It’s a new year so of course one of the most popular resolutions on people’s radar is to improve their wellness. I’ve seen countless wellness challenges and trends on social media, especially TikTok, so let’s recap some of the most common ones.
The 75 Challenges
Now everyone pretty much knows about the various 75 challenges, where for 75 days you either follow a soft, medium, or hard fitness and lifestyle regiment in an attempt to jumpstart your health. When it first became popular, I saw people sticking to the same strict regiment with the same rules, but as time has passed, some people have their own takes on the plan; tailored more to their personal goals and lifestyle.
Operation 66
This is one that I haven’t seen as much online. Operation 66 is a 66 day plan with 6 rules to follow, created by Angelina Nicolle. The goal of Operation 66 is to lay the groundwork to establish a lasting wellness practice. The rules include drinking 16 ounces of water first thing in the morning, avoiding social media/screen time for the first and last hour of your day, 45 to 60 minutes of movement, 30 to 60 minutes to a personal goal or hobby, stretch for 10 minutes, and adopting a 90/10 diet where 90% is made up of whole unprocessed ingredients and the other 10% is indulging in whatever you want (including alcohol). The plan is 66 days because studies have shown that it takes 66 days for a habit to become automatic. Operation 66 claims to be different from other wellness challenges because it’s not supposed to be a one and done challenge but instead since it’s curated of realistic habits and can be individualized to continue on after the 66 day plan.
Winter Arc/The Great Lock In
Throughout the fall you might have seen a lot of videos about a ‘Winter Arc’ or the ‘Great Lock In’ but what is it? It’s a period of time where people use the coldest & darkest days of the year to refocus, pre-visualize and arrive at their desired destination, according to Google. It can be used for anything, personal hobbies or personal growth, but it’s viral for building the groundwork to break into the new year with a more ideal version of yourself. It’s mainly a challenge to set goals and create a new routine to follow you through the end of the year through the cold months and into the new year, ergo starting off the year strong. In simple terms, a challenge where individuals focus in a lot of time and energy on creating goals and habits through the end of the year.
30 Flirty
You may have seen Olivia Ponton do this trend. The Everygirl says that this “challenge takes the rigidity out of wellness and invites enjoyment, curiosity, and ease,” which also “puts you in charge and encourages you to tune in to what your body actually needs.” From the ‘30 Flirty’ challenge, you basically customize a plan to what you want to do. You’re given some habits/challenges from 3 categories, physical, mental, and emotional; where you pick one or two from each category to build your 30 day plan. Some examples from the categories include: walking 10,000 steps each day, prioritizing seven to nine hours of sleep each night, journaling for five to 10 minutes each morning, setting a simple daily intention, writing a gratitude list, and reaching out to a loved one each day.
3×3 by 12pm
An idea created by Abbie Overturf, where there are basically 4 simple rules. Walk 3,000 steps, drink ⅓ of your water goal, and eat 30 grams of protein, all before 12pm. The goal of this challenge is to jumpstart your energy for the day, improve your mood and focus. Her motto for doing this is that it’ll prompt a “fitter, healthier, happier you,” which is encouraging especially considering how simple this ‘challenge’ is.
Wellness pairing
Wellness pairing, or wellness stacking, is a simple ‘challenge’ where people combine two or more small self care habits into one single efficient activity. Something as simple as going for a walk while listening to a podcast, meditating while taking a bath, or even not being on your phone while eating meals are wellness pairs you can implement. The focus for this is to be intentional with your time and maximize your self care opportunities.
50 Jumps
As crazy as it sounds, people on tiktok are recommending you to get out of bed first thing in the morning and jump 50 times. But they might have some solid points. Kathryn Smith explains it all much better in her video but here are the quick rundowns jumping first thing in the morning. The main benefits are it boosts your energy, helps your body detox, and supports bone health. Plus she makes a great point in jumping while you’re still able to because one day you won’t be able to anymore.
Bridal arms
Ok, now I know I can’t be the only one who’s seen ‘bridal arms’ come up somewhere along my for you page. Even though I’m nowhere close to being married, the 14 day bridal arm challenge still graces my TikTok every now and then. Exactly like it sounds, Gabby George has a 14 day series on her TikTok guiding you through 5-12 minute arm exercises that will build strength, tone and sculpt your arms, shoulders and upper back. The workouts are accessible only using light hand or wrist weights (or no weight at all) and otherwise don’t use any equipment.
While some of these challenges focus on a certain time period, like the Winter Arc, it’s never too late to start any of these wellness challenges or even create your own tailored to yourself. Self improvement has many key aspects, which many people seem to forget, so make sure you also prioritize your mental and emotional wellness in addition to the various physical wellness trends we see.