For school districts, successfully supporting employee wellbeing means meeting people where they are within demanding roles. That means a strong focus on practical tools, incentives that matter, and activities that enable engagement on the go.
To support this approach, Newport News Public Schools partnered with Vitality and, in September 2025, introduced personalized weekly physical activity targets into its wellbeing program. This shift enabled the district to encourage steady progress through a gamified, easy-to-use experience in the Power of Vitality mobile app.
Employees began receiving weekly workout targets tailored to their current activity levels. As workouts were logged and goals were met, members earned points through a wheel spin, with targets gradually increasing to support progress and subtle motivation without adding pressure.
What we saw next were immediate gains in engagement. In the first month, year-over-year activity data for the same period showed a 61% increase in total recorded workouts, a 13.5% increase in connected fitness devices, and an 81% increase in advanced-level workouts.
To assess whether this engagement was sustained over time, we delved into longer-term trends by comparing March 2025 (pre-introduction) with March 2026 (post-introduction). The results showed that employees recorded a 19.8% increase in total workouts and a 19.3% increase in advanced-level workouts, indicating that members continued to build consistent, higher-quality movement habits over time.
By introducing personalized weekly physical activity targets, Vitality and Newport News Public Schools demonstrate how adaptive, achievable wellness strategies can drive both early engagement and lasting behavior change, helping to build healthier habits, stronger staff, and a more sustainable culture of wellbeing.Â
