YOUR FIRST CHECK-IN WILL BEE HERE SOON!

Captains, week 2 of Miles for Wellness Challenge 31 ended Sunday, March 23. This means your first check-in is soon. Please remind your team members to send their tracking sheets to you today, Monday, March 24.

Once you have received your team's step counts, update your captain's spreadsheet and complete the bi-weekly reporting form. The deadline to complete the form is Wednesday, March 26.

REPORTING ACCURATE STEPS

Please be sure your team members are accurately reporting their steps. If you are using a smartwatch, pedometer or step-counting app while taking part in physical activities you should not use the conversion function in the participant tracking sheet to report those steps; they're already accounted for in the number of steps your watch or pedometer reports. For more help on filling out the participant tracking spreadsheet, find directions here.

COMPLETING THE CHECK-IN FORM

Below are some helpful tips for completing the bi-weekly submission form:

• If you cannot find your team name listed on the form, you can type it in.
• The step total you need to report can be found on your captain's spreadsheet in the blue box in the top right corner.
• Do not use commas or decimals in your step count.
• Do not attach your participant sheets; you should transfer all information to your captain's sheet and upload it when completing the bi-weekly check-in form.

Help your team members meet their goals with these motivating materials.

MOVE LIKE THE BEES

Did you know honey bees dance to communicate? One of their dances is called the waggle dance, and you can do it too. Follow along in the video for a new way to fit a few minutes of physical activity into your day.

JOIN THE BEES

Be like the bees and head outside! Whether it's walking, jogging, biking or something else, exercising outside has the added benefit of helping you get vitamin D. A vital nutrient, vitamin D supports immune health, allows your body to absorb calcium and much more. Learn more about the benefits of joining the bees outside in the article here.

HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED?

Whether it's something you've read, watched or listened to or it's a specific activity that keeps you moving, we want to hear from you — ask your team members to share their favorite motivational media and strategies and email us their answers for a chance to be featured in a future email.

BI-WEEKLY REPORTING FORM

Submit your team's steps for each check-in and the final deadline using the bi-weekly reporting form. Note that the link to the form will remain the same throughout the duration of the challenge.

The reporting periods for each check-in are:

• Weeks 1-2: Monday, March 24-Wednesday, March 26
• Weeks 1-4: Monday, April 7-Wednesday, April 9
• Weeks 1-6: Monday, April 21-Wednesday, April 23
• Weeks 1-8 (Final Submission): Monday, May 5-Wednesday, May 7

HOW TO USE YOUR TRACKING SHEETS

Not sure how to use your captain's spreadsheet? The video here can help. We also have a video to help your team members use the participant tracking sheet and directions for converting other exercises to steps. NOTE: The dates in the training videos are examples from a past challenge, not the reporting dates for Challenge 31.

TRAIL FACTS

Check out the points of interest guide here to learn more about each pollinator-inspired town your team will explore along this virtual adventure.

NEED MORE INFO?

Each communication we send captains is filled with valuable information to help you make the most of Miles for Wellness. Find past emails online on the Challenge 31 page so a cluttered inbox won't stop you from bee-ing the best captain you can bee.

Still can't find the answer you're looking for? Email milesforwellness@nc.gov.