Every year there seems to be a new trend that sweeps socials - for better or for worse - and this year is no different! The Winter Arc has been doing its rounds as the popular lifestyle trend of Autumn 2024; specifically for Gen Z and younger folks. But it isn’t strictly related to fitness which begs the question, what does it mean for fitness?

Today we’ll be taking a deep dive into the Winter Arc and discussing how this idea can be applied to fitness - and why you should consider jumping on this trend bandwagon!

First, let’s dispel any misconceptions!

Winter Arc Meaning: What is the Winter Arc?

What is the Winter Arc? In short, the Winter Arc is a name used to refer to people that opt to go against the trend of rest and ‘hibernation’ during the Autumn and Winter months (usually between October - December). Generally, people tend to stay at home, stay warm, snuggle up, and rest over the winter period to stay out of the horrid weather and binge their favourite TV shows. While this is very tempting, it can have an adverse impact on many aspects of your life and can even stump the progress you’ve been making all year!

At its heart, the Winter Arc is a self-improvement trend that focuses on using the Autumn and Winter months to set attainable goals, to then work towards those goals. Think of it as a different version of the New Year’s Resolution.

What’s important is that the Winter Arc idea doesn’t need to be restricted to fitness - it’s about self-improvement in any aspect of life.

How does the Winter Arc benefit me?

When the seasons change, it can be hard to find the motivation to get up and out of your warm bed in the morning to face the challenges of the day - let alone work towards long-term goals. The Winter Arc will benefit you as:

• It can help motivate you on a daily basis towards a larger goal by completing smaller tasks each day with your eventual end goal in mind.

• It will keep you stimulated and focused on something that’s positive for your overall mental health and fitness. Instead of staying ‘hibernated’ in your home, you can work towards a goal that will have a positive impact on your life.

• You won’t be alone. There’s plenty of chatter online about the Winter Arc, meaning you will always have a community of like-minded individuals to share your Winter Arc journey with - it has great social benefits at a time that is traditionally a bit harder to make acquaintances and friends.

How does the Winter Arc apply to fitness?

As a self-improvement trend, the Winter Arc goes hand in hand with fitness. No matter if you are a beginner in the fitness world, yet to start your fitness journey or a seasoned fitness enthusiast, there’s always something that you can improve upon for fitness.

The Winter Arc can be applied to fitness in a few different ways:

• For fitness fanatics, it keeps you on track for your long-term fitness goals; instead of allowing your fitness level to plateau during the winter months.

• For those that are new to fitness; it can help you get into fitness if you have been thinking about it for a while. The winter arc is a great place to start, as you’ll beat the January rush at all your local gyms. Get in now while it's a bit quieter and you have more time to identify the exercises or classes you want to do.

• It can be used to focus on areas of fitness that you tend to avoid. For example, if you love running and taking part in cardiovascular exercises, why not use the Winter Arc to implement more functional strength or muscular endurance exercises into your routine?

• You can try something completely new. With a Village Gym membership you’ll have access to all our classes, so why not give a new class a go? Depending on your local gym, we’ll have everything from aqua aerobics to Tai Chi and Yoga available. Use your winter arc to explore a new area of fitness.

Winter Arc Workouts

We realise that decision-making can be hard, especially when it comes to something new if you already have an established workout routine. To this end, we have a few suggestions for how you can workout for your Winter Arc this year:

For Beginners

If you are just getting started in fitness or want to get started, we suggest a well-balanced routine that’ll help you improve muscular strength, cardiovascular health, muscular endurance and your functional strength. 

Before starting a workout routine, you need to take any medical conditions into consideration - so always consult with a medical professional! 

In addition, if you are serious about making health and lifestyle changes, you could consider hiring a personal trainer who will allow you to have a more tailored approach to your exercise routine and create a routine that’s specific to you. Check out our personal trainers section for more information.

With all these factors considered, you could try a routine like this one:

• 5-minute warm-up

• 1 minute of jumping jacks

• 2 minutes of flexibility exercises (10 forward arm circles, 10 backward arm circles, 10 arm circles with one arm going forward and one backwards, 5 forward leg swings each leg, 5 backward leg swings each leg, 5 forward shoulder rolls, 5 backward shoulder rolls, 3 hip circles both ways, 3 knee circles both ways with feet together and hands holding the top of the knees).

