UAB Employee Wellness introduces some healthy competition with new Keas game

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keas_webLooking for an innovative way to make healthy lifestyle changes? UAB Employee Wellness recently launched a fun way to get fit — online. It’s called Keas, and you can sign up today.

“We are very excited about this dynamic social wellness game,” says Lauren Whitt, Ph.D., director of UAB Employee Wellness and adjunct professor in the Department of Human Studies. “Keas provides employees and their families a new opportunity to connect, challenge and play health games online that can motivate and inspire them to take action in their own health. We hope employees will get engaged, share the game with their families, and let us know how they like it.”

Keas uses social interactions and peer motivation to drive healthier, happier employee behaviors in everyday engagement. It was developed based on the company’s study and love of social media, games, motivation theory and psychology.

Whitt says the game takes a comprehensive view of wellness that starts with generating a detailed and personalized user profile, based on the Keas Health Risk Assessment. That inventory then empowers employees to set custom wellness goals and objectives that incorporate a broad spectrum of activities related to diet, fitness and mental health. Keas also offers an application partner called MyBrainSolutions, which offers more than 25 games that help employees improve mental acuity, focus and productivity. The sustained engagement platform includes fitness challenges and seasonal, educational content.

And, Whitt notes, the Keas platform is accessible on the mobile web and on iPhones — a feature that helps promote healthy behavior and teamwork with interactive media that delivers relevant, individualized content.

The Innovation Board, a group of UAB executive and clinical leaders who believe in innovation across all UAB missions is critical to the future success of UAB Medicine, is providing support for the game.

So how does it work, and how can you get involved? Here’s what you do:

Getting Started

1. Sign up Online: Create an online profile at play.keas.com/uab.

2. Build a Team: Form a team of up to six coworkers or family members. Being on a team will help you stay accountable and make it more fun.

3. Set Goals: Each week, you can choose up to three personal health goals. Whether it’s eating more servings of vegetables, doing 15 minutes of yoga, or walking one mile, you can track your progress online and earn points when you hit your target goal. Each team member earns points for accomplishing their own health goals, as well as taking online quizzes and playing online games.

4. Get Competitive: You can earn more points for your team by taking quizzes and playing fun games online.

5. Win Prizes: The more points you earn, either by reaching your health goals or doing online quizzes and games, the closer you are to winning a prize. Prizes will be awarded for individual and team achievers once the challenge concludes on April 26.

Prizes

There are several ways to win with Keas:

Team Milestone Prizes: Reach 5,000 points and win a free pass to the new Blazer Fitness Classes starting this summer at UAB Medicine.

Weekly Drawing Prizes: Each week, if everyone on your team is active, you’ll be entered into a drawing for an exclusive cooking demo and healthy lunch (your team must consist of at least four members).

Top Team Prize: The top point earning teams at the conclusion of the competition will be entered into a drawing for free tickets to upcoming events at UAB and around Birmingham.