The chill winter wind stings junior Annabelle McCormick’s cheeks as she steps outside, the warmth of her gym session still clinging to her skin. Her breath forms small clouds in the air as she zips her jacket. Putting her gloves on, she steps into the icy path and begins her run.
As 2024 comes to an end, Annabelle has been dedicated to weightlifting and running, preparing for her upcoming soccer season.
Annabelle is participating in the Winter Arc trend, popularized by fitness influencers, that encourages people to establish health habits — regular exercise, better nutrition and mindfulness — before the new year. By taking advantage of the last few months of the year, many lock in a fitness routine to prepare for the warmer months ahead.
“I think it’s really personalized to just an individual wanting to benefit themselves and to be the best version of themselves that they can be,” Annabelle said. “I think that can include, like, a wide range from fitness to mental health to just positivity, anything that you want to specifically improve yourself on in your life.”
Pete Miller, a P.E. teacher, sees the trend as largely positive.
“I love the idea of people training for their purpose, as long as it’s health-promoting,” he said.
While social media often portrays this trend as a quest for aesthetic perfection and raises concerns about the reliability of fitness advice available online, many U-High students prioritize the health and fitness aspects.
Mr. Miller still worries that chasing an idealized physique can lead to imbalances.
“But what I wonder about is that a lot of folks aren’t overly focused on the cosmetic component,” he said. “One’s heart is not happy pumping blood to a larger body over years and decades and so on. The only negative I see from it is if somebody gets so focused on developing muscle mass that they maintain their body in sort of this enlarged state for a long period of time.”
Senior Brayden Kenny is trying to get stronger for the upcoming baseball season.
“I purely lift to increase my athletic performance. Of course, one of the added bonuses would be your physique,” he said.
Brayden is cautious about the influence of social media on fitness trends.
“Social media makes you very aware of your body and how you look,” he said. “Dieting advice on social media can be harmful — it inspires not healthy eating habits like eating too little, which leads to loss of energy and feeling bad.”
Mr. Miller agreed with Brayden and warned the students to look for reliable sources when seeking advice for this trend.
“We need to be really careful about where we’re getting our guidance and direction,” he said. “There’s a ton of information out there that’s bad advice. We need to verify our sources, especially when it comes to nutrition and conditioning.”
As Annabelle pushes herself every step she makes on her run, she demonstrates the core of the Winter Arc trend: a commitment to self-improvement. For her and the U-High students like her, winter is not just about preparing for warmer months but about building habits that last a lifetime.
