Welcome to the heart of winter. There’s so much to love about this season, like comfy afternoons in front of a fireplace, relaxed wine nights with a great book, and snow many outdoor winter activities like ice skating and snowshoeing. Cue the thunderbolts and cut the music, because the white, frigid season is also associated with colds, flu, stomach bugs, and more. We have you covered with some tiny habits to bulletproof your immunity all winter long. So don’t despair! Grab a mug of hot chocolate and marshmallows while learning some preventative tips.
This winter, in particular, COVID-19, the flu, and RSV are going around.
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We spoke with Mike Bohl, MD, MPH, ALM, the Director of Medical Content & Education at Ro, a certified nutrition coach, certified personal trainer, and a member of our Medical Expert Board to learn several healthy practices that’ll totally help rev up your immunity and combat common winter-relate illnesses.
Dr. Bohl points out, “Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re all often thinking about ways to avoid getting sick. And this winter, in particular, there seem to be three things going around—COVID-19, the flu, and RSV—making it even more important to do what you can to stay healthy.” Sounds like a great plan to us!
You may be curious as to why winter seems to bring on sickness and mess up plans. First off, some viruses like the common cold (rhinovirus) thrive and spread easier in cold, dry weather. On top of it, your supply of vitamin D gets tapped out in the winter months due to less sunshine.
Dr. Bohl explains, “We spend more time indoors with circulating air, and we have decreased blood flow to parts of the body, all of which may contribute to us getting sick more frequently.” There are several preventative measures you can take to bulletproof your immunity and avoid illness, so let’s get to it!
1. Practice the same basic healthy habits you do year-round.
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This first tip is very basic but so important. Be sure to consistently maintain healthy habits, including eating well and maintaining a healthy weight, exercising on a regular basis, keeping alcohol consumption to a very modest level, don’t smoke, being sure to catch solid Z’s every night, and doing everything to keep your stress level at bay.
“These are components of an overall healthy lifestyle that will not only boost your immunity during the winter, but will also help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, like heart disease,” Dr. Bohl tells us.
