These Daily Habits Might Keep You From Getting Sick

These simple practices can help stop a virus in its tracks

One of the more frustrating things about getting sick is that, unless you shared a drink with someone with the sniffles or your significant other has a cold, you probably don’t know what caused the sickness. What could you have done to prevent it? While you can’t scan every surface for cold and flu germs, there are some things you can do to shoo away invading pathogens. Your immune system fights viruses and bacteria naturally, so by supporting a strong immune system, you can prevent a cold or other illness before symptoms start. Here are a few healthy, daily habits to take up to avoid getting sick.

Wash your hands The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly advocates that you wash your hands regularly. Not only is this a personal hygiene issue, it’s also going to help keep you from getting sick. According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, regular hand washing reduces the risk of respiratory illnesses, like colds, by 16-21%. Another study published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews showed that hand washing reduced diarrheal illness by 23-40%. You should be washing your hands (in accordance with CDC guidelines) before and after you eat, as you prepare food, after using the bathroom, after taking out the trash and on a number of other occasions. If soap and water are not available, the CDC says that hand sanitizer can help to avoid spreading germs, as well, though it’s not as effective as hand-washing. Eat your greens

Green vegetables are loaded with the vitamins and minerals you need to keep your immune system healthy and strong. A study published in the journal Cell showed that cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts trigger a chemical signal that helps maintain a fully functioning immune system. Dark leafy greens such as spinach and kale also contain vitamin C, which, according to a review in the journal Nutrients, is crucial for maintaining proper immune function. Spend time outside Spending time outdoors is good for your mental health, and it’s good for your immune system, too. A review published in the Journal of Investigative Medicine shows that vitamin D can have positive effects on immunity and immune cells. When you spend time exposed to sunlight, your body produces more vitamin D. Try to get outdoors when you can, because better immune health is just one of the ways being outside more often can change your life.

Exercise regularly Staying active can help you feel great for many reasons — it’s good for your heart, your mind and your mood. But did you know exercise can also help you avoid the cold and flu? According to a study in the journal Clinical Sports Medicine, getting regular exercise helps boost your immune functioning to more efficiently fight invading germs. Get enough sleep Not getting enough sleep could come with more side effects than just being a little drowsy. It could also put you at greater risk for getting sick due to sleep’s effect on your immune system. A study published in JAMA showed that people who were exposed to the common cold virus were more likely to get sick if they didn’t get enough sleep. Make sure to keep a reasonable bedtime and get the hours of sleep your body needs.

Don’t drink too much Drinking too much alcohol can affect your health in serious ways, ranging from messing with your sleep schedule to impacting your risk of heart disease. But binge drinking can also undermine your immune system. According to a review in the journal Alcohol Research, binge drinking can weaken immune functioning and make you more susceptible to illness. Drinking a hot toddy or a glass of wine, however, might not be so bad. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that while excess consumption of alcohol caused harm, moderate alcohol consumption did not. In fact, the study showed that antioxidants from wine and nutrients from beer may actually be beneficial.