Resolutions Failing? Try Winter Arc for Flexible Steps

Use the early months of the year to launch lasting change in your fitness and beyond

- NICOLE BLADES

After "Auld Lang Syne," early January's most popular song might be called: "New Year, New Me." We sing it to make resolutions and recommitments, especially to fitness-hit the gym, get in shape, drop some weight. Unfortunately for many, the new fitness momentum stalls out by February.

Some people have found their fix using a method called the Winter Arc.

The Winter Arc has no stringent rules, unlike many other viral fitness trends. No mandates on the number of workouts you must do, no diets to follow or other boxes to check. Instead, the approach offers general guidelines that are accessible and flexible, its proponents say. All it asks is that you be realistic, track your progress and, most important, start small.

It kicked off in September, when Tiktoker Carly Berges, a self development influencer based in Miami, posted a video laying out her plans to use the last quarter of the year to lock in. Berges vowed to get hyper-focused on her health and fitness goals during the colder, dark-by-4:30 p.m. part of the year, when many people are slowing down, slacking off and sinking into the couch.

She called this her Winter Arc. By sticking to a consistent sleep-wake schedule, workout plan and healthier diet beginning Oct. 1, she got a running start on personal development plans for the New Year. With 4.7 million views since the video's original posting, others have shown themselves to be up for the challenge, too.

It's not too late to start the Winter Arc now. Here's how.

Start small