As we head into a season with cooler winter air, the risk of getting sick and getting hit with the winter blues skyrockets.
However, you can stay much more healthy and well during the colder months by following a few winter health tips.
The winter wellness tips listed below are the top things you begin today to get you through the winter season with fewer ailments.
Top 10 Winter Health & Wellness Tips
1. Improve Your Indoor Winter Air Quality
During the colder months, we spend the majority of our time in the warmer indoors.
However, with that warmth also comes a decrease in indoor air quality.
By closing windows, keeping doors shut, burning more fuels, reducing ventilation, etc., pollutants and allergens have nowhere to escape. This results in contaminants building up inside our homes and offices and potentially affecting your health.
One of the best things you can do to improve your indoor air quality is to invest in an air purifier.
Air purifiers are special devices that suck air through a series of filters and extract microscopic pollutants that harm human health.
These machines are great at removing allergens, particulate matter, dust, smoke, bacteria, mold spores, pet dander, and more.
But you do need to get a certain type of air purifier to help with particular pollutants.
During the winter months, the most popular air purifiers are ones that help with germs, odors, and allergens. To find out which product is best for your needs, take a look at our free guides on these topics.
You can find the best germ air purifier reviews here, the best air purifier for smells here, or a complete list of air purifier reviews that include the top 10 models available today.
2. Reduce Exposure to Germs
Although this winter health tip is common sense, it’s still worth repeating.
Frequent hand washing is a simple and effective way to prevent the contraction and spread of germs.
Also, making it a habit not to touch your eyes or mouth during the colder season can keep bacteria and viruses from entering into your system.
You may also want to consider wearing a face mask or a scarf wrapped around your nose and mouth to stop airborne particles from floating in though these passageways.
And finally, disinfect the doorknobs in your house by wiping them with bleach wipes on a weekly basis.
3. Practice Fire Safety
One of the best winter health tips that can save your life is to practice good fire safety.
Heating, holiday decorations, winter storms, and candles all contribute to an increased risk of fire during the winter months.
If you don’t already have a fire detector on each level of your home, now is a good time to install one. It’s also advised to have one fire detector in each bedroom. And, test them weekly.
You should also have an emergency plan figured out for escaping your house during a fire.
The risk of carbon monoxide poisoning also increases during winter due to heating appliances. So, ensure you have a functioning carbon monoxide detector on each level of your house as well.
4. Drink More Vitamin C and D
One of the most simple winter wellness tips anyone can do is to increase your intake of vitamin C and D.
Consuming vitamin C (found in orange juice) can help your body protect itself from cold and flu viruses.
Consuming vitamin D (found in milk) helps your body absorb calcium, iron, and vitamin A as well as promote bone growth. Your body naturally creates vitamin D when your sun is exposed to the sun, but this is less often the case during the winter months, so drinking more vitamin D is an easy way to supplement it.
5. Increase Humidity Against Dry Winter Air
During the winter, the relative humidity goes down and this can cause a number of physical ailments, such as dry skin, sore throat, chapped lips, ashiness, itching, and redness.
To increase the humidity in your home, you can do two things: 1) use a humidifier or 2) add some indoor plants.
Both options help to add moisture back into the atmosphere to help nourish your body parts.
6. Get Your Flu Shot
The best way to avoid influenza (i.e. flu virus) is by getting vaccinated.
Get your flu shot in October so you can be protected during November, December, and January when the flu has the most outbreak.
7. Increase Intake of Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Omega 3 fatty acids are a well-known nutritional substance that helps to reduce joint pain and stiffness during the winter season.
As a natural anti-inflammatory, Omega 3 fatty acids are a healthy type of fat that are found in many foods, including fish, plant seeds, and nuts.
While more research needs to be done, Omega 3 fatty acids have been linked to lowering depression (i.e. the winter blues), which many of us feel during the shorter days of winter.
8. Cook with Mushrooms
Do you like to cook?
These this section of our winter wellness tips will be appetizing to you.
Several species of mushrooms are known for having immune-boosting health benefits, including Shitake, Oyster, Maitake, Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, and Tremella
9. Stay Hydrated
We often don’t think about dehydration in the winter months, but dehydration occurs regardless of the temperature outside.
Dry air can lead to unexpected loss of bodily fluids that are needed to carry out the normal functions.
This, in turn, can cause you to feel sluggish, have weaker muscles, and become more susceptible to illnesses.
To stay healthier this winter, be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day to give your body the fluids it needs to fight off those issues.
10. Visit Your Primary Care Physician
Our list of winter health tips wouldn’t be complete without recommending a visit to your primary care physician.
Scheduling an annual visit right before the winter season hits is one of the best things you can do to maintain good health and wellness.
During your visit, you can find out how well you’re prepared for the upcoming influx in winter illnesses and make a plan to better protect yourself.
Stay Healthy with these Winter Wellness Tips
We hope you enjoyed this winter health tips and will use them to keep your body in prime germ-fighting condition.
As a reminder, one of the top winter wellness tips you can follow is to invest in an air purifier.
Air purifiers remove in the invisible particles that can lead to sickness during the colder months. These devices can also help your home to smell better when the doors and windows are shut for months on end.
To protect yourself again bacteria and viruses, check out our best germ air purifier reviews here. It shows you what to look for in a high-quality device that will your individual needs.
If indoor odors are your top concern, look at our page on the best air purifier for smell here to see what type of filter the device must have to make your home smell fresh.
And finally, you can find a complete list of air purifiers that includes the top 10 models for all types of indoor air quality issues you often face at home.