#WellnessWednesday: 10 Tips to Keep Colds and Flu Away

It’s that time of year, Trucking Nation. Yes, we know the holidays are over, but cold and flu season is well under way! We also know that you don’t need any extra down time, so we’ve gathered several tips on how to keep those cold and flu viruses from taking up residence in you.

Consider these ideas as preventative maintenance for your body. Some are common sense—others might not seem so obvious at first. All will keep you healthy and feeling good.

1. Frequent hand washing. Your hands are magnets for germs, and germs carry viruses. Consider all the things you touch every day that others also touch. You can easily see how germs can end up on your hands. And since you touch your eyes, nose, and mouth, where most viruses enter the body many times every day, keeping your hands clean is essential for keeping those viruses from infecting you.
2. Keeping surfaces clean. As we just said, there are many places that others touch every day that you also touch. By keeping doorknobs, sink handles and knobs, keyboards, etc. as clean as possible, you can minimize the number of germs that you come into contact with each day.
3. Avoiding touching public surfaces. Avoid those areas in public that either you can’t or aren’t practical to clean. Places like card pads in stores, pens, and again, doorknobs, just to name a few, can be loaded with germs. For those times you can’t avoid touching such surfaces, carrying hand sanitizer can keep the germs you come into contact with during the day to a minimum.
4. Stop biting your nails. Believe it or not, germs love to hide under your nails. Biting them allows them to enter you body more quickly.
5. Exercise. Regular exercise boosts your immune system, and your immune system is what fights those germs that you weren’t able to avoid.
6. Hydrate. Your body thrives on water, and a strong body means a strong immune system. 
7. Get enough sleep. Making sure you’re getting 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night is yet another way to keep your immune system strong.
8. Eat Healthy. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables and lean meat will also keep your immune system at its best.
9. Use a humidifier. Germs thrive in dry air. Keeping the air around you humid will minimize the germs in your environment, and also keep your body’s airways from drying out, thereby keeping germs from invading your body.
10. Get a flu shot. When all else fails, a flu shot may be your last line of defense. Many insurance plans pay for them, and you can get immunized against the flu at most pharmacies.

These tips are not meant to be exhaustive. There are many other ways to keep yourself healthy and cold and flu-free this winter. Keep yourself informed, and most of all, stay healthy!