Winterize Your Health With These 6 Tips

As the days continue to get shorter, the temperatures drop and we hurtle toward the holiday season, we've developed some wellness tips to help you have a healthy winter.

While our tips aren't an exhaustive list of things you should do for your health this winter, they'll put you on the right path and get you or your loved ones thinking about your wellness as we approach the new year.

1. Get Vaccinated: If you are able and haven't already, be sure to get your flu and updated COVID-19 vaccines. Experts say getting your flu and COVID-19 vaccines are important to helping your immune system get ramped up as the viruses tend to spread more easily in the winter months.
2. Stay Hydrated: Make sure you are continuing to drink plenty of water even as the temperatures outside drop. Lora Plaskon, MD, FPMRS, MS, with EvergreenHealth Urology & Urogynecology Care shares helpful tips on how you can ensure you're staying hydrated.
3. Get Outdoors: Although the lack of sunlight can make us feel lethargic and discourage us from going outside, it's important that we find time to enjoy the outdoors. Winter sports like snowboarding or winter hiking can be a great opportunity for you and your loved ones to catch some valuable sunlight. Also, taking vitamin D supplements or eating foods rich in vitamin D can help you keep your levels up, which is important to help your body function and supports your immune system. Check out some more foods to boost your immune system.
4. Stock Your Medicine Cabinet: For some of us, a winter cold is inevitable, but there are other items you should have handy than your go-to cold medicine. Jimena Gomez Del Carpio, MD, with EvergreenHealth Primary Care, Monroe shares her medicine cabinet essentials, covering must-haves from pain relievers to allergy medicine.
5. Prepare For Winter Chores: With the winter frost, snow and other weather-related events that come with lower temperatures, chores around you home may change a little. It's important to prepare, stay safe and be ready if the unfortunate slip or bump occurs. If you work a lot with your hands, consider investing in a pair of thick gloves with good grip as well as no-slip winter boots. Dressing warm in cold temperatures is a must to make sure your body is comfortable and not draining itself to keep your body temperature up.
6. Develop a Strategy to Manage Stress: Develop a strategy to manage your stress ahead of the busy holiday season. Exercise, mediation and journaling are three common ways individuals manage their stress and relieve themselves of tension. Try out different activities and see what works for you. Plus, check out our 10 wellness tips for the holidays to keep you healthy and happy.

Winter brings unique challenges to staying healthy like seasonal affective disorder or eating right amid the proliferation of food and treats. That's why it's also a good time to check in with your primary care provider if you need to or haven't in some time to discuss how you're feeling mentally and physically.