• 1 minute of light jogging

• 1 minute of jumping jacks

• 10 minutes of cardiovascular exercise

• 5 minutes on the treadmill (vary your speed between sprints and light jogs)

• 1 minute jogging

• 30 seconds sprinting

• 1 minute jogging

• 30 seconds sprinting

• 1 minute jogging

• 1 minute of rest

• 5 minutes on the rowing machine

• 1-minute rowing at a moderate pace

• 30 seconds rowing as fast as you can

• 1-minute rowing at a moderate pace

• 30 seconds rowing as fast as you can

• 1 minute rowing at a moderate pace

• 1 minute of rest

• 10 minutes of muscular exercises

• 3-minute set to improve muscular endurance (choose a lighter weight, around 1-4kgs)

• 15-20 bicep curls on each arm

• 15-20 lateral raises on each arm

• Repeat this 3 times.

• 3-minute set to improve muscular strength (choose a heavier weight, around 4-8kgs)

• 5-8 bicep curls on each arm

• 5-8 lateral raises on each arm

• Repeat this 3 times

• 3-minute set to improve functional strength

• 10 push-ups

• 15 sit-ups

• 10 squats

• 5 burpees

• 10 forward lunges on each leg

• 10 backwards lunges on each leg

• 10 side squats on each side

• 30-second plank to finish

• 5-minute warm down (very important, do not skip!)

• 2 minutes of very light jogging until your breathing begins to slow down and you regain your breath.

• Hold the box splits as far as you can (without pain) for 15 seconds

• Hamstring stretches for 15 seconds on each leg

• Start with your legs folded in a basket sitting on the floor, then stretch one leg directly out in front of you. Using both hands, reach as far down that leg as you can without experiencing pain. You should feel a stretch along the back of your leg.

• Start in a push-up position and perform a scorpion stretch for 15 seconds.

• To do a scorpion stretch, start in a push-up position, then drop your hips and legs to touch the ground while keeping your arms straight and shoulders relaxed. This should arch your back inwards towards the floor. Your stomach and chest should not be touching the floor (just your hips and legs).

• 2 minutes of flexibility exercises (10 forward arm circles, 10 backward arm circles, 10 arm circles with one arm going forward and one backwards, 5 forward leg swings each leg, 5 backward leg swings each leg, 5 forward shoulder rolls, 5 backward shoulder rolls, 3 hip circles both ways, 3 knee circles both ways with feet together and hands holding the top of the knees).

For More Advanced Fitness Levels

For those who’ve already been working towards their goals, how you’ll change your weekly workout routine will differ. Depending on your goals, it’ll make sense for you to challenge other areas of fitness you may be temporarily overlooking or not have much interest in. 

While this doesn’t sound riveting, the gains you can make in certain areas of fitness (particularly functional strength and endurance) will help you along your way to achieving any fitness goal - regardless of what that goal is.

For instance, if you are training for a marathon, improving the functional strength of your thighs and calves will undoubtedly help with your overarching goal. This could be accomplished by working in more bodyweight exercises that focus on the legs, such as:

• Squats and weighted squats.

• Forward and backward lunges, again, with weights if you want.

• Burpees and weighted burpees.

• Vertical springs and weight vertical springs.

But say, for instance, you are training to get into powerlifting, then you may want to focus on explosive strength. This could be accomplished by incorporating different styles of functional strength workouts:

• Weighted push-ups.

• Push-ups with a wider stance.

• Push-ups with a narrower stance.

• Spring push-ups (pushing up into a jump off the hands while remaining in the push-up position).

Alternatively, you could always try a new class and slot it into your already-established routine. You could get creative and choose something completely new like Zumba, or Les Mills BodyPump, or H2O Fit.

Work Your Winter Arc with Village Gym

When it comes to getting ahead of the January curve and working Winter Arc - Village Gym is the best place to do so.

We have a wide variety of state-of-the-art workout machines at your disposal, a large selection of classes to choose from, and personal trainers on hand to assist.

Wherever you live, find your closest Village Gym and browse our different membership options. Workout your way!