How to travel the world in spite of the pandamic

A world tour during a pandemic? That does not sound very plausible, does it? Especially not if you also plan to take all your fellow employees with you. But COSMO CONSULT, Europe's leading Microsoft digital transformation partner, is doing just that with the help of the Virgin Pulse Global Challenge.

Admittedly, the tour of the globe is not taking place in the real world. The Virgin Pulse program is one of the most famous international initiatives for improving employee health. Participants travel around the world virtually to many well-known attractions using an app. To do this, you have to be active, though, because only if you cover a certain distance running, swimming or cycling do you make progress on the virtual map.

The best part of the whole thing is that you are not undertaking the journey on your own. Cooperation is part of the Global Challenge’s DNA: you go exploring in teams of seven while competing with the other teams in a spirit of collegiality. So this is the perfect opportunity for all those who have gotten comfortable with their routine of working from home while limiting their contacts to break the habit

And we mean that in the literal sense. Movement is the whole point of the Global Challenge. Not only on the map, but also in people’s heads. Participants receive daily tips, small extra tasks and progress logs to help with their own personalized challenges ranging from reducing stress to improving nutrition to quitting smoking.

The Virgin Pulse Global Challenge gets even couch potatoes and lone wolves moving in a team. At COSMO CONSULT it has been one of the most popular joint activities for many years. And Chief Executive Officer Uwe Bergmann sees it that way, too: "The combination of curiosity, team spirit and healthy activity is simply fun to be part of, and there has been far too little fun in these tough times."