Vol. 8, No. 4
STATS
Q1-Q3 Implementations (by Challenge)
⬤ Walktober
⬤ 10K-A-Day
⬤ Spring Into Motion
⬤ Star Trak
⬤ Worldwide Wellness
⬤ All Others
Through 3 quarters overall implementations are up 18.5 % compared to last year. Thank you!
Walktober Walks Away With It
With 4 years of double-digit growth (17% increase over 2024), Walktober shows no signs of slowing. Participation crosses all industries — with 100-100,000 eligible employees.
Top Walktober Market Segments
⬤ Corporate/Misc
⬤ School Systems
⬤ Government
⬤ Colleges and Universities
⬤ Medical/Healthcare
I love the refreshed look of everything. I am super excited!
Nicole Rice
Benefits Administrator, ASM Research
We will never stop doing Walktober so long as I am Benefits Manager at Castle & Cooke, Inc.!
Windi Armbruster
Benefits Manager, Castle & Cooke
Wags of Walktober
Just 1 week in and the Community page has gone to the dogs — in a good way. Favorite walking companions are stealing the spotlight, and our AMs couldn’t resist sharing a few canine cameos.
DEMO
NEW for Q1-Q2 2026!
If you missed last month’s group demo, here’s how to learn more about our newest physical activity challenges:
- Watch the Go Gold and Bloom 3-minute speed demos.
- View a 30-minute recording of the group demo and download the slides.
- Schedule a live demo.
Tell us your eligible population for a no-obligation quote (we’ll get back to you within 1 business day).
INSIGHT
What We’re Writing
Client Experience
How Jefferson County Brings Well-Being to Life With Wellness Challenges
With a workforce as diverse as its community, Jefferson County knows a 1-size-fits-all approach to wellness won’t work.
Blog
Investing in an organization-wide effort and fostering a workplace walking culture can spark employees to maintain this resilience-building habit.
Building Strong Partnerships to Strengthen Employee Wellness Programs
Effective partnerships help create a supportive environment and contribute to success through a wellness strategy that is intentional, personalized, and aligned with organization goals.
AI Tools for Employee Wellness Leaders: Work Smarter, Not Harder
AI can efficiently handle common tasks, freeing you to focus on strategy, collaboration, and the creative problem solving that requires your expertise.
LEARN
What We’re Reading
How to Break Up with Your Phone: The 30-Day Digital Detox Plan (revised edition)
This evidence-based, user-friendly guide helps you set phone boundaries and live more joyfully.
What I Learned When I “Walked My Age”
To mark her 58th birthday, the author took 58 walks of at least 5.8 miles, honoring her late father while deepening friendships and exploring new places.
The 2025 edition focuses on how caring and sharing affect people’s happiness, and as it does every year, reveals the happiest country on Earth.
Reading for pleasure in free fall: New study finds 40% drop over two decades
Reading for pleasure has long been recognized not just as a tool for education, but as a means of supporting mental health, empathy, creativity, and lifelong learning. Full study.
Have any well-being books, podcasts, presentations, or other media you love? Send us an email and we’ll include them in our next HES Insider.
TEAM
Emily Doyle
Rachel LaBerge
Shout-out to Emily Doyle and Rachel LaBerge —
now officially Certified Wellness Practitioners (CWP).
We’re exploring a new series of quarterly webinars designed just for wellness and HR pros. Got 30 seconds? Take our quick 3-question survey and tell us what topics matter most to you. Your input helps us deliver the content you want — when and how you want it.
PLAN
Our 2026 Wellness Challenge Planning Calendar helps HR leaders, wellness coordinators, and benefits consultants map out fun, goal-driven campaigns to keep employees motivated all year.
FUN
Top 10 Wellness Challenge Ideas for Halloween
Whether it’s extra steps, smart snack swaps, or a mindful pause, these activities help employees enjoy the season without the sugar crash.
Step Into the Shadows
Encourage participants to log a set number of steps daily — reminding them that even the “walking dead” keep moving.Pumpkin Power
Host a mini workout using pumpkins as weights — think squats, lifts, and curls.Creepy Crawly Core
Promote short daily body weight moves like planks, bridges, or crunches. Rename them with spooky flair (Zombie Plank, Spider Crawl).
SURVEY
Thanks to all who completed the Quarterly Webinar Survey. Top 5 topics of interest:
Where are you going next year?
Let’s connect in 2026. Check any conferences you plan (even tentatively) to attend; take the 30-second survey.
ADMIN
Get a Quote or a 1:1 Demo in a Hurry
For a not-to-exceed quote fast, email learnmore@hesonline.com with your:
- Organization name
- Eligible population
- Challenge name (choose 1 or more).
We’ll get back to you within 1 business day. Want to talk through your options or schedule a live demo? Call 800.326.2317.
KUDOS
We get thousands of testimonials every year… here are a few favorites from Q3:
This was our very first challenge, and it exceeded our expectations. We’ve received great feedback; many people have already asked if we’ll be hosting it again! We’re excited to share that we’re planning another 10K-A-Day Challenge for 2026.
Jackie Williams
Manager, Total Rewards, MLT Human Capital
I love all the HES challenges. You are so responsive and helpful for all our clients… a dream vendor to work with. 10/10 would recommend HES to everyone looking for well-being programs.
Dayna Gowan
Senior Health and Wellness Manager, Keenan
I rebuilt my monthly budget and finally had the courage to sit down and chat with my husband about our financial situation. We now have a plan for the future. This was really insightful and helpful.
Amber R.
Right On the Money participant, American Red Cross
I really enjoyed this activity. I can see the difference before and after. I feel full of energy, haven’t had any headaches for the past month, and I’ve lost a few pounds. I have participated in other activities, but this one was my favorite. Chirpy chirpy!
Sara C.
Chirpy participant, County of San Diego
The Star Trak program is a great way to get moving and feel motivated — these challenges really help you get on the right track. For me, each new challenge inspired me to do better and pushed me to stay active.
Yolanda B.
Star Trak participant, DC Government
Work of Art is a great self-care program that allows you to see success right away as you create art pieces once you complete a series of activities. It is great to keep you motivated and interested.
Loren G.
Work of Art participant, Los Angeles Unified School District
This challenge reinforced how even brief moments of positivity can make a difference in someone’s mood and outlook. It also encouraged me to be more intentional about spreading kindness in my daily interactions.
Liza V.
Good Nurtured participant, Anne Arundel Public Schools