MIT Health’s getfit fitness challenge is the brainchild of staff member Kim Schive. In 2004, as editor of the now-defunct health@mit newsletter, she had an idea for making a bigger health impact on campus through a fitness challenge. During the pilot year of getfit in 2005, she laid out the program hallmarks: participating as part of a team, counting exercise minutes, going on tunnel walks, and free T-shirts for all.

Almost 1,300 people signed up to participate that first year. It was hard work to keep the program running with a team of seven people, all of whom had other, full-time, job responsibilities. Kim remembers, “I would get here early in the morning and hang maps in the tunnels, and I led all the tunnel walks myself the first year.”

The first challenge did more than raise the activity level of the participants; many also shared stories about how getfit had increased their sense of community at MIT, an unexpected result that delighted the organizers. Kim feels that “getfit made a difference in the way the community viewed MIT Medical. It let everyone at MIT know that we care about them, regardless of whether they get their health care here or not.”

The getfit organizing committee was recognized with an MIT Excellence Award in 2006.

Fast forward to 2025, and getfit get rebuilt by recreation to ensure the program lives on with no interruption for 2026.

MIT Health ceased running the getfit community wellness challenge as part of a set of program cuts due to budget reductions. The getfit challenge, along with several other Community Wellness programs, officially ended on May 23, 2025 under MIT Health. In the Fall of 2025, MIT Recreation volunteered to keep the program running which brings us to January 2026.

The general idea and team based challenge will continue with a few minor changes. This year will be a lot of trial and error; so please be patient with us! Our goal is to continue offering a program that encourages the MIT community to getfit – together.

• The fitness classes, both virtual and in person will stay the same; at Lincoln Labs and in DAPER. You can sign up online and reserve your spot ahead of time.
• We’re moving to a points based system verses exercise minutes – using an application called Wellable.
• Your activity can be tracked manually like years prior OR you can choose to connect to your wearable devices and earn points seamlessly – no more forgetting to enter your minutes!
• The challenge will move to an 8 week challenge vs. a 12 week challenge.
• We will continue rewarding participants with weekly prizes who earn a minimum level of points across each week, as well as various team prizes.
• We will continue offering a DAPER membership discount along with the InBody body composition discount.
• Lincoln Labs will continue to offer the getfit program alongside main campus.
• The eligibility to participate will remain the same.

• The first 3,500 participants registered are eligible for the program.
• Captains must have an email address ending in mit.edu, draper.com, ll.mit.edu, broadinstitute.org, wi.mit.edu, or technologyreview.com. Participation is open to all members of the MIT community and family members aged 16 years and older.
• Individuals may be a member of only one team.
• The getfit week runs from Monday through Sunday.
• To be eligible for weekly raffle prizes, participants must enter minutes for the previous week by 11:59 p.m., EST, each Monday.

All of our events, classes, and fun fitness activities (including main campus and Lincoln Lab) will be listed here for easy access. You can explore descriptions, sign up, and add events directly to your calendar. We’re excited to offer a wide variety of options—from tried-and-true favorites like tunnel walks, ice skating, fitness classes, and swim clinics to new offerings such as pickleball and our Launch Party. No matter where you’re starting, we’ll meet you there. Bring a teammate, jump in, and come getfit!

MIT Recreation is offering a limited-time (1/26/26 – 2/28/26) 10% discount on any new membership purchased online in support of the GetFit program. Apply the discount code found in your Wellable account under the Benefits section during membership registration to receive 10% off each month for 12 months. Be sure to select the membership category that matches your MIT affiliation. Please visit the membership page of our website to begin your registration.

All Lincoln Laboratory employees and contingent workers are eligible to buy a getfit trial pass, which allows access to the Lincoln Laboratory Fitness Center and group fitness classes. This three-month trial pass is available for purchase between January 26 and February 14, 2026 and may be used from February 2 – April 30, 2026. The nonrefundable cost for this pass is $50 for Lincoln Laboratory employees and $80 for contingent workers. Visit the Lincoln Labs fitness center website for more information.

