Keep Your Immune System Healthy This Winter

If you learned one thing from the global Covid-19 pandemic, hopefully it’s the importance of maintaining a healthy immune system. As you know, simply having a healthy immune system won’t prevent you from getting a virus but you also know that being healthy means you have milder symptoms, and you’ll likely recover quicker.

Many of the lessons learned during the pandemic can be used in everyday life to protect against the viruses that are always around, including seasonal flu, and common colds. What many people don’t realize is that a well-functioning immune system can also protect against bacteria, parasites, and other harmful invaders.  

While many factors can affect how well your immune system works, many things can improve it, too.  Fitness level, diet, mental health, sleep patterns, and overall lifestyle all affect immune health.  Let’s take a look at each of these in detail.

Exercise

Not many people realize that while exercise can improve immune health, too much might harm the immune system. Balance is key when it comes to exercise, so while you shouldn’t do vigorous cardio workouts every day, consider a plan that mixes a walk around the neighborhood with alternating weight, cardio, and stretching workouts throughout the week.

On days when you’re unwell or tired, a light stretching session or walk around the block is your best bet. However, you should plan to spend at least an hour every other day doing something to get your body moving, and your heart rate up.  

Most experts agree that walking is one of the easiest, and most productive exercises.  Almost anyone can do it, it’s simple, and it targets the entire body.  Brisk walking burns calories, tones muscles, gets the heart rate up and improves circulation.  Studies show that going for a daily walk significantly improves overall health and well-being, increases longevity, and reduces the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers.

While walking is great, it shouldn’t be the only exercise you do.  If you’re physically able to vary your fitness routine, it’s advisable to do so.  Doing the same routine every day can result in overworking the same muscles, and this can cause pain similar to what you’d experience with carpal tunnel syndrome. Also, doing the same thing every day can get boring after a while. Because your body becomes so accustomed to doing the same thing over and over, you’ll stop seeing results.  If walking is your main go-to routine, change your route, add inclines, and change your pace.  You might even try wearing weights on your ankles, and arms.  When you want to change it up, do a cardio dance workout, yoga class, or toning routine. Just make sure to break a sweat, and get that heart rate up.

Since we’re talking about exercise, and its positive effect on immune health, it should also be mentioned that if you go to a public gym, you should wash down the equipment before you use it, and wash your clothes (and yourself) after every gym session.  Ultimately, the best way to enjoy a germ-free workout is by working out at home. Fortunately, you can get much of the equipment you’ll need for a home gym relatively inexpensively if you take the time to look for deals.  

Exercising outdoors, even in winter, has benefits. Whether it be walking or running any time of year, or snowshoeing or swimming in season, the sun provides much-needed vitamin D, and being outdoors gets you away from indoor air pollution caused by cleaning products and dust. Fresh air does the body good.

In some cultures, “forest bathing,” the practice of spending time in the forest surrounded by nature, is a daily ritual. It certainly won’t hurt you to take a walk in the woods every once and a while. Just make sure you dress accordingly when heading outdoors. Don’t dress in clothing that’s too heavy or restricting during the warmer months and bulk up on layers during the colder months.  

Whatever exercise you choose to do, make sure to eat something light before you start, keep hydrated during your routine, and eat something healthy and protein-rich afterward.  Cooling down with some stretches after any workout will help your body recover.

Besides improving immunity and overall health, daily exercise also helps maintain healthy body weight. Excess weight can cause a host of health problems, including poor recovery time if you do catch a virus.

While it’s tempting to curl up on the couch and watch a movie or binge-watch your favorite sitcom, sitting for too long is also bad for your health. Make sure to get up and walk around and stretch every so often.

There are many places to find free home workouts online including:

• Pop Sugar Fitness
• Jessica Smith TV on YouTube
• HASFit
• Fitness Blender
• Brett Larkin Yoga
• The Betty Rocker

Diet

The next important thing you can do to improve your immune system and overall health is to eat healthily.  If you’re busy with work or caring for children, this may sound easier said than done.  A lot of people also assume that eating healthy is more expensive.  However, the truth is, if you want to eat healthier, there are ways to sneak it in even if you’re busy. It doesn’t have to cost more.

