If you’re like me, you’ve probably seen the “winter arc” TikToks and Reels circulating since about September. In case you’re not chronically online, a winter arc is defined as: a commitment to refocus your daily routines and habits before the first of the year. The winter arc lasts from October 1 to January 1, where you commit to a few positive changes or additions to your daily routines in order to be ahead of the curve when the New Year’s resolutions crowd starts thinking about what they’ll do differently in the new year (hint: it’s statistically not going to last).
The winter arc, first of all, feels like a very manageable way to make healthy changes to your routine within a set amount of time—as opposed to having a goal for a year that will fizzle out far more quickly than you always think it will.
Three months, locked in.
My winter arc consisted of the following three commitments:
- Drink 70 oz. of water daily
- Cut back to consuming caffeine 5 days/week (instead of every day)
- End every single workout with deep stretching
I know, these sound very simple. But for someone who already commits to hitting the gym and being active, my goals were more around adding good things to my life where needed and subtracting the unnecessary. Additionally, I learned some news related to my health in early October that altered the direction of my winter arc goals. To go deeper, I hadn’t been drinking enough water, I was drinking far too much caffeine, and I wasn’t allowing myself adequate time before and after workouts to truly stretch and promote better mobility. So I set out with small solutions to improve in these ways.
To achieve these goals, here’s what I’ve been doing:
Increasing Water Intake
I set three alarms on my phone to go off throughout every single day that served as deadlines for drinking a full 40 oz. tumbler of water (keep in mind, I like a lot of ice, so I am not getting 40 oz. of water from one cup full). Water cup #1 alarm goes off at 11:00 a.m., water cup #2 alarm goes off at 3:00 p.m., and water cup #3 goes off at 7:00 p.m. Whether I’ve completed my water intake at those times or not, they serve as helpful reminders to check in with myself and consider if I’m behind or ahead on my hydration.
Decreasing Caffeine
Obviously, cutting caffeine cold turkey would be miserable, and I don’t think my husband or son would like me very much during that adjustment period. Instead, I gave myself a goal to hit—five days of the week, I’m allowed to have caffeine. Considering I used to be a two cups of coffee or one Alani every single day, this is progress. Maybe the next time around, I’ll aim for four, then three…
Deep Stretching
I always start my workout with stretching, of course, but I’ve found that I feel even better to end my workouts with a solid deep stretch as well. Call me crazy, but I do think it helps with feeling less sore a day or two later when I start to feel the effects of my workout. I feel less stiff and like I have better muscle recovery when I end my gym session by stretching the area I just worked as opposed to rushing out the door and off to the next thing.
No matter your winter arc commitments, I hope you’re seeing the results you desire and are going into the New Year feeling ahead. I know I am feeling more hydrated, flexible, and less addicted to caffeine than I was only 2.5 months ago, so I’ll call it a win. 🙂
ANNIE BOYD SOWELL 