How to Start Your Winter Arc
Isabella Cannon
| 4 min read
TikTok is buzzing with a trend called “the winter arc "that encourages you to start your health and fitness goals in the fall to create a healthy winter. Videos on the trend have millions of views purporting the benefits of optimizing your routine. Let’s explore the viral winter arc challenge and whether it has potential to improve your health and habits.
What is the Winter Arc?
The winter arc involves setting goals around working out, eating well and improving your mind and relationships. Many people begin slowing down as the weather starts to get colder and it gets darker earlier. The holiday season is a busy time of year, which can make it even harder to stick to a routine. The winter arc, however, challenges people to create an exercise and health routine in the fall so they are prepared for the new year.
New Year’s resolutions can be often daunting, and most people fail to keep them. It can take an average of 66 days to form a new habit, although it varies from person to person. With consistent efforts, you can build a routine before the depths of winter when you might struggle the most to keep it.
Winter arc season starts on Oct. 1 and lasts through March, according to the trend. However, you can start at any point in autumn and winter.
Common Winter Arc Goals
Every person’s winter arc is going to look different depending on your priorities. Being consistent and disciplined is a through line of the trend. Choose goals you can incorporate into your schedule, such as:
- Work out several times a week or daily
- Practice good sleep hygiene habits
- Eat healthy, nutritious meals and snacks with fruits, vegetables and whole grains
- Prepare meals ahead of time
- Write in a journal to self-reflect
- Read a self-improvement book
- Learn a new skill
- Limit your time on social media
- Track your progress
- Start a creative hobby
How to Build a Winter Arc Routine
Once you have decided on the habits and goals, create a routine. Building a new routine can be overwhelming, but using specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound, or SMART, goals can provide structure and support. Picking one or two habits may be best as taking on too many new tasks can be difficult.
Here are examples of goals:
- Workout for 30 to 45 minutes a day, three to five days a week.
- Wake up before 7 a.m. and make your bed first thing in the morning.
- Avoid social media the first hour of the morning and one hour before bed.
- Dedicate 30 minutes each day to learning a new skill or hobby.
- Journal one page a day.
- Read one chapter of a book each week.
- Cut out fast food and sugary drinks.
- Focus on eating fresh fruits and vegetables at every meal.
- Meal prep at the beginning of each week.
Tips for staying consistent
How do you stay motivated? Here are tips to stay consistent with your winter arc:
- Pick sustainable goals. Doing too much too soon can lead to burnout or injury, so start small and build gradually. Build in days off to rest and recover.
- Try to stick to your routine 80% of the time. Be compassionate with yourself when you miss a day.
- Write out your goals and create a daily checklist of your routine.
- Share your goals with a trusted friend or family member who will keep you accountable and encourage you.
- Create a positive environment to help you achieve your goals, such as getting rid of junk food or keeping your exercise equipment where you can see and access it
Ultimately, the winter arc is a trend that could help you create a routine to stay active and healthy through the winter months. By picking a habit to build through the autumn and winter, you can enjoy the holidays and take care of your health.
If you are looking to make drastic changes to your exercise routine and diet, talk to your primary care physician about the best way to go about it.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
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