Help Center & FAQ
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Frequently Asked Questions:
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The 2008 WOMAN Challenge is now closed. 2008 Participants can no longer log into their accounts. To keep tracking your activities online, check out the WOMAN Activity Tracker!
About the Challenge
Virtual Routes
Registration
Logging Physical Activity
About the Challenge
How much does participation in the WOMAN Challenge cost?
- It's completely free! As long as you have access to the Internet, you can participate in the 2008 WOMAN Challenge!
How long is the WOMAN Challenge?
- The WOMAN Challenge takes place over 8 weeks, from Mother's Day, May 11 to July 6, 2008.
Who is sponsoring the WOMAN Challenge?
- The Office on Women's Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is the sponsor of the WOMAN Challenge. For more information on the Office on Women's Health, see www.womenshealth.gov/owh.
What is National Women's Health Week?
- National Women's Health Week is sponsored by the Office on Women's Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The goal of National Women's Health Week is to encourage women to take simple steps for a longer, healthier, and happier life. The week runs from May 11 to May 17, 2008, and kicks off with National Women's Check-Up Day on May 12, 2008, to encourage women to schedule an appointment with their doctor or other health care provider for an annual check-up and health screenings. For more information on National Women's Health Week, see www.womenshealth.gov/whw.
Where can I find out more about the WOMAN Challenge and the Office on Women's Health?
What if I can't find the answer to my question?
Virtual Routes
What is a virtual route?
- A virtual route is a map on the Internet that helps illustrate your progress throughout the WOMAN Challenge. "Virtual" means that you don't actually travel the route, rather you are moved along the route based on the physical activity you log on the Web site. There are six routes that you can choose from:
- Cross-Country
- Pacific Coast
- Rocky Mountains
- Plains and Midwest
- Gulf and Caribbean
- Northeast
- See Map of Virtual Routes (PDF 1.58 Mb)
How do I decide which virtual route to choose?
- You can choose whichever virtual route you'd like to map your progress. Feel free to choose the route in the region you live or any other route of interest for the WOMAN Challenge. If you participate on a team, you can use either the same or different routes to track your personal progress than your team progress.
Are some routes easier to complete than others?
- No. Although the routes appear to be different lengths, it takes the same number of points (16) to complete each route. Each route can be completed during the 8-week challenge if you meet your daily physical activity goals and log 5 out of 7 days per week.
How will I be moved along my virtual route?
- Your movement along the virtual route will be based on whether you have met your individualized physical activity goal. The site will update your progress as soon as you enter your activity into the tracking log. It is necessary for your goal to correspond with the method of activity measurement that you use (steps or minutes). You can change your method - it just has to be consistent through the week and with your goal for that week.
- For each of the eight weeks of the WOMAN Challenge, you'll have the opportunity to accumulate up to two points:
- POINT 1: You can earn your first point each week if you meet your physical activity goal on at least 5 of the 7 days in that week.
- POINT 2: You can earn your second point each week if you record some (any amount of) physical activity on 5 of the 7 days of the week.
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If you earn both points every week, you will accumulate 16 points by the end of the WOMAN Challenge and will successfully complete your virtual route.
Registration
What do I do if my login from last year doesn't work?
- To join this year's 2008 WOMAN Challenge you must register regardless of whether you participated last year in the 2007 WOMAN Challenge. Your login and password from last year WILL NOT log you in to the 2008 WOMAN Challenge. You must create a login and password for this year (however they can be the same as last year).
Can I participate as part of a team?
- Yes! You can participate in the WOMAN Challenge as an individual or as part of a team. If you would like to participate on a team, talk to your potential teammates and discuss with them who would like to be the team leader. After registering for the Challenge visit
the My WOMAN Challenge page, where the team leader will click on Become a Team Leader, and will create and name the team. Once all other team members including the leader) have registered, the team leader can click on Add Team Members, or individual team members can click on Find a Team to Join to officially join the team. Creating or joining a team is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family across the country!
- See All About Teams
How do I add people to my team?
- You can participate in the WOMAN Challenge as an individual or as part of a team. If you would like to participate on a team, talk to your potential teammates and discuss with them who would like to be the team leader. After registering for the Challenge visit the My WOMAN Challenge page, where the team leader will click on Create a Team/Become a Team Leader, and will create and name the team.
