As soon as December hit, my social media feed was flooded with reels depicting women with 10% body fat, measly servings of chicken, broccoli in Tupperware containers and alarm clocks set for 6 a.m. — I was rudely reminded of the viral ‘winter arc’ trend that comes around each year.
The ‘winter arc’ is an online trend that encourages users to “lock in” on their health, fitness and lifestyle goals during the colder months. Fitness influencers initially created the challenge with the intention of helping aspiring New-Years-resolutionists jump the gun on their January goals by developing earlier established routines.
After mindlessly scrolling through videos of Gym Shark-sponsored content creators and feeling my self-esteem progressively dwindle, I decided it was time. I got out of bed, laced up my pair of beat-up Asics and ran six miles. I haven’t run that far in a very long time — now it hurts to walk.
I’ll be the first to admit that I fall victim to the trend year after year. Something about the idea of practicing complete self-discipline and experiencing a somewhat healthy amount of pain seems fun in a twisted way — or maybe, though I have more trouble admitting this, it’s the emotional appeal of adhering to “beautiful people culture.”
This mindset echoes a greater societal narrative emphasizing productivity and progress above all else. Online, exposure to metaphorical “highlight reels” has created unattainable ideas of what success looks like — social media breeds insecurity among users by feeding highly curated feeds of unattainable standards.
Globally, the wellness economy is worth around $6.8 trillion — almost four times larger than the pharmaceutical industry ($1.8 trillion). The wellness economy is still larger than the tourism industry ($5 trillion) and the green economy ($5.3 trillion). Gen Z’s relationship with health is not merely an afterthought: it’s a “daily, personalized practice,” according to McKinsey Global Institute.
It’s no surprise that the ‘winter arc’ trend plays into our generational obsession with health and fitness. But at what point does a health trend become divisive?
While I was deep in my doomscrolling, I couldn’t help but notice the varying attitudes represented on my feed. I watched reels of women explaining how to sync period cycles with nutrition in order to properly nourish their bodies, then three reels later I watched gym rats concoct low-calorie, high-volume breakfasts.
There seems to be two separate dialogues online about how users should view their bodies. One camp preaches self-acceptance, while the other underlines radical self-transformation to achieve largely unattainable standards.
For those who identify with the latter, fitness and diet regimens are all-encompassing — rest is for those who don’t want success badly enough, sleep is for those who don’t have a 5 a.m. gym routine. There is an inherent elitism tied to this idea of self-transformation that contributes to widening that divide.
Admittedly, there is something to be said about the curative power of exercise, especially in a season where many struggle with their mental health.
According to a study by the American Psychiatric Association, 41% of Americans reported that they experience a declining mood in the winter months. For some, developing healthy routines might help to alleviate symptoms of seasonal depression.
The same report concluded that those who reported declining mood cope by “eating good food (46%), reading, watching TV or other indoor habits (42%), or spending time with family and friends at the holidays (40%).”
The ‘winter arc,’ though no rules are explicitly set in place and are largely up to user’s preference, stresses habits that require time apart from loved ones, restrictive diets and staying unhumanly active — habits that might be healthy in moderation, but counterproductive when it comes to seasonal dips in mood.
There can be overwhelmingly positive takeaways from participation in the trend — but maybe a prioritization of spending time with loved ones and practicing intentional rest might be more beneficial during the holiday season.
As for me, I’ll still make time to go running and eat well, but maybe not six miles next time. In an age of information overload, I’ll be practicing moderation and intentionality with my nutrition and fitness — even if I won’t be benching 125.
Lexi Lynn can be reached at [email protected].
