Staying Healthy in the Cold

Staying warm in these awfully cold temperatures can be difficult, and sometimes that means sitting by the fire with a warm drink instead of doing the normal out and about things you're used to doing.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with staying warm by the fire, or drinking extra hot drinks. Hydration is great! But there are a few things you'll want to remember while hunkered down inside the house for the next week.

If you focus on these four things through the coldest days of the year, it has the potential to dramatically improve your wellness!

1) Fresh Air/ Hydrated Air

It can be hard to even open the front door when the single-digit temps are creeping on the other side of the threshold. But getting fresh air is still important for keeping you healthy. Stagnant air in a house that has been recirculated over and over through a dry HVAC system can start to produce poor air quality.

Hot air is also dry air, and that's not always good for throat or respiratory health. If you don't have one or more humidifiers running in the house, try running a super hot shower with the bathroom door open for 10 minutes. The extra humidity can do wonders for you.

2) Fluids

It's always about fluids, right? Dry air can also be combated with an increase in your liquid intake. If water isn't warm enough, teas are a great way to get extra fluids into you on cold days!

3) Sleep

Our bodies use our sleep time to restore and rebuild, so if we aren’t getting enough sleep we aren’t giving our bodies a chance to properly fight off infection. Studies have shown that well-rested people who get the flu vaccine developed stronger protection against the illness. So, instead of staying awake late every night watching your favorite show, make sleep the priority. Your favorite show will be around later:)

4) Wash Your Hands

There's few better ways to keep yourself healthy during flu/cold season than washing your hands regularly. Washing before you touch your face or eat are incredibly important, and educating kids is incredibly effective. According to the CDC, handwashing education drops the spread of communicable diseases by 16-22%.