Staying Active During Cold and Flu Season

While it's important to keep physically active throughout the year, the flu season and winter months can be difficult. For adults, the Physical exercise Guidelines for Americans encourage at least 150 minutes of moderate physical exercise per week, while for kids and teenagers, the recommendation is at least 60 minutes per day.One of the most crucial things someone can do to improve their health is regular exercise.Make moving more and sitting less a priority. Aerobic exercise, strength training, flexibility training, and balance exercises should all be included in a healthy physical activity regimen. Always keep in mind that any action is better than none.  

BENIFITS OF STAYING ACTIVE

Regular exercise has several advantages besides helping people control their weight and lose weight. Exercise can lower your risk of developing a number of chronic conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and eight different forms of cancer. Exercise has been shown to reduce blood pressure and raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol.Along with enhancing your general quality of life, exercise also enhances your sleep, intellect, immune system, and sleep. Your physical and emotional well-being can both be enhanced by regular exercise. Physically active people have better self-esteem and confidence and are less prone to experience anxiety or depression.

TIPS FOR STAYING ACTIVE DURING COLD AND FLU SEASON

• Exercise frequently – It's always an excellent choice to be active. Regular exercise is not only good for your general health, but it can also help clear bacteria from your airways and lungs. Take advantage of the wellness center since it is covered by your student fees!
• Avoid smoking – This may seem obvious, but smoking can have a number of negative impacts on the body. The immune system must fight off the ongoing damage that cigarette smoke causes to the body's cells.
• If you choose to consume alcohol, do it in moderation. Binge drinking will have the opposite impact from the proverbial glass of red wine a day. Try to minimize your drinking if you go out so that your body is kept content.
• Avoid infections – Keeping yourself and your surroundings clean will help you stay healthy and avoid getting the flu. Wash your hands often and completely, stay away from ill individuals, and disinfect frequently used items.
• Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables will give you access to a variety of nutrients that will keep your body functioning efficiently. Obtain some vitamin C!
• Spend enough time sleeping so that your body can recover from the day and be ready for the next so that you can fight off any germs that may come your way. An individual who sleeps well gets about 8 hours each night.
• Reduce stress as much as possible because corticosteroids, a stress hormone, are known to impair immunity. Take a pause and unwind with hobbies like meditation, socializing, exercising, and listening to your favorite music to avoid this.

CONCLUSION

Exercise has the potential to lower the risk of significant consequences from infectious diseases such COVID-19, the flu, and pneumonia. Consider this:The risk of developing severe COVID-19 illness is higher in people who engage in little or no physical exercise than in those who do. According to a CDC systematic review [PDF-931KB], being physically active lowers the risk of COVID-19 hospitalizations and fatalities whereas staying inactive raises it.

Those who are more active may have a lower mortality rate from the flu or pneumonia. According to a CDC study, persons who follow the recommendations for aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity had a lower risk of dying from the flu and pneumonia than those who don't.