AstraZeneca US has launched a wide-ranging wellness programme for its staff and is using social media to help them maintain their momentum.

The pharma company has set up 'Shape Up', an internal social media website that allows employees to track their own health and fitness progress and even challenge each other to complete health goals.

The programme's social media element fits into a wider trend to 'socialise' fitness through applications like RunKeeper and Map My Run and sites like Fitocracy. It's also the second fitness-related social media programme to come out of the healthcare industry in recent weeks, following GE Healthcare's cancer awareness campaign.

GE's Get Fit programme uses a variety of social media channels, including Twitter and Sina Weibo, to encourage healthier lifestyles but it is more aligned with commercial goals around cancer screening.

In AstraZeneca's case the wider Shape Up programme, which includes free health screening, wellness coaching and discounts for Weight Watchers, is designed to create a healthier workforce by focusing on prevention activities. To this end, its core areas are weight management, physical activity and emotional well-being.