{"id":215252,"date":"2026-01-03T19:02:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T19:02:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/215252\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T19:02:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T19:02:09","slug":"five-health-challenges-experts-say-make-a-difference-and-none-are-dry-january","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/215252\/","title":{"rendered":"Five health challenges experts say make a difference – and none are Dry January"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some 30 percent<\/a> of Americans are taking part in Dry January<\/a> this year, aiming to improve their mood<\/a>, sleep<\/a> and overall health.<\/p>\n

But, experts say other month-long health challenges that promote self-care can provide similarly beneficial health effects for people looking for an alternative.<\/p>\n

From focusing on fitness<\/a> to heart, brain or gut health, every little step can make a big difference – at any age.<\/p>\n

\u201cSelf care can have a big impact on quality of life,\u201d Dr. Sandra Dunbar, a nurse and professor at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University, said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIdeally, you want good self-care to start in childhood, but it\u2019s never too late to make changes that will improve your health and well-being,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

People meditate on a soccer field in May 2023 in Tukwila, Washington. Experts say mental and physical health challenges can provide similar health benefits to Dry January (Getty Images for Icy Hot)<\/p>\n

A fitness cliche – for good reason<\/p>\n

A 30-plus-day fitness challenge has long been a trend with wellness influencers. It still is, because it works.<\/p>\n

No matter what you do, it only takes a couple of weeks of consistent exercise to see results. But picking the right exercise can be tough if you\u2019re just starting out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen ones where you do 10 push-ups a day, all the way to a 30-day challenge to start training for a 5K or a marathon,\u201d Zachary Sprague, a family medicine physician at Scripps Coastal Medical Center Carlsbad, said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything you do is going to be a good start, but with 10 push-ups, you\u2019re probably not going to see any change in your fitness habits,\u201d he said. \u201cI would definitely recommend starting with a more comprehensive routine.\u201d<\/p>\n

A more comprehensive workout could include regularly going to full-body workout classes like Orange Theory or Barry\u2019s Bootcamp, if you have the means.<\/p>\n

However, everyone can find meticulously-planned examples with both cardio and weight-lifting online that they can do at home, outside or in a gym. Some challenges also help to isolate specific areas, such as the abs or back, for a more tailored approach.<\/p>\n

Or, you can focus on one exercise, such as jump-roping<\/a> or stationary biking for a month. Nearly any kind of exercise increases blood flow and improves heart health.<\/p>\n

\u201cAerobic exercise and resistance training are the most important for heart health,\u201d says Johns Hopkins exercise physiologist Kerry Stewart<\/a>. \u201cAlthough flexibility doesn\u2019t contribute directly to heart health, it\u2019s nevertheless important because it provides a good foundation for performing aerobic and strength exercises more effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just be sure you like the activity and don\u2019t push yourself too hard. Working out muscles you don\u2019t normally use over and over again could lead to an injury, if you\u2019re not careful.<\/p>\n

Viva la \u2018veganuary\u2019<\/p>\n

Americans are eating less animal meat, and nearly 70 percent<\/a> of more than 1,200 respondents in a November 2024 poll said they had reduced their red meat consumption in the past year, according to researchers at Rutgers University.<\/p>\n

A vegan and more plant-based diet – which excludes all animal products – has been shown to promote weight loss, reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels and the reduce the risk of colon cancer, according to Rush University<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you want to try it out but don\u2019t want to commit fully, a month-long vegan excursion might be right for you. Known as \u201cveganuary,\u201d<\/a> it\u2019s backed<\/a> by celebrities like musician Billie Eilish and actor Joaquin Phoenix.<\/p>\n

But doing it right is important, too.<\/p>\n

“You can be overweight and be a vegan; you can be malnourished and be a vegan,” Dr. Jeffrey Soble, a cardiologist at Rush University Medical Center, said. “Whatever your diet choice, you have to know which foods to avoid and which foods to seek out.”<\/p>\n

For vegans and meat-eaters alike, that means avoiding the junk. Ultraprocessed foods have been shown to lead to an increased risk for cancer and heart disease.<\/p>\n

“Refined grains, sweets and junk food are troublemakers for everyone, not just vegans,” Soble said. “And vegans and nonvegans alike can fall into the habit of making these items the mainstays of their diet.”<\/p>\n

Researchers have said there can be deficiencies with plant-based diets<\/a> if you don\u2019t eat enough of certain foods.<\/p>\n

Hitting the hay for your health<\/p>\n

It\u2019s recommended<\/a> that adults get at least seven hours of sleep each night. Yet, less than half of Americans said they get the sleep they need, according to a 2024 Gallup poll<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Not getting enough sleep can be dangerous for your health. A long-term lack of sleep raises your risk for obesity, diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sweet spot is actually seven to eight hours of sleep,\u201d Dr. Dexter Shurney, president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, explained<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where a 30-day sleep challenge comes in, to clock up the hours you need every night.<\/p>\n

That can mean making more of an effort to stay away from screens, consuming less caffeine, shutting off lights earlier, getting into bed earlier or working out earlier in the day so you\u2019re not hyped up before bedtime. Some challenges <\/a>will ask you to track your health alongside your sleep, to see how it improves.<\/p>\n

Melodic medicine<\/p>\n

For people living with dementia, singing can improve memory and boost mood. Music and singing are often treatments to help the brain function better.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we use musical intervention, we\u2019re looking for areas and networks in the brain that are intact to serve as bridges and help the areas that are not working well,\u201d Northwestern Medicine Neurologist Dr. Borna Bonakdarpour said<\/a>. \u201cSinging, for example, can be a bridge to communicating better through language. The rhythmic nature of music can help people walk better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A choir sings in August in New Orleans, Louisiana. Singing can help you lose weight and improve your mood (Getty Images)<\/p>\n

But the positive effects of singing aren\u2019t just for dementia patients. Singing helps to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol<\/a> and raise the happy hormone oxytocin.<\/p>\n

It can also help people to lose weight. Just an hour of singing while standing up burns around 140 calories for a person who weighs 150 pounds, according to the London Singing Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But, you don\u2019t need to learn an opera to reap the rewards over 30 days. As little as 14 minutes of singing a day<\/a> has been shown to improve heart health, according to Wisconsin researchers.<\/p>\n

That was true \u201cregardless of singing expertise (or lack thereof),\u201d the researchers noted<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A mindset reset<\/p>\n

More than 21 million American adults live with depression, according to Mental Health America.<\/a><\/p>\n

Mental health is a major component of physical health. For example, depression is a risk factor for diabetes, stroke and heart disease – America\u2019s top killer.<\/p>\n

But many still may underestimate the importance of mental health on their physical health, and spending a month focusing on your mental health can help greatly improve physical health, according to the University of Utah. <\/a>For people with depression, this can mean implementing meaningful lifestyle changes that have been shown to boost mood, such as exercise and a healthier diet.<\/p>\n

For many it could mean being more mindful, stopping negative self-talk, journaling, meditating or walking and practicing yoga every day.<\/p>\n

It could even be as simple as making sure you do something you love every day.<\/p>\n

“Our attitudes are often a choice, Karizma Maxson, a neonatal ICU nurse manager at the Mayo Clinic<\/a>, said. We can spend time ruminating on something that is negative and out of our control or decide to see the good in something and choose joy.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Some 30 percent of Americans are taking part in Dry January this year, aiming to improve their mood,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":215253,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[130120,134,5457,554,111,139,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-215252","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-emory-university","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-heart-disease","11":"tag-mental-health","12":"tag-new-zealand","13":"tag-newzealand","14":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215252"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215252\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}