BRIDGET BROWN | Associated Press
New York — A new year is the time to set new goals. Yet studies have shown that most people don’t tend to uphold their New Year’s resolutions much past the first month.
In an attempt to reframe the thinking around new year goal-setting, a new wellness trend has popped up online. It’s called the “Winter Arc.”
Here’s what to know.
The goal-setting challenge was created online by fitness and wellness influencers, so there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach or standard definition.
For many of those trying the trend, the Winter Arc involves utilizing the early months of winter to turn inward and get a jump start on their goals, with the intent of having them in place by the time Jan. 1 rolls around. It’s also meant to encourage participants to be extremely disciplined and rigid with their goals since it’s a shorter period to get them done rather than an entire year, or indefinitely.
Laura Galebe, an influencer and the self-proclaimed “CEO of Glowup Series,” posts videos to her social media accounts talking about her Winter Arc experience. “I found it very transformative both mentally and physically,” Galebe says. “The consistent movement helped me stay energized and the structure made the season feel a lot less heavy.”
Although some say the Winter Arc challenge can begin in October, it’s never too late to start. According to Alex Rothstein, an exercise psychologist with the New York Institute of Technology, the best way to dive in is to carve out time each day to work on your goals.
He also recommends setting reasonable, realistic goals that are achievable from day to day: “Recognize that if unforeseen circumstances cause you to miss a day or miss a specific goal in a day, it does not mean you failed the entire process,” he says. “You should be willing to pick up where you started the next day.”
Galebe recommends finding ways to make fitness “cozy and convenient” in the cold winter months, like working out at home or joinubf a heated indoor Pilates or yoga studio. “Another tip is to reframe movement as self-care. I treat my walks or workouts as part of keeping my overall mental and physical health in check,” he said.
Elliot Berkman, a professor of psychology at the University of Oregon, says that goal progress, rather than simply goal attainment, is psychologically beneficial. He says it can provide “positive emotion, a sense of purpose and meaning as well as agency and autonomy.”
When it comes to goal-setting in a short, specific period of time, like the Winter Arc, he says, “Putting a time bound on a goal can improve the chances the goal is achieved. It’s easier to maintain motivation if you know that you get to stop at some point as opposed to feeling like you need to keep up the hard work indefinitely, which can be demotivating.”
Rothstein noted, “If the challenge is used to help establish new and healthier habits for long term health and wellness, then the challenges are exceptionally useful to help guide and motivate to create these changes.”
Get fit for free (or cheap) all around Dallas
Gym memberships and studio classes are great for helping smash your fitness goals. But hey! A girl’s gotta budget, too! Thankfully, getting fit for free is not impossible in Big D. A number of spots around Dallas and its ’burbs offer free exercise classes or workout equipment even.
Think of adding these to your workout regimen and maybe even make some new friends along the way.
(Being that these are free, many are hosted outdoors and may not be scheduled until warmer outdoor days.)
ATTPAC Wellness Series: This starts in March, and you may already be well into your fitness journey by then. Still, this outdoors series will get you moving.
Head to Sammons Park in the Arts District for a month-long weekly class of Zumba taught by Martha Palacios. The class is free and held every Tuesday beginning at 6:30 p.m.
From April 15-May 13 on the same day and time, the series will host GRIT Fitness X, where each class is a different exercise. ATTPAC.org/events/free
Klyde Warren Park: The website calendar hasn’t been populated yet, but the downtown park hosts a number of free group workouts on the weekends. KWP has hosted yoga sessions, Tai Chi lessons and even barre classes. KlydeWarrenPark.org/fitness-schedule
November Project Dallas: This meetup organizes free workouts, and they will push through rain, wind, dark, snow and any other weather conditions — good or bad. But don’t be intimidated. They aren’t monsters and have canceled classes due to weather for the safety of all. NPD’s 45-minute sessions are guaranteed to give your muscles a workout. Linktr.ee/NovemberProjectDallas
Town Center Park: This small park is a tiny oasis on the border of Sunnyvale and Mesquite. The trail leads — or disappears, really — into a tree covered path that provides a slight respite from the outside world. Enjoy that walk after the extensive lineup of outdoor exercise equipment that will target your entire body. TownofSunnyvale.org
— Rich Lopez