U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

The Challenge

Frequently Asked Questions

• Getting Started
  • What's in this for me?
  • Who can participate?
  • How long does the Challenge last?
  • What are the group numbers?
  • How can my agency win?
  • Can I take time out of my workday for physical activity?
  • Is there a registration deadline?
• Computer and Log Problems
  • I already have a log on the President’s Challenge website. Do I need to create a new one?
  • I cannot register. I get an error message when trying to create a log because of my Cookie settings.
  • I forgot my user name, how can I find out what it is?
  • I forgot my password, how can I find out what it is?
  • I did not enter my activity for a couple of days and want to enter it now.
  • I am on the "Log Your Activity" screen and I am looking at the activities I have entered. I have done more activities than what appears on the screen?
  • Why are there two different point totals listed on my "Log Your Activity" screen?
  • I accidentally entered the wrong activity, can I remove it?
  • I will be out of the office for more than 2 weeks and will be unable to log my activity. What do I do?
• Your Groups
  • I have family/friends who are participating and I want to join their group. Can I join both?
• Additional Questions
  • There are other problems within my department or building. We need to fix those problems instead of worrying about how active employees are.
  • Can my friends participate?

Getting started

Q. What's in this for me?

A. Plenty! First, you may experience an increase in energy and a more positive mood. Physical activity can also boost confidence, help you manage your weight and feel a sense of accomplishment. You will also have the option of printing off a free certificate of completion after you finish the program.

Q. Who can participate?

A. Current Federal employees, retirees, contractors and their family members.

Q. How long does the Challenge last?

A. The Challenge officially began on January 22, 2007 and has been extended to end on April 1. So, you can register as late as February 20 and still have time to complete your six weeks of activity.

Q. What are the group numbers?

A. Group ID Number: To fill in this box, click on the “Find Your Group” box. Look for your agency and click on it. The box will automatically fill in.
Group Member ID/Name: You can use anything you want. Examples: your phone number, initials, or the Group ID Number. Whatever you choose, it does not have to identify you.

Q. How can my agency win?

A. During registration, each participant is asked to indicate his/her agency by clicking on the “Find Your Group” box. Although we cannot see individual results, we can pull an agency's cumulative results. At the end of the program, we will determine which agency's employees are the most active based on the percentage of people who registered and completed the program in the specified time period.

Q. Can I take time out of my workday for physical activity?

A. Each office is slightly different. Discuss this with your supervisor.

Q. Is there a registration deadline?

A. The deadline has been extended. If you want to earn points for your agency, you need to register by February 20th in order to complete the minimum amount of activity by April 1st. However, the #1 goal of this program is to get people more physically active regardless of when the decision is made. Therefore, we encourage anyone to sign up whenever they want to make the commitment to lead a more active life, even after the program officially ends.

Computer and Log Problems

Q. I already have a log on the President’s Challenge website. Do I need to create a new one?

A. No. You can continue with your log, however, you need to make sure you complete at least 30 minutes of activity 5 days a week for six weeks between January 22 and April 1, 2007 to earn points for your agency. In addition, you will need to join your agency's group.

1. Log-in as you normally do.
2. Click on the "Your Groups" tab at the top of your dashboard.
3. Where it says "Join a Group" and has two blank boxes, you will need to input your agency’s Group ID number in the first box. In the box labeled Group Member ID/Name you can enter anything. For example, you can re-enter your Group ID number, your user name, or telephone extension. It does not need to identify you.
4. Click "Add" and then you can log your day's activity or log-out.

Q. I cannot register. I get an error message when trying to create a log because of my Cookie settings.

A. The President's Challenge Web site uses "Session Cookies," which allow a registrant and the registrant’s log to be linked when they are logged onto the President’s Challenge Web site. You can adjust your Cookie settings by opening your Web browser and clicking on Tools/ Internet Options/ Privacy. You may need to check with your technical support staff to find out your agency’s regulations regarding your ability to alter your Privacy Settings.

Q. I forgot my user name, how can I find out what it is?

A. Email preschal@indiana.edu. They will have to reset your user name and password for you.

Q. I forgot my password, how can I find out what it is?

A. Go to the log-in screen on www.presidentschallenge.org and click on the “I Forgot My Password” link. This feature will ask you two questions before giving your password to you.

Q. I did not enter my activity for a couple of days and want to enter it now.

A. You can go back to enter activity up to 14 days in the past. Just be sure to start with the date that is the furthest back. For example, if you want to enter activity for February 1-6 and it’s now February 14th, you need to start with the activity you did on February 1st and work your way forward.

Q. I am on the "Log Your Activity" screen and I am looking at the activities I have entered. I have done more activities than what appears on the screen?

A. The list you are looking at contains your most recently logged activities. To view all your past activities, click on the tab at the top of the page that says "Review Progress." You can enter the specific dates for which you want to view your activities or you can click, “View All” to scroll through all the activity you have done since creating your log.

Q. Why are there two different point totals listed on my "Log Your Activity" screen?

A. The total number of points you have accumulated is identified in red above the horizontal bar showing your progress. The points listed in blue just below that are the number of points you have most recently entered.

Q. I accidentally entered the wrong activity, can I remove it?

A. Yes. Click on the "Log Your Activity" page and scroll down to the bottom where the activities you most recently entered are listed. Find the activity that you accidentally entered and click on "Delete." This will remove that specific activity.

Q. I will be out of the office for more than 2 weeks and will be unable to log my activity. What do I do?

A. If you will have access to a fax machine and feel close enough to a co-worker, you can fax a list of your activities for at least one of the weeks to him or her and then write the rest of them down and enter them upon your return. Another option would be to take advantage of the extra week that is tacked on to the end of the program (you have 8 weeks to complete the program). Just be sure you have 6 weeks of activity entered by April 1, 2007.

Your Groups

Q. I have family/friends who are participating and I want to join their group. Can I join both?

A. Yes. We encourage it! Log-in and click on the “My Groups” tab. Enter the Group ID Number and a Group Member ID/ Name and click “Add.” If you are unsure of what these identifiers are, you can click on the “Find a Group” option just below the entry boxes. This group must already be created by your group’s administrator for this function to work. You can drop out of a group at any time.

Additional Questions

Q. There are other problems within my department or building. We need to fix those problems instead of worrying about how active employees are.

A. The HealthierFeds Physical Activity Challenge is a response to the rising trends in obesity and overweight resulting from, among other things, inactivity and poor dietary practices by many Americans. These conditions are adding additional burden to an already strained healthcare system and contributing to your rising healthcare costs. Work is a great place to promote healthier habits and the leadership at your agency realizes that healthier employees make happier and more productive employees. Therefore, this campaign was launched as a response to the need to increase the awareness of the importance of physical activity among Federal employees and to send a message to employers everywhere that they can have a positive impact on employee health and, as a result, employee happiness and productivity.

Q. Can my friends participate?

A. Yes! We hope you’ll inspire your friends to be more active. They can join the President’s Challenge by visiting www.presidentschallenge.org and creating their own logs. You have the option of creating a separate group for your friends or family, but you don’t have to. Many people choose to participate in the program on their own.