Let’s start with breakfast. Before you eat anything in the morning, drink a tall glass of clean, cool water. You’ve likely heard that the first meal of the day is the most important. If you’re someone who doesn’t usually eat breakfast, the first step to improving your diet is to start making breakfast a daily habit. You need fuel to get through the day, and without that fuel, you’ll find yourself lagging midday. That being said, a breakfast that incorporates protein and vitamin-rich foods is the best way to go.  Whether it be cereal with some fresh berries and milk or a hard-boiled egg with toast and sausage, you’ll feel energized, and burning calories while you go through your daily routine won’t tire you any more.

Here is an example of a delicious, healthy, and easy-to-prepare breakfast idea:

• Toast two pieces of bread

• Lightly spread peanut butter on both slices

• Sprinkle a generous amount of ground flax seeds and cinnamon on top

• Top with some banana slices

If you’re wondering about your morning coffee, the answer is yes, it’s fine to have it.  Just make sure you eat first.  Caffeine perks you up but it’s only temporary. It may sound hard to do, but reducing sugar and cream is also a good idea. Start small and use less and less until you use none at all.  Black, unsweetened coffee is an acquired taste that’s hard to get used to at first, but after you drink it for a while, you won’t be able to go back to adding sugar.

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to visit your doctor to request a full exam and work-up to determine your general state of health and what nutrients are lacking in your diet. If your bloodwork indicates you’re missing any important vitamins or minerals, you can work on getting more of these nutrients through supplements and diet.

If your bloodwork doesn’t indicate any deficiencies, you don’t need daily supplements. However, it’s a good idea to have a multi-vitamin on hand to take when you are unable to eat as healthily as you’d like. Vitamin D is also good to have on hand during the winter when you’re not exposed to the sun as much. Zinc and vitamin C are great to take when you feel a cold coming on as they help reduce symptoms and length of illness.  

There are easy ways to sneak healthy foods into your diet.  For example, the simple act of sprinkling berries, cinnamon, or flax seeds on your cereal or oatmeal takes it to a whole new level. Did you know spices are nutrient powerhouses? Try sprinkling black pepper, turmeric, oregano, ginger, or parsley on your meals to take them up a notch.  

While drinking in moderation is fine, keep in mind that alcohol can disrupt sleep patterns, and this can have an effect on your immune system.  Try to drink earlier in the evening, and keep it to one serving every other day.

Other Considerations for Immune Health

While diet and exercise are the main considerations when you’re working to improve your immune system, there are many other things to take into consideration. Here are some more tips to help you stay healthy all year round.

• Get at least seven hours of sleep every night. The best way to achieve this goal is to try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Don’t eat large meals or drink a lot of liquids before going to bed. Wear comfortable, loose-fitting sleepwear and keep your bed clean and free of dust.  

• Get the right temperature. During the day, the temperature in your home should be comfortable and not too hot or too cold. When sleeping, it’s better to have a cooler temperature and more blankets so you can add and remove them as needed.  In summer, use a dehumidifier to get ideal air quality.  In winter, a humidifier can cut down on the dry heat caused by in-home heating and reduce allergies and a stuffy nose and dry throat, which both can keep you from getting quality sleep.

• Take precautions when colds and other viruses are circulating. Wash hands frequently, avoid touching high-traffic surfaces, and keep a distance from others, especially if they’re sick. You know those pesky masks people have been wearing to prevent Covid-19? You might want to hang onto them. Many people claim that during the time they wore their masks, they didn’t catch any other common viruses. It can’t hurt.

• If you smoke, consider quitting or drastically cutting down.  Smoking affects overall health including immune function.  

If You Do Get Sick

Even if your immune system is strong, you can still get sick.  This is particularly true if you’re in constant close contact with someone who’s ill or you’ve never acquired immunity against a circulating virus. If you happen to catch something, the first thing you should do is call off work and stay home. If you have to go out anywhere, keep your distance from others and cough or sneeze into your arm. When you’re feeling better, make sure to wash bedding and any clothes you wore while you were infected and sanitize surfaces such as tabletops, doorknobs, and other commonly touched areas. (If you suspect you have Covid-19, or have tested positive for it, you should follow the protocols proscribed by your applicable health authority.)

The Takeaway

Getting sick doesn’t mean that your immune system isn’t working.  If you follow the above tips to keep your immune system in top shape, you’ll either miss the bugs altogether or you’ll get sick but your symptoms won’t be as bad and you won’t be off your feet as long.  Another bonus to following these tips is they don’t just improve your immune system; they improve your overall health, which means you’ll feel your best and add years to your life.