Winter Wellness Tips

Time spent indoors versus outdoors does a seasonal flip flop in most parts of the country. While southerners throw open the windows and head outdoors in winter because of cooler, more tolerable temperatures, we do the opposite here in Michigan. With the exception of snow lovers, most Michiganders head indoors where it’s warm.

As a result, winter is peak season for contagious diseases. Your best line of defense are tried-and-true healthy habits to stop the spread of germs. These work for respiratory and gastrointestinal bugs including COVID-19, common colds, flu, and norovirus:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you have any symptoms to prevent spreading your illness to others.
• Get tested for COVID-19 if you develop any cold or flu-like symptoms.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your inside elbow when coughing or sneezing.
• Wash your hands frequently.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially if someone is sick.

Covenant advocates for COVID-19 vaccination, COVID-19 booster shots and seasonal flu shots. While these important vaccines do not offer a 100% guarantee against getting sick, they have all proven to help prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death.

There are plenty of other proactive steps to take to stay well throughout the winter months.

• Get plenty of sleep – healthy adults need 7-9 hours each night, children and teens even more.
• Stay physically active – shoot for 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week.
• Manage your stress – a healthy diet and exercise help a lot. Also carve out time for hobbies, pets, journaling, and spending time with supportive people.
• Drink plenty of water – the general rule of thumb is half your body weight in ounces.
• Seek out nutritious food – eat a rainbow of fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein, and whole grains.
• Stay current on immunizations – prevent illnesses that may cause you to miss work and school, chalk up unnecessary medical bills, and and experience interruptions to family life.
• Get your annual check-ups and preventative screenings – they help find potential health issues before they become problems or create larger complications.

Posted Date: 1/6/2022