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Winter is here, meaning it’s time to bundle up, vaccinate, and stay healthy during this cold season. As you move through your day, be sure to take some precautions so that you don’t become a victim of the flu or other winter-related illnesses. Here’s how you can stay healthy through all four seasons:
Bundle up
- Wear layers. You may not be able to tell from the chilly winter breeze, but your body still needs to keep itself warm. Layering clothing allows you to adapt your temperature depending on the activity level, so save yourself warm without overheating. Wearing a base layer underneath more insulated clothing will let you do brisk hikes or cross-country skiing without getting too sweaty and clammy inside your coat when it’s finally time for some downtime at home.
- Protect your head and face with a hat and scarf. Since most heat loss occurs through our heads, wearing something like a beanie will help keep your brain warm while allowing enough ventilation so that it doesn’t get too hot under there! A neck warmer may also do wonders for keeping those chills away—even if it’s just an additional layer between your scarf and coat collar (or whatever else).
- Use waterproof outerwear when needed outside during inclement weather conditions such as rain or snow; this includes boots/shoes with good treads so that traction isn’t an issue when walking out! Also, remember that sometimes even driving around town can mean being exposed to plenty of ice patches which could cause accidents if one isn’t careful about where they go.
Vitamin D
Supplementing adults’ vitamin D intake with meals and supplements that contain at least 600 international units (IU) per day is recommended throughout the winter months. All year round, those with dark skin or who avoid the sun should ingest additional vitamin D.
To sustain good health and immunity, our bodies need vitamin D. Vitamin D is also necessary to control our mood.
Hygiene
In the winter, illnesses such as laryngitis, colds, and flu are common. These infections can be prevented by regularly washing your hands for 20 seconds with soap. After using the restroom or interacting with a pet, wash your hands thoroughly.
Wash your hands frequently to prevent the transmission of bacteria and viruses.
Sleep
Do you find it more challenging to get out of bed when the temperature decreases and the mornings are darker in winter? It’s not like you’re alone. During the winter, many people experience fatigue and sluggishness.
To maintain the body’s immune system functioning correctly, sleep helps to remove the stress hormone cortisol and burns calories. A good night’s sleep is crucial to nutritional health.
Wash your hands
- Wash your hands. It’s a simple but effective way to keep yourself healthy.
- Washing your hands is a critical step in preventing the transmission of germs, and it only takes about 20 seconds to do so. Make sure you wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before eating or preparing food, after using the restroom, after cleaning up an area where someone is sick or has been bleeding (such as from a cut), and when you return home from being outside during winter weather conditions that could expose you to wind chill temperatures below -10 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 10 minutes or unprotected contact with snow/ice for more than five minutes.
- Make sure to scrub: – Fingers, palm-side edge of each hand from the wrist up toward the elbow, all surfaces, including the backsides of fingers, under nails.
- Palm side between thumb and index finger; backside between pinkie finger and thumb
Get vaccinated
Vaccinations are a great way to stay healthy and prevent the spread of disease. They’re free at your local pharmacy, doctor’s office, or health clinic. Although it’s best to get vaccinations before winter arrives, you can still receive them at any time during the season!
Vaccines help prevent illness by protecting against some of the most common diseases that affect humans yearly—such as flu or measles—or by increasing immunity against viruses like whooping cough (pertussis).
Skin Trouble
One of the risks of winter is dry, cracked skin. Dry and itchy skin, chapped lips, and cracked heels are all symptoms of skin damage caused by cold weather. Moisturising, sunscreen, and drinking more water are essential winter skincare practices.
Water
Stay hydrated by drinking the recommended quantity of water each day. Our bodies need water to flush out pollutants, transport nutrients to our cells and maintain a healthy fluid balance.
Don’t cut back on your water consumption in the winter since you might become dehydrated even if the weather is cold. We still lose moisture from our bodies even if we aren’t sweating in the cold.
Manage stress
- Take a break.
- Listen to music.
- Do something you enjoy.
- Spend time with friends and family.
- Meditate.
- Exercise (walking, running, or other physical activity).
Travel safely
- Don’t drive if you’re tired.
- Be aware of icy patches, especially when braking and at intersections where there’s a lot of traffic.
- Have a plan in place if you get stuck in a snowstorm, such as having an extra set of clothes, food, and water in the trunk to stay warm until help arrives.
- Keep your gas tank full, as this is crucial for any winter trip; if you run out of gas on one of those super-cold days and night falls quickly upon us with some severe blizzards blowing around outside (it happens), it’ll be harder to find help nearby or get home safely without any fuel left over to keep yourself moving forward until then.
Check the weather and road conditions before traveling.
- Make sure you check the weather forecast before traveling. If it’s going to be cold, dress appropriately and bring a blanket or coat if necessary.
- Check road conditions before traveling. If there is a winter storm warning in your area, delay travel until it has passed.
- Check with local authorities for snow-related school closures or other advisories around town.
Don’t drink and drive.
There are many reasons to avoid driving after drinking, but one might surprise you: it’s illegal. In the United States and other countries where the minimum legal drinking age is set at 21, a person who operates a vehicle with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08% or higher is guilty of drunk driving.
There are other ways to get home besides driving yourself. Ask friends or family members if they’d be willing to give you a lift, call Uber/Lyft/a taxi service, or get an overnight hotel stay (if possible).
Move it or lose it
The weather this time of year is cold, snowy, and wet. This can make it challenging to stay active or even leave your house. But staying active is essential to your health—it helps you keep warm and sleep better, plus it’s just fun!
So what can you do?
- Join a gym or exercise class at least twice a week. You don’t need to buy anything special like a treadmill or elliptical machine; simply joining an existing class will be enough. Exercise classes are great ways to meet new people who share similar interests while getting in shape simultaneously!
- If joining an outdoor sports league isn’t possible due to the weather, consider joining one indoors instead (e.g., basketball).
Indoor exercises for cold, rainy, or snowy days
- Exercise regularly. It’s a good idea to stay active all year round, but it’s even more important to keep moving when the weather is cold and rainy.
- Make sure your body stays warm. Staying active outside in winter can be challenging because of low temperatures and high winds. If you’re exercising inside, for this reason, ensure the room you are working out in is adequately heated, so your blood flow does not slow down too much.
- Stretch before and after exercising for added flexibility and to reduce injury risk from sudden movements.*
Outdoor activities for when the sun is shining
- Go for a walk. Walking is a great way to move your body and be free. It helps keep you warm, increases metabolism, and releases endorphins that promote happiness and well-being.
- Play in the snow! Whether you like to build snowmen or are partial to building an icy slide, getting outside during the winter can be fun when you have good weather.
- Go to the beach! If you live near a beach, consider taking a trip down there to enjoy some sunshine while also getting some exercise by walking along the shoreline or playing in the sand (or even water).
- Go for a bike ride! Biking is another excellent way of getting out into nature without having any additional costs associated with it—as long as you already own one!
Conclusion
I hope these tips have given you insight into staying healthy in the winter. It’s a season that can bring many challenges, but with a bit of preparation and knowledge of what to expect, most of them can be overcome. Remember not to overwork yourself or put yourself at risk by driving when conditions are bad out there!
