Tips For Staying Healthy This Winter

In the winter, it’s easy to catch a cold or the flu, and it’s easy to stop some of the healthy habits that you picked up when it was warmer out. That means that in the winter you’ll have to make more of an effort to stay healthy, but it’s definitely still possible. Here are some tips for staying healthy this winter season.

Clean Your Hands Often

With an abundance of germs out there during the winter months, it’s important to wash your hands thoroughly and often. When you’re washing your hands, make sure to scrub them for at least 20 seconds to get an adequate wash. The main times you need to make sure to wash your hands should be after going outside, coughing, blowing your nose, sneezing, using the bathroom, before eating or making food, and any other time that you feel like your hands may be dirty. If your hands start to dry out because of all of the washing, start keeping lotion next to the sink where you wash your hands so you can combat any drying side effects.

When you’re out and about in public, make sure that you’re also carrying hand sanitizer with you at all times. Although hand sanitizer isn’t as effective as actually washing your hands, it’s a good alternative when running water isn’t available.

Figure Out a Workout Routine

With cold temperatures, inclement weather, and short daylight hours, it can be hard to continue the same workout routine as you may have in the warmer months of the year. You can most likely winterize an existing exercise routine if you put in the effort, though. For example, if you picked up running over the summer, you can start doing your runs during your lunch break instead of at the end of the workday once you clock out, or you can run on a treadmill.

On the other hand, you can use the winter as a chance to participate in forms of exercise that only exist in cold temperatures like skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating. If you haven’t tried any of these winter sports, make sure to test them out to see if they interest you.

Make Sure You Have Proper Ventilation

Stale air can be detrimental to your health, which is why proper ventilation is so important in your home during the winter. During warmer months, you can just open a few windows to get a breeze going, but in the winter that is usually not possible between cold temperatures and winter storms. Buying a fan specifically made for ventilation that can run on the normal electric currents in your home, like the 500 CFM fan system, will help your home stay well ventilated all winter long.

Get Some Sun

In the winter, many people aren’t getting enough sunlight, and because of this, they encounter negative repercussions like seasonal affective disorder, also known as S.A.D. S.A.D. occurs during the winter months and creates depression symptoms such as moodiness or sleeping too much. To combat this, get as much sunlight as you can and supplement with a sunlight lamp. If you find that your symptoms are interfering with your life and making it impossible to live your usual daily life, you should talk with your doctor about treatment options.

Get Your Flu Shot

Getting a flu shot is an easy way to protect you from what scientists predict will be the most prevalent strains of the flu this winter. Flu shots are readily available at a number of locations, such as local pharmacies or your doctor’s office. If you’re unsure where to find one, you can ask your doctor or another medical professional for help finding a location that will give you a flu shot. If you don’t have insurance, certain clinics will give out flu shots for free.

Soothe Aches and Pains With OTC Medication

When the weather dramatically changes, it can cause old injuries, aches, and pains to act up. To keep moving and keep healthy during the winter, you can take over the counter medications to help with those aches and pains. If you have an OTC pain pill that works for you, it’s usually a good option to continue using it. If you aren’t sure if you should continue using a pain reliever, you should check with your doctor. Any pain that feels unmanageable or that interferes with your daily life should definitely be checked out by a medical professional.

You can also use less traditional pain relievers, such as CBD. CBD can be put into balms for topical use as well as into oils to be taken orally. CBD isolate is the most concentrated form of CBD — it is 99% just CBD since it goes through a refining process that removes any cannabinoids, terpenes, and hemp plant components. This can make it more effective, so make sure to look for CBD products that have CBD isolate in them.

Hydrate

In warmer months, it can be easier to remember to drink enough water since we’re often overheated and have water on the brain. However, your body needs water just as much in the winter as it does in the summer. If you find that your lips and skin are feeling dry, drinking more water can help with that. There may be other reasons for those issues, though, so make sure if your skin is so dry that it becomes painful you see a doctor.

If you always intend to drink enough water but always forget, you can try out an app to help you remember. Using an app to remind you to drink water is a great way to make it so that you remember to stay hydrated. There are many options out there, so you have options to help you find one that works for you.

Although it may be harder to keep up some of your healthy habits in the winter, you can help yourself by trying out some of these tips.

How do you stay healthy in the winter? Let us know in the comments below!