Nobody wants to end up with the flu this year. Not only does it make every cell in your body ache and shake with chills, but you can end up feeling bad for a couple weeks. So here are some easy things you can do to prevent catching the flu.
- It is recommended that you get a flu shot every Fall. This is especially important if you work closely with people or children.
- Take advantage of the sauna at your gym. Researchers aren't sure why this works exactly, but studies show that those who sit in a sauna twice a week have half as many colds as those who didn't. It probably has to do with breathing in that hot air, which kills the germs. You can get the same effect from breathing in the air from your blow dryer.
- Get fresh air regularly, especially when the heat is on in your home or office. The heat can make the air dry, which can dry you up as well and make you more vulnerable to getting sick. Getting outside also means you're getting away from all the germ-infested people around you. If you can't get outside, then use a humidifier or vaporizer to add some moisture back into the air.
To see the other helpful hints to keep you healthy this year read more.
- Avoid being around sick people. Stay at least three feet away to avoid the flu droplets spewing through the air.
- Wash your hands long enough. It's great to wash your hands, but if you don't lather up with soap for a couple minutes, then you're not going to effectively kill the germs. So as you wash, sing your ABCs, or Happy Birthday twice through. If you're really serious about killing germs, wash your hands twice.
- Try to avoid touching things that other people touch including hand rails, doorknobs, doorbells, handles on public toilets, gym equipment, and money. Use your sleeve whenever possible, and if you can't avoid touching things other people have touched, then wash your hands thoroughly immediately afterward.
- Keep your hands away from your face. If you need to rub your eye, use your knuckle since it most likely has less germs than your fingertip.
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Michael Stars
Good tips! Thanks, fitsugar!
I had the flu once and it was awful! I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
1The second half of the tips sound like things OCD people do to avoid germs.
2i don't think they sound OCD, i think they all make sense! When I worked in an office, i was so grossed out by people's lack of washing their hands, then they touch everything. BLECH! I work from home now so it's not much of an issue, I rarely get sick. But also, make sure you're eating well and exercising!
3Breathing in the air from your blow dryer...? WTF?
I just wash my hands all the time, eat healthy and try to sleep enough. No flu shots needed.
4i worked as a nurse during flu season and i myself haven't had the shot in years...and never once did i get sick =]
i get sick maybe once a year, and it's usually during the summer. weird.
5You're never going to be able to avoid touching doorknobs, phones, shopping cart handles, etc., that others have touched. As long as you wash your hands pretty frequently during flu season (especially before you eat and after leaving the office), you should stay pretty healthy. I work around flu specimens all the time and I never get the flu.
6last year when i moved back to NYC from florida i got sick a few times cause the weather was so different and i haven't had cold winters in the longest. i think that being on the subway around sick people and people who cough etc is hard thing.
i didn't realize the thing about the sauna though. ever since i started going to the gym after work, i started to use the sauna and it's been a good thing for my muscles but to know that it'll help keep me from getting the flu - well that's an incentive right there for me to go even more frequently.
7I have had the flu this year already and it was not fun.
8The best way to avoid the flu is to build up your immune system, not avoiding contact with all germs. Avoiding things other people touch? Please. Trying to live in a bubble will just make you more susceptible.
btw, I don't follow any of these tips and I never get sick. Sometimes I'll get a little scratch in my throat but it's always gone by morning. Good diet, exercise and not freaking out about everything being completely clean does wonders.
9I do all these things but I still end up with freshman flu twice a year. I had avoided it so far and then I visited a friend in student accommodation and BINGO. I was inhaling millions of germs and got sick.
Been ill for a few days... going out of my mind~
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