{"id":2433325,"date":"2025-05-11T06:12:01","date_gmt":"2025-05-11T10:12:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-red-fitness-watch-challenge-thats-keeping-capitol-hill-active\/"},"modified":"2025-05-11T06:16:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T10:16:15","slug":"the-red-fitness-watch-challenge-thats-keeping-capitol-hill-active","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-red-fitness-watch-challenge-thats-keeping-capitol-hill-active\/","title":{"rendered":"The red fitness watch challenge that\u2019s keeping Capitol Hill active"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthe-red-fitness-watch-challenge-thats-keeping-capitol-hill-active%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2433325&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Congressional Physical Activity Challenge, an annual event on Capitol Hill, engages congressional staff in a competitive fitness initiative. During this three-week challenge, participants from various congressional offices aim to accumulate points by monitoring their physical activities using smart fitness watches. The event, which runs throughout May to coincide with National Physical Fitness and Sport Month, includes teams from both the House and Senate, promoting bipartisan participation.<\/p>\n<p>This year&#8217;s challenge has seen participation from 21 teams, with notable involvement from both democratic and Republican offices. The competition is intense, as staffers accumulate points based on various metrics, such as average and total <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jobless-claims-exceed-expectations-as-blue-states-lag-behind\/\" title=\"Jobless Claims Exceed Expectations as Blue States Lag Behind\">activity levels<\/a>. Current leaders include Senator Rick Scott\u2019s office for average points and senator Cynthia Lummis\u2019s office for total points, with Lummis expressing her competitive spirit and camaraderie within her team.<\/p>\n<p>The challenge underscores the importance of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cdc-study-suggests-virtual-learning-can-be-damaging-to-childrens-physical-and-mental-health\/\" title=\"CDC Study Suggests Virtual Learning Can Be Damaging To Children\u2019s ... And Mental ...\">physical activity<\/a> for health and wellness among congressional staff while fostering teamwork across party lines. The event not only promotes fitness but also serves as a reminder of the vital role physical activity plays in improving overall well-being.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >red fitness watch challenge<\/a> that&rsquo;s keeping Capitol Hill active<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2117729\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Staffers on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Capitol Hill<\/a> are spiking their heart rates for an annual fitness challenge pitting congressional offices against one another.<\/p>\n<p>For the next three weeks, staffers will be closely monitoring a leader board that spans 21 teams in both the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/house-of-representatives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">House<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Senate<\/a>. The goal? Racking up the most points using a smart watch that measures the activity levels of each participant.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3407719\/alsobrooks-calls-for-rfk-jr-resign-hhs-secretary\/\">Alsobrooks calls for RFK Jr. to resign as HHS secretary<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3407667\/gallego-reveals-how-democrats-must-change-strategy\/\">Gallego reveals how Democrats must change their strategy: &#8216;Be mad, stay mad&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3407275\/john-fetterman-attendance-frequent-senate-absences-controversies\/\">Fetterman&rsquo;s frequent Senate absences add to piling controversies<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The Congressional Physical Activity Challenge, which began May 1 and runs through the end of the month, is open to all interns and staff and has even drawn the interest of some lawmakers, with Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) among those who regularly participate.<\/p>\n<p>The competition has become synonymous with the red watches aides have been sporting on Capitol Hill, but staffers in district offices can also use their Apple or Android devices to compete. The challenge is a group sport, with the points tallied across each office, but there is an award for the most active participant as well.<\/p>\n<p>The challenge has attracted teams from both Democratic and Republican offices. Notable participants include the leadership staff of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and the personal office of Speaker <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mike-johnson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Mike Johnson<\/a> (R-LA), according to a leader board reviewed by the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Democratic offices include those of Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Maxine Waters (D-CA).&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>There is even a rivalry on the House Oversight Committee, with the majority and minority staff participating. To account for different team sizes, points are scored in two ways &ndash; average and total &ndash; with a winner declared for each.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A congressional staffer wears a Myzone watch as part of the Congressional Physical Activity Challenge. (David Sivak\/Washington Examiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As of Friday afternoon, Sen. Rick Scott&rsquo;s (R-FL) office is leading the challenge for average points, threatening the title Lummis&rsquo;s office earned last year. Her team won in total points in both 2023 and 2024, and today also leads on that metric.