DR Sumi Dunne has warned against starting brutal resolutions for the new year, saying: “They inevitably don’t work.”
The 40 Day Health Challenge coach said people need to be “kind” to themselves today — and avoid going cold turkey after Christmas.
She said setting small goals is much more beneficial in the long run.
Dr Sumi told The Irish Sun: “I find new year’s resolutions really difficult because what we do know is they inevitably don’t work.
“I think saying, ‘First of January I am going to do this, this, this and this’ doesn’t really work.
“It’s nice to have a set point where you say, ‘I am going to work towards that’ and when the mind is right for you then it all starts to align properly.
“Because I think being really hard on yourself on January 1 is being unkind.
“These journeys need a lot of kindness, a lot of support and a lot of compassion — and all of that has to feed in.
“So saying, ‘I’ve had a great night on December 31 but I’m going to be really hard on myself on January 1’, doesn’t work.
“How about, ‘Let me work through January and start with a goal in February to do a 5K by the time Easter comes?
“‘I’m going to have a look at how much salt I add to my diet’. If you’re adding salt and we would rather people didn’t, it should be no more than one level teaspoon in 24 hours. So that’s a small challenge.”
Dr Sumi, who is a clinical lecturer and a GP in the Midlands, said adding more movement throughout the day is another easy way to improve a person’s health.
She said: “If you spend the whole day sitting and working at a screen, try to get up and move. I am a fan of getting away from the desk at lunchtime. Get out and move.
Personal trainer Karl Henry said “life will get easier” if exercise is made a priority in daily routines.
He said: “Exercise is crucial. From middle age onwards and middle age is now mid-30s, you’re losing strength and you’re losing muscle mass.
“The challenge with that is you will age faster. You’ll fall quicker and life becomes more difficult with simple tasks like lifting and moving things.
“The reality is we’re all going to age and some will age faster by becoming more sedentary than someone who is moving and stronger.
“The goal is to prove to people how important strength is.”
Karl added: “Working from home has changed everything. It has reduced the quantity of time that we move so as opposed to having to go to the office, now people can work from home and go to their bedroom or sitting room.
“The actual quantity of movement over the course of the day is less and less so bodies get weaker.”
UNLOCK BETTER HEALTH
And clinical psychologist Dr Eddie Murphy reckons finding a way to battle loneliness in 2025 could also be key to unlocking better health for thousands.
He said: “Loneliness is the equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. It shortens your life by three years.
“Just like when we’re thirsty we get a signal to drink and when we’re hungry we get a signal to eat.
“Loneliness is our signal for human interaction.
“We want to connect with somebody. It’s very profound, it leads to a lot of stress-related illnesses. It really impacts people.
“It’s not just an older person thing. The evidence shows it’s lots of women, men, young people, new mums, students, new entrants to Ireland and people that moved down to commuter counties.”
Dr Murphy said loneliness has a “thinking mindset” that could be preventing many from joining clubs and trying new things.
He added: “People who are lonely create a narrative in their head, ‘Well, who would want to hang around with me?’ or ‘Sure, there’s nothing much out there’.
“They sort of push themselves away with their thinking. It’s about really challenging that.”
‘HEALTH FOCUSED’
CORU registered dietician Sophie Pratt said it’s vital to be “realistic” when it comes to meal plans and healthy eating.
She said: “The meal plan will be as natural as possible but we have to be realistic.
“Living a life with absolutely no processed foods is impossible these days. A healthy balance is the overall approach.”
Sophie, who is a member of the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute, said the 40 Day Health Challenge is “not weight focused, it’s health focused”.
She added: “It’s trying to educate and advise people with regards to kind of why they are choosing the drinks that they are drinking and the foods that they are eating because generally we just eat when we’re hungry and we don’t put too much thought into it.
“What I would love to do is help people learn and feel the power of the food that they are eating.”
JOIN IN THE CHALLENGE
THE 40 Day Health Challenge in association with The Irish Sun and Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio will start on January 6.
Sixteen challengers from around Ireland have been selected to work with expert coaches GP Dr Sumi Dunne, clinical psychologist Dr Eddie Murphy, personal trainer Karl Henry and CORU registered dietician Sophie Pratt to improve their physical and mental wellbeing.
Each of the 40 days has a meal, exercise and mental health plan – and you can follow along too with episodes aired weekly at Thesun.ie.