Winter arc 2026: what the first 2,500 winter arcs in the app tell us
In short
As of September 27, 2026, 2,527 people had signed their winter arc in Winterarc. 46% mainly want to build muscle and 34% to lose fat. The most-kept rule is “20 minutes outside,” checked off 84 times out of 100 on active days; the least-kept daily rule is “10,000 steps,” 52 times out of 100. Six check-ins out of ten happen between 6 p.m. and midnight.
The key numbers
- winter arcs signed
- 2,527
- starts set for October 1
- 460
- rules checked off
- 13,982
- of check-ins between 6 p.m. and midnight
- 60%
Why people do a winter arc
When you sign, the app asks for your main goal. Out of the 2,527 winter arcs signed:
Eight people out of ten start mainly for their body. One in five is after something else: taking back control of their days, or proving they can last 90 days.
When people start
460 people set their start for Thursday, October 1, 2026, and 16 for a later date, up to October 19. 2,051 have already started, most of them before version 1.0.1 of the app, released in late September: until then, the winter arc started on the day you signed.
The official winter arc dates are in our 2026 calendar.
The most-kept rules
Across the 1,983 days where users checked off at least one rule, here’s the share of days where each daily rule was kept:
Gym and Run are counted over the week. Over the same days, Gym gets checked off 55% of the time, against a goal of 4 days out of 7 (57%). Run gets checked off 38% of the time, against a goal of 2 days out of 7 (29%).
The most-kept rules take little planning: getting outside for 20 minutes, not ordering fast food. 10,000 steps means walking on top of your workouts, and it comes in last. Every rule is broken down in the 9 winter arc rules.
What time people check off their day
60% of check-ins happen between 6 p.m. and midnight. The busiest hour is 9 p.m., with 16% of all check-ins on its own. Mornings have a small peak at 8 a.m. The winter arc gets checked off at night, looking back on the day. Check-ins made between midnight and 3 a.m. still count for the day before.
Methodology
These numbers come from Winterarc’s database, pulled on September 27, 2026. They’re anonymous totals: no personal data is used or published.
- Goals and start dates cover the 2,527 active winter arcs.
- Rule rates cover the 1,983 days where at least one rule was checked off, across 977 winter arcs started before September 27.
- Times cover the 13,770 check-ins made by hand. The 212 automatic step check-ins, through Apple Health, are left out.
These first numbers mostly cover people who started before the official start date. They’ll be updated after October 1. You can reuse them by citing “Winterarc, September 2026,” with a link to this page.
Frequently asked questions
How many people do the winter arc?
There's no way to count everyone: the winter arc has no sign-up and no organizer. In the Winterarc app, 2,527 people had signed their winter arc as of September 27, 2026.
What's the easiest rule to stick to during a winter arc?
In the app, “20 minutes outside”: it gets checked off 84 times out of 100 on days when users check off at least one rule.
Why do people do a winter arc?
Among Winterarc users, mostly for their body: 46% want to build muscle, 34% want to lose fat. The rest want to take back control (12%) or just go the full 90 days (8%).