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Once all other team members including the leader) have registered, the team leader can click on Add Team Members, or individual team members can click on Find a Team to Join to officially join the team. Creating or joining a team is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family across the country!
- See All About Teams
What is the age limit for participation?
- There is no age limit for participation. However, the Challenge is designed for women and girls 9 years or older.
What if a girl younger than 9 years old wants to participate in the WOMAN Challenge?
- As part of the challenge, participants will be receiving motivational e-mails as well as important health information. The health information is targeted to women and girls 9 years of age and older. If your daughters, sisters or friends are younger than 9 years old and would like to participate, please use your own judgment or seek the advice of a healthcare provider in deciding whether the Challenge is appropriate for them.
Can men and boys participate?
- Absolutely! Boys and men are welcome to register in the WOMAN Challenge as individual or team member participants. Please note however, that the e-mail messages containing valuable health information are geared towards women and girls.
When will I receive my welcome packet?
- If you are one of the first 40,000 registrants for the 2008 WOMAN Challenge, you will receive a welcome packet in the mail within 2 weeks of registering or before the Challenge begins on May 11, 2008. Participants who register after the first 40,000 can download all the materials available in the welcome packet from the WOMAN Challenge Web site.
- Unfortunately, due to shipping limitations, participants from outside the United States will not receive a Welcome Packet in the mail. They are, however, invited to download a Welcome Packet from this site after completing the registration process.
- See Welcome Packet
What if I register after you've run out of welcome packets?
- That's okay! Participants who register after the first 40,000 can download all the materials available in the welcome packet from the WOMAN Challenge Web site.
- See Welcome Packet
Will I receive a pedometer this year?
- In 2008, we will not be providing free pedometers to our WOMAN Challenge participants. With the WOMAN Challenge growing as rapidly as it has, we are unable to provide pedometers to all our participants in past years. Instead, we are providing enhanced welcome packets with more exciting program materials than previous years. The welcome packets will go to the first 40,000 registrants - so register early!
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Participants who register after the first 40,000 can download all the materials available in the welcome packet from the WOMAN Challenge web site.
- See Welcome Packet
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If you plan to record your physical activity in steps, all you have to do is purchase a pedometer for yourself. You should be able to purchase a pedometer at a sporting goods store, a fitness center, or online. We recommend purchasing a pedometer that only tracks steps. They're easy to use! Alternately, you can participate in the WOMAN Challenge without a pedometer by tracking your daily physical activity in minutes rather than steps.
Logging Physical Activity
What do I need to do to complete the WOMAN Challenge?
- Just set weekly goals for yourself and work towards meeting them. You'll have to monitor your physical activity every day during the 8-week Challenge, either using a pedometer, or by recording your daily minutes of activity on your tracking log. Each
week that you meet your goal on 5 of the 7 days of that week, you'll be moved along your virtual route towards success!
What are the guidelines for setting my physical activity goals?
- You can choose to set your goals in steps (using a pedometer or armband pedometer to measure your activity) or in time duration of physical activity (minutes). Each week, you will choose a goal for yourself to achieve daily. For example, during week 1 of the WOMAN Challenge, your goal may be to complete 7500 steps each day of that week. During week 2, you might set a goal of 50 minutes of activity each day for that week. In this way, you have the option of changing your goal (increasing or decreasing) or changing your measurement type (steps or minutes) each week of the eight-week challenge.
How do I decide what my physical activity goals should be?
- When setting your goals, it is important to consider your current level of physical activity, as well as any mobility impairments that you may have. It is best to set goals that challenge you physically, but are achievable and realistic for you based on your lifestyle. A goal of 10,000 steps a day or 60 minutes of physical activity is the amount needed to achieve an "active lifestyle".
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Consider the following guidelines:
| Lifestyle |
Steps per day |
Minutes of physical activity
per day |
| Sedentary |
Less than 5,000 |
Less than 30 |
| Low activity |
5,000 to 7,499 |
30 to 44 |
| Somewhat active |
7,500 to 9,999 |
45 to 59 |
| Active |
10,000 or more |
60 or more |
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There are no national guidelines regarding physical activity for people with mobility impairments. As a result, it is important to consider your current level of physical activity when deciding your goals for the WOMAN Challenge. You should assess which goal is best suited to your physical activity level and most achievable for you. Your doctor or nurse may be able to assist you in this decision. We encourage you to challenge yourself by increasing your daily physical activity each week as part of the WOMAN Challenge.
