Should I Enable the Activity Converter for my Users?

Learn about the activity converter feature and why you may want to enable it for your organization.

Adding converted activities in Wellbeing+

As a challenge admin for your organization, you have the option to allow your participants to add activity entries to supplement their activity totals in Wellbeing+ by enabling manual activity entry and/or the activity converter from your App Settings.

The activity converter allows users to convert time spent performing various common activities (cycling, yoga, pilates, etc.) into steps and distance straight from the Wellbeing+ dashboard. Users can convert activities in addition to syncing data from their connected device - such as a Fitbit, Apple Watch, etc.

Users can choose an activity to convert from a pre-populated list of options. The converted activity is added onto a user’s activity data for that day and appears in their list of all logged activities. Users can review and remove logged activities if needed from this list. Converted activities will never overwrite totals synced by a device. These logged activities will be counted in addition to any device data.

Here's where users can access the activity converter:

Note: Users can also add activities using our manual activity entry. Learn more about that feature and what to consider when enabling it for your organization in addition to or instead of converted activities here.

Why enable the activity converter?

You should consider enabling the activity converter for your organization if you'd like to:

• Allow participants to convert the time they performed various common activities into steps and distance for credit in their Wellbeing+ challenge. Participants will be able to do so directly on the Wellbeing+ dashboard, and converted activities will be added to any activity totals synced from their connected device.
• Ensure that participants who engage in activities like cycling or yoga aren't disadvantaged in a step-based challenge. The activity converter can level the playing field between different types of activities so no matter how participants choose to move, they’ll be able to get credit for their activity in step or distance-based challenges.
• Allow participants to add activities that weren't tracked by their device or app. This is especially useful if a participant goes on a walk or engages in a workout without their device on them.
• Be inclusive of participants who do not have a device. Additionally, some participants may not want to use their phone as a fitness tracker. They may find it useful to log their time engaging in activities for credit towards their challenge using the activity converter.

Best practices for enabling the activity converter

When using the activity converter, participants will have the option to add just 1, 2, or all 3 metrics to their daily activity using the checkboxes below:

A participant should avoid logging activities that they’ve already gotten credit for via their device. If a participant needs to add only 1 metric to their activity, they should use the checkboxes to only add their missing data using the converter.

If you would like to allow participants to convert their activities into steps, please be sure to communicate this up front with all of your challenge participants so that they know what is and isn't allowed to be counted towards your challenge scores.

We also recommend creating a Content post in your challenge that includes guidelines on how to use the activity converter. You can use our content template, which provides step-by-step instructions for how users can convert activities. Search for the template in the Content Library by filtering for the Wellbeing+ Basics tag, choose the "How to use the activity converter" post, and upload it directly into your challenge.

If you enable the activity converter, we also highly encourage using our activity cap feature in challenges. We generally see higher totals for challenge participants when the activity converter is enabled. This is because participants are able to count additional activities toward their step, distance, and active minute totals (e.g. yoga, cycling, rowing, etc.), including data that typically is not tracked by a device and counted toward challenge totals.

How are activity converter calculations done?

The activity converter calculates totals based on effort exerted and workout intensity to find an approximate step total. Steps are converted into distance at a rate of 2,000 steps to 1 mile (or approximately 3,219 steps to 1 km). Activity converter calculations have been sourced from a combination of various sources including NASA, PEHP Utah, and Washington University Wellness.

How to enable the activity converter for your organization

To enable the activity converter for your entire organization, please adjust your App Settings from the admin center. This will allow all users in your account to access the activity converter on their Wellbeing+ dashboard.

You can choose to enable this setting on its own, or in combination with the manual activity entry setting. You will always have the option to turn off both of these settings for your organization if you choose.

Learn about the activity converter from the participant end

If you'd like to learn more about the Activity Converter from a participant's perspective, please see this guide, which includes instructions and best practice tips on converting activities and adding them into Wellbeing+.