Learn how easy it is to earn Wellable Points in the Getfit Challenge! Tracking steps is a great place to start. If you are not currently using an app or device to track your activity, the Wellable app allows you to automatically track steps from your phone through Apple Health or Samsung Health (the recommended free apps for iPhone and Android users, respectively). Download the Wellable app and follow the instructions below to get started! If you’re not using an app or any tracking, you can manually enter exercise minutes and activities, just like the old getfit system. Look for the “+” on the Dashboard in the app, or Click on the “Physical Activity” button the Wellable website under “Dashboard”.

1. Go to the Connections page.
2. Select Connect below the app or device you would like to connect to your Wellable account.  You must first have an existing account or create one for the app or device you would like to use prior to connecting it to Wellable.
3. Follow the prompts, which will require you to enter your app or device credentials.  This will be your username and password for the app or device account, not your Wellable account.

If you’re not using an app or any tracking, you can manually enter exercise minutes and activities, just like the old getfit system. Look for the “+” on the Dashboard in the app, or Click on the “Physical Activity” button the Wellable website under “Dashboard”. 

If you’re not using an app or any tracking, you can manually enter exercise minutes and activities, just like the old getfit system. Look for the “+” on the Dashboard in the app, or Click on the “Physical Activity” button the Wellable website under “Dashboard”. 

Count only minutes actually spent exercising. For example, if you go to the gym to work out on a rowing machine, count only the time you spend rowing, along with warm-up and cool-down activities. Don’t count time spent waiting for a machine, showering, or changing.

If you’re not using an app or any tracking, you can manually enter exercise minutes and activities, just like the old getfit system. Look for the “+” on the Dashboard in the app, or Click on the “Physical Activity” button the Wellable website under “Dashboard”. 

1. Open your device app and make sure the activity on your device matches the activity you see in the device app.
2. Refresh your Dashboard to see the activity from your device in Wellable.

Teams are ranked by the average number of Wellable Points for all members of that team.  This means that teammates with zero Wellable Points during a challenge will lower the score of the entire team, which is why encouraging your teammates to stay active throughout the challenge is so important!  The Leaderboard will default to team rankings, but you can see how you rank as an overall individual or as an individual on your team by selecting a new view under the options menu.

Tunnel Walk Map and Matrix

Charles River running/walking map

GetFit Team Captain Quick Start Guide

Welcome to GetFit! As a captain of a 4–8 person team, you play a key role in keeping your group organized, motivated, and having fun. This quick start will walk you through everything you need to do to get your team set up and ready for a successful challenge.

Build Your Team
• Recruit 4–8 participants (colleagues, friends, lab members, etc.).
• Send team invitations using the challenge platform or share your team join link.
• Confirm everyone has registered, joined your team, and set up their profile and wearables.

Kick Off with a Team Goal
• Send your team a short welcome message.
• Decide on a simple shared Week 1 goal (e.g., move 20 minutes a day, drink 8 cups of water, complete 3 workouts).
• Encourage individual goal-setting

Establish Your Weekly Rhythm
• Send a Monday kickoff note.
• Mid-week check-in to boost motivation.
• Friday wrap-up celebrating wins and shout outs.

Track Team Engagement
• Monitor logged activity.
• Send supportive check-ins if someone falls
behind.

Keep It Positive & Fun
• Encourage—don’t enforce.
• Celebrate effort, not perfection.
• Keep things inclusive for all fitness levels.

Finish Strong
• Thank your teammates.
• Celebrate total team progress.
• Encourage momentum beyond the
challenge.

Build Community in Person with MIT Recreation
Attend group exercise classes, schedule private classes, try instructional programs, reserve the golf simulator, enjoy open recreation, or focus on recovery with massage, sauna, or the recovery corner. Start with an InBody Composition Analysis and consider a follow-up 3–4 months later.
*Services available to members and non-members. Pricing varies. MIT Recreation account required.

Each week, 5 prize winners will be selected from teams that meet the cumulative weekly Wellable points average listed below. Winners will be chosen at random from the leaderboard and may select a gift card of their choice through the Wellable app. 2 Additional MITAC-sponsored prizes will also be awarded throughout the challenge—see list below!

MITAC (MIT Activities Committee Sponsored Tickets)

Week 1: 2 movie tickets

Week 2: 2 movie tickets

Week 3: 2 View Boston

Week 4: 2 View Boston

Week 5: 2 WNDR

Week 6: 2 Aquarium

Week 7: 2 Aquarium

Week 8: 2 Whale Watch