Should I change my physical activity goal every week
- The goal you set each week will automatically become the default goal for all of the remaining subsequent weeks. For example, if your goal for week 1 is 10,000 steps/day, the default goal for weeks 2 through 8 will also be 10,000 steps/day. Feel free to increase or decrease your goal or change your measurement type (between steps and minutes) at any time.
What can I do to increase my daily physical activity?
- There are many ways to increase your daily physical activity. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Park your car in a parking space farther from your destination than you normally would.
- Take your children, dogs, etc. outdoors to play or for a long walk.
- Do some yard work or housecleaning.
- Bike, walk, or wheel to work, to run errands, or to visit friends.
- Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator.
- Take a quick walk during your lunch break at work.
How do I change my measurement choice?
- When setting your first physical activity goal during week 1, you can choose to record your physical activity in minutes or steps. Each week, when you set your physical activity goal, you will have the opportunity to change your measurement choice.
What should I be tracking on my tracking log?
- Please record your physical activity (in steps or minutes) on your tracking log. You can track your physical activity in steps using a standard or arm-band pedometer. Be sure to record your physical activity in the same units you set your goal in.
Can I include activities other than walking in my tracking log?
- Yes! If you are tracking your activity in steps (using a pedometer) and doing swimming, biking, gardening, or any other physical activity just use the activity conversion chart to calculate the equivalent number of steps and record that amount (these
step conversions were calculated based on research and averaging). Remember not to wear your pedometer in the water! If you are tracking your activity in minutes, just keep track of the minutes you spend on all types of physical activity each day.
How do I submit my daily physical activity?
When should I submit my daily physical activity?
- You should submit your daily activity online when it is convenient for you. You can submit as frequently or infrequently as you'd like, but make sure to submit your activity by the end of the Challenge in order to complete your virtual route during the 8 weeks. Also, when you submit your activity online, you'll be able to see your progress along your virtual route (ideally, at least once per week). However, there will be no negative consequences (for you or your team) for logging later in the challenge for earlier weeks. In that case, you will not see your progress (nor will your team) for any given week until you have logged your activity for the entire week.
Can I submit my team members' daily physical activity?
- Yes! You can submit your team members' daily activity data. Just sign in as your team member, using their e-mail and password, and you can log their daily activity in their calendar on their My WOMAN Challenge page. Please do not contact us for your team
members' user names and passwords. We will not give out this information. Your teammates will need to give you this information if they want you to update their activity.
- See All About Teams.
What if I forget to log my activity?
- If you forget to keep track of your physical activity for one day, just estimate the amount of physical activity you completed that day based on the amount you had been completing on previous days and your level of physical activity on that particular day.
What if there is a period of time when I won't have access to the Internet?
- That's no problem. If you are traveling or simply away from a computer there are a few options:
- visit your local library to access the internet and submit your daily physical activity as usual OR
- wait until you get back to your computer and submit your daily physical activity then OR
- call one of your team-members (if you are part of a team) and have them log your physical activity for you (using your email and password) while you are away.
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There will be no negative consequences (for you or your team) for logging later in the challenge. However, you will not see your progress (nor will your team) for any given week until you have logged your activity for the entire week.
How do I change my contact information once I have registered?
- You can update your contact information by logging onto the My WOMAN Challenge page using your e-mail address and password.
- Click on Edit my Profile and follow the instructions to make necessary changes.
I'm not getting the WOMAN Challenge e-mails and reminders. What should I do?
- Visit the My WOMAN Challenge page, log-in, and:
- Check your e-mail address in your contact information in the My Challenge section to make sure that it's accurate. If it's not accurate, update it.
- Check the Junk/Spam folder of your e-mail account for WOMAN Challenge e-mail messages.
- Check your spam blocker and unblock the 4.woman@psgs.com and womanchallenge2@list.nih.gov e-mail addresses. Add the 4.woman@psgs.com and womanchallenge2@list.nih.gov e-mail address to your contact list.
I've lost my Tracking Log. What should I do?
- You may download and print a new copy of the Tracking Log on the Welcome Packet page.
Content last updated March 24, 2008.
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