Introducing the President's Challenge to your workplace - and making it a success - begins with good planning. Here are a few suggestions for getting your program off to a good start.

Make your case.
First on your list is top management. They need to understand why staying active is important - for employees, and for the company. Their support and leadership will help set the tone for everyone else to follow. Learn more about the benefits of the program.

Get others involved.
The best employee fitness programs are designed by the employees themselves. Invite co-workers to form a fitness committee to help get the President's Challenge up and running. The committee will seek input from employees, promote the program, and act as a liaison to upper management.

Set a date.
Decide when you want to launch the President's Challenge in your company. Two natural tie-ins are National Physical Fitness and Sports Month in May or as a New Year's resolution. Whenever you decide to begin, make sure you think through how you want to introduce the program.

Put out the word.
There are all kinds of ways you can let employees know about the program - meetings, e-mails, posters, bulletins, statement stuffers, you name it. The idea is to get people excited about the President's Challenge and keep them involved.

Recognize participants.
Exactly how you encourage employees to take part in the President's Challenge is up to you. You can order official President's Challenge awards and merchandise, post the names of award winners, or throw a party for everyone who joins or completes the program.