive wellness challenges for fitness, nutrition, mindfulness, and more, all designed to boost morale and foster connection.

Ready to energize your team this winter? Contact us today! Together, we can make wellness a natural part of your company culture all year long.