With the arrival of February, we are finding ourselves in the midst of the winter seasons. How well have you weathered the weather thus far? During the winter, you want to remain healthy, meaning you want to ward off
colds and sickness while still maintaining your fitness.
Are you a person who gets a thrill out of running outside in the fresh air? Do you anticipate the winter months because winter means hitting the ski slopes? The bottom line is that winter temperatures should not affect your exercise schedule so you need to care for your winter health.
We found some great winter health tips to help you stay healthy. Check out this blog post regarding winter health from LIVESTRONG:
Prevent Cold and Flu
To avoid colds and flu during winter months, wash your hands often and thoroughly. While it may go against the grain, try turning the thermostat down to increase humidity in the home, suggests the Illinois Department of Public Health. Doing so helps keep the mucous membranes in the nasal cavities moist and protected against airborne bacteria and germs.
Stay Warm Indoors and Out
When you’re outdoors, protect yourself from hypothermia, or lowered body temperature, says the Illinois Department of Public Health. Elderly persons and small children are more sensitive to cold than others and may experience drops in body temperature if exposed to cold or chill for long periods of time. For older individuals, set the thermostat at 65 degrees F.?Outdoors, wear warm clothing and keep a hat on to prevent heat from escaping through the scalp. Even if you get a little warm, avoid taking off outer jackets or clothing, which is often a major trigger for hypothermia. Instead, layer clothing so you can relieve yourself of some clothing without exposing yourself to frigid air or wind.
Protect the Skin
When outdoors, help protect your skin against cold and chafing by applying a light layer of petroleum jelly to the face, hands and ears, suggests Reader’s Digest. Wear lip balm to help prevent dry, cracked lips and protect the eyes from snow glare by wearing tinted shatterproof sunglasses or goggles when out snowshoeing, skiing or snowboarding.
Avoid Injury
Avoid slips and falls that may cause sprains or broken bones by wearing winter-smart shoes. That means shoes that have rubber and thick-knobbed soles that offer more solid footing, suggests Reader’s Digest. When walking on hard snow or ice patches, walk like a duck, taking small steps and watching where you place your foot. Keep your hands out of your pockets so you can keep your balance or try to protect yourself if you slip.
With this winter health advice in mind, it is important to stay healthy indoors as well. The flu, runny nose, cough etc. are all sicknesses that are ready to hit the ground running as soon as winter strikes. To preserve your winter health, you should keep up with your vitamins, especially Vitamin C. Though it is easy to forget to hydrate when the air is frigged, it is important to continue to drink plenty of fluids. This will help combat sicknesses and keep you healthy during the winter.
So, it is possible to maintain your winter health both indoors and outdoors.
Follow this advice to keep up with your winter health!
