Electronic Health Reporter

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu season is going to be bad this year. There have already been more than 7 million Americans sick with the flu, and we’re still only in January.

Do you want to avoid getting the flu and steer clear of other health conditions as well? Then you should learn how to improve physical health to lower your chances of getting sick this winter.

There are a series of simple steps that you can (and should!) take to turn yourself into a healthier person overall. You won’t have to worry about getting sidelined by sickness this flu season when you take the right approach to staying healthy.

Find out how to do it below.

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

When you sit down for a meal, health experts recommend that about 50% of your plate be made up of fruits and vegetables. Are you getting even close to that amount of fruits and vegetables with your meals?

If not, there won’t be much of a point in trying to figure out how to improve physical health in other areas of your life.

You’re not going to be giving your body the nutrients that it needs to fight off illnesses.

Some people attempt to work more fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods into their diets after they get sick. But you’re much better off making room for these foods in your diet when you’re healthy so that you can keep it that way.

Commit to Getting the Right Amount of Exercise

Studies have suggested that every time you work out, you put a little bit of stress on your body’s immune system. By doing this, research shows that you may be able to build your immune system up and make it very strong over time.

But unfortunately, most people don’t take advantage of this big benefit that comes along with exercising. More than 80% of Americans don’t get enough exercise day in and day out.

If you fall into this category and you find that you’re always getting sick, you should do something about it.

Start exercising more often by enrolling in 24-hour gym in Knox, or even if just at home, and see what a difference it makes in terms of your body’s ability to stay healthy. Pro tip: If you get hungry on your jogs, runs or bike tours, take some quick and ready to eat meals with you for a quick energy boost – you can easily order them online.

Get More Than Enough Sleep at Night

The state of sleep in the U.S. is, in a word, sad. There are so many people who aren’t getting the recommended 7 or 8 hours of sleep every night.

Some people aren’t sleeping enough because they have an untreated sleep condition. Others aren’t sleeping enough because they’re too stressed out to fall asleep at night.

And then, there are those who are staying up until all hours of the night binge-watching Netflix shows and depriving themselves of sleep for no real reason. It’s making America a very tired nation as a whole.

It’s also putting people at risk to get sick more often. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body doesn’t get the time it needs to recover from everything that you put it through each day.

This can leave you susceptible to the flu and other illnesses. It can also affect your mental health in ways you might not have imagined.

Take Your Vitamins

Do you expect the foods that you eat to provide you with the vitamins that your body needs? If so, you’re likely doing your body a huge disservice.

The foods that you’re eating likely don’t contain enough vitamins and minerals for your body to use. This is leading to a shortage of essential vitamins and minerals in your system.

Change this by talking to your doctor about taking multivitamins or other supplements for your health. You can place an order online and have these things shipped right to your front door so that you can begin taking advantage of them.

Keep Your Stress Levels to a Minimum

As we mentioned earlier, stress can hurt a person by preventing them from getting enough sleep at night. It can also wreak havoc on their lives in a variety of ways.

For example, stress can have a huge impact on your mental health. It can make it difficult for you to cope with everyday life.

Stress can also cause you to gain or lose a bunch of weight in a short amount of time in some cases. It can leave you feeling lethargic as well.

And if you don’t learn how to manage stress, it could even make you sick. There are a number of illnesses that people might be forced to deal with if stress gets the better of them.

It’s why you should make it a point to get rid of as much stress as you can from your life. You’ll feel better physically and mentally once you remove the majority of the stress that you’re dealing with now from your life.

Wash Your Hands on a Regular Basis (and Do It the Right Way!)

At the height of the flu season, you should work on washing your hands at least a few times every day. Any time you touch any person’s hand or touch something that someone else touched, think about washing your hands.

Maybe, more importantly, think about washing them the right way. Amazingly, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that about 97% of people don’t wash their hands the right way in a recent study.

Washing your hands can stop germs from making their way into your system. You should wash them early and often both during flu season and all year round.

Learn How to Improve Physical Health to Avoid Getting Sick

Now that you know how to improve physical health and keep from getting sick, start doing it. Follow the steps laid out here to make yourself a much healthier person in 2020.

You’ll be surprised by how much better you feel when you eat right, exercise, sleep enough, and take your vitamins. You might even feel like a brand-new person in just a few months.

Read the articles on our blog to find other tips for staying healthy.