Fighting the Winter Blues
By: Mary Marren
Getting into a regular fitness routine can take a lot of work. You put your dedication and time into making yourself healthy and happy and there is nothing worse than something stopping you on your journey. Now that winter is here, I like most people, try hard to take every measure not to get sick. It seems like every other week someone you work with, a close friend, or even just the lady standing in front of you in line at the grocery store is sick. No matter how hard you try, beating flu season may just not be in the cards for you this year. So, if you are like many people that are looking for a quick turnaround to get healthy and back into your workout routine, here are some tips you may find helpful.
First and foremost, something you should know about working out when sick is that it can actually lead you to feeling worse. According to Lewis G. Maharam, MD, a New York City-based sports medicine expert, “The danger is exercising and raising your body temperature internally if you already have a fever, because that can make you even sicker.” So if you have a cold, feel free to continue on with your workout while being careful not to overdo it, but if you have a fever stay home and rest.
Vitamin C is one way to help ease your cold and help you get better quicker. Health.howstuffworks.com says, “The vitamin may be useful for allergy control by reducing histamine levels. By giving the immune system one of the important nutrients it needs, extra vitamin C can often shorten the duration of the cold as well.” So although it may not prevent you from getting sick, it could help you get better faster.
Along with vitamins, drinking plenty of liquids will also help your body recover faster. The water can push toxins along through your body as well as keeping you hydrated. Someone once told me to imagine my organs as a sponge. When your organs don’t get enough water they shrivel up and don’t work properly, but when they do your organs stay hydrated and healthy.
Believe it or not, chicken noodle soup may also be a fighting factor against a cold or the flu. The mayo clinic says, “…it acts as an anti-inflammatory by inhibiting the movement of neutrophils — immune system cells that participate in the body’s inflammatory response. Second, it temporarily speeds up the movement of mucus, possibly helping relieve congestion and limiting the amount of time viruses are in contact with the nose lining.”
So along with rest, here are some ways to make a quick recovery and get back into your workout routine! Remember to wash your hands frequently and also maybe consider taking vitamins on a regular basis as well.
Stay Healthy, Stray Strong.
-Mary Marren
- http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/exercising-when-sick
- http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/vitamin-supplements/vitamin-c-benefits.htm
- http://www.livestrong.com/article/415493-why-do-you-need-to-drink-plenty-of-water-when-sick/
- http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/common-cold/in-depth/cold-remedies/art-20046403