No one plans on being sick, but how can you help yourself stay healthy? How can you avoid headaches, congestion, cough, runny noses, and fever? Here are five things you can do to help stay healthy year-round.
Get your Flu Vaccine
The first vaccine was invented in 1796 to help stop the spread of smallpox. The same scientific principals that made that vaccine successful apply to the yearly flu vaccine. Once your are vaccinated, your body helps develop antibodies to attack the flu virus if your body comes in contact with it.
Can you catch the flu virus from the flu vaccine? NO. That’s not how it works. However, it does take about two weeks for the vaccine to provide protection – which means during that time you can still contract the flu. That’s why it’s recommended to get your vaccine at the start of flu season each year – but it is never too late to vaccinate!
Yearly Physical
One of the best investments you can make for your health is to have a yearly physical and form a good relationship with a primary care provider. Yearly physicals include a quick check on your weight, blood pressure, heart rate, heart & lung sounds, medication review, and a blood draw. Most often that blood draw includes lab work to evaluate cholesterol levels, glucose levels, and overall blood counts.
Milestone birthdays can also lead to the start of routine screenings (mammograms, colonoscopies, bone scans, etc.). Early detection can be key to treatment options.
Exercise
Even moderate exercise (walking, yoga, gardening, bicycling) 2-3 times per week can help boost your immune system, improve overall cardiac and respiratory health, increase energy, and improve overall mood.
Want stronger bones as you age? Aside from diet, you need to include strength and weight bearing exercises. Even small hand weights (1-2 lbs each) can make a difference if you perform exercises on a routine basis.
Healthy Food Choices
Sweets are great. Fast food has its place. You can say yes to that second serving. Your body needs the proper nutrients to stay in tip-top shape. Remember that what you put in your body determines how your body will perform. FIll your nutrient tank with more of the good stuff – protein, fruit, vegetables – and less of the extras.
Wash Your Hands
This is the most important tip – wash your hands. When should you wash your hands? Before you eat. After going to the bathroom. When you first walk into your home – and after you take off your shoes. Wash them any time they look dirty. It’s a simple fact – handwashing helps prevent the spread of viruses & bacteria.
While antibacterial gel can be effective, the simple use of soap, water and the friction of scrubbing is all you need to help rid yourself of the germs.
Remember, simple steps every day (walk that flight of stairs, wash those hands, grab an extra serving of vegetables at dinner) can make a difference over the days, weeks, and months of each year! Stay healthy!
Has your physician switched to primarily telehealth visits this year? If so, we’ve created a great resource to help you prepare!
While many are unsure of what to expect, we know how crucial these appointments can be.
Before your next telehealth call, click here to download our free digital guide!
https://mailchi.mp/c7af04a0b646/telehealth
All are very important to our health-or so my doctor tells me 🙂
Yes! Hand washing is so important and kills me how many people I see that overlook this simple but effective measure for not spreading germs. Recently visited a restaurant that had the hot water turned off in the bathrooms! It did not go over well with me. Thanks so much for sharing the importance 🙂
I love this article and am sharing it on my blog as it fits in with my niche.
Must do for good health!
Great tips! My adult daughter works at a daycare and her son goes there too, so they are always bringing home germs. Thankfully, we’re all good hand-washers, but still end up catching the crud often.
I love that your tips are short, easy to understand and actionable.
this is all too true! I honestly slack off on getting my yearly flu shots but always make sure my son gets them! I need to be better at caring for myself also 😅
As a teacher, I never fail to get the flu shot. Ha! And I may wash my hands almost as often as a nurse. I do need to step up the exercise, though. Great tips!
Great advice! Keeping healthy can be so easy if we just follow these easy steps!
A like your list, it’s short but it will go a long way to keep you and your family healthy! Good easy action plan!
Great tips! I hate getting sick!
Thankfully we do all of these.
Great tips! We need to do as much as possible to stop the spread of illnesses! The last time we went on a cruise many people could have taken a class on this.
I’m pretty good at three or four of these! Lol
Thanks for the reminders. Especially this time of year.
Good information! My husband and I both got the flu months after getting our flu shots! It was very unexpected! I try to be careful but the germs are everywhere!
Great reminders!!
I wash my hands often. I am trying to get my kids into this habit of washing their hands before eating or when getting home from somewhere too. I also need to add weight-bearing exercises.
Great tips! Handwashing is so important to prevent the spread of germs. Thanks for a great post.
Very good tips that are short and to the point! Thank you for sharing the valuable information.
Good ideas
Great tips!
thanks for the reminders. I am a retired healthcare professional, ID work and all. So hand washing critical for sure. And just finished helping out the grandkids and parents with several weeks of the flu – a mask and handwashing were my allies for sure. Good article and an easy read. thanks.
Such great tips! Even though I know all this, I need to be better at handwashing!
Great tips and specially when we are not in the medical field is hard to know whats right.
We just got our physicals done with the flu shots! And since we have little ones, we do our best to wash hands often.
Taking time to wash your hands thoroughly really does make a difference.
It’s amazing what a little hand washing can do when done on a regular basis! Great list.
Healthy food choices are definitely needed! That is often lacking for people, so I appreciate that you add that tip. 🙂
I love what an easy read this is and how you shared great info with us non-nurses 🙂
Great list!
As a pre-school teacher, I feel like the sneezes directly in my face increase drastically during cold and flu season, which is of course a little scarier during a pandemic.
This is a great and helpful list 🙂
Great post! thanks for sharing, will use some tips for sure
Great tips. I work out in the public so handwashing is a must for me. I can’t count how many times I wash my hands daily and the hand sanitizer I use on a daily basis.
Great and simple tips that we sometimes overlook! I have been exercising 4-5 times a week and it has been a big help in both my physical and mental health