<\/p>\n<p>Lummis herself is protective of that accolade, telling the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> she looks &ldquo;forward to seeing who comes in second this year.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/restoring-america\/patriotism-unity\/3404184\/china-predatory-incursion-onto-american-campuses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CHINA&rsquo;S PREDATORY INCURSION ONTO AMERICAN CAMPUSES<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Our office is filled with cutthroat competitors who go all in on any challenge,&rdquo; she said in a statement. &ldquo;I enjoy joining them in this challenge every year, improving our health, and creating stronger office camaraderie.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Good luck to all!&rdquo; Lummis added.<\/p>\n<p>The Scott team has 3,636 average points as of Friday, followed by the Lummis team at 3,289 points and Johnson&rsquo;s team at 2,548.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Last year, the Lummis and Johnson offices placed first and second for average points, while staffers for Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) came in third.<\/p>\n<p>Similar to Orange Theory, the challenge relies on an app that buckets heart rates into five different intensity zones, with red awarded the most. The competition is put on by the Physical Activity Alliance in partnership with Myzone, a company that provides the watches for the duration of the competition.<\/p>\n<p>Each year, the challenge is timed to celebrate National Physical Fitness and Sport Month. This marks the 5th competition, launched in 2021 as a way &ldquo;to raise awareness about the importance of physical activity to overall health and disease prevention.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s inspiring to see our nation&rsquo;s leaders unite across party lines to model what it means to prioritize health through movement,&rdquo; Michael Stack, the Physical Activity Alliance president, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Congressional Physical Activity Challenge is more than a friendly competition &ndash; it&rsquo;s a powerful bipartisan statement about the essential role physical activity plays in improving both physical and mental well-being,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3405683\/robert-prevost-first-american-pope-leo-xiv-villanova-university\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ROBERT PREVOST ELECTED FIRST AMERICAN PONTIFF: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT POPE LEO XIV<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sen. Lummis and her staff are presented with a trophy after winning the Congressional Physical Activity Challenge in 2024. (Photo courtesy of the Physical Activity Alliance) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As the competition progresses, participants can see how they compare within and outside of their office and even share their individual workouts on the app. To assess a person&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-confidant-worries-former-presidents-health-may-prevent-run-for-president-in-2024\/\" title=\"Trump Confidant Worries Former President\u2019s ... May Pr... Run For President In 2024\">resting heart rate<\/a>, the app requests basic information such as height, age, and weight.<\/p>\n<p>The watch comes with a standard red wristband, but the tracking unit can be detached for customization. One staffer reported purchasing three olive green bands on Amazon (black was sold out) for their office.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3385129\/women-in-politicics-clothing-rental-services-mix-up-capitol-hill-wardrobe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>WOMEN IN POLITICS TURN TO CLOTHING RENTAL SERVICES TO MIX UP CAPITOL HILL WARDROBE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In last year&rsquo;s competition, two Lummis staffers ran a half marathon on a treadmill to run up their score. Lummis also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xpdw8SUvTZ0\">described<\/a> the annual Cherry Blossom 10-miler as a &ldquo;little training mission&rdquo; for her office in a promotional video encouraging other members to participate.<\/p>\n<p>In terms of individual accolades, a staffer in Scott&rsquo;s office won the title of top scorer in 2024.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2117729\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2117729\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Capitol Hill staffers compete in a fitness challenge using red watches<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2433326,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Myzone-watch-1024x749.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[55007,32592,55006,55005,55008],"class_list":["post-2433325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-active-lifestyle","tag-capitol-hill","tag-fitness-challenge","tag-red-fitness-watch","tag-wellness-activities"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Myzone-watch-1024x749.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2433325","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2433325"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2433325\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2433329,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2433325\/revisions\/2433329"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2433326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2433325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2433325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2433325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}