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Well, it's that time of
the year again! Just last week alone four of my clients were out
sick with the flu, and at least another four friends suffered
the same fate. Unfortunately, flu season isn't over yet, and that
means you stand a good chance of being exposed to the virus at
some point.
While a lot of people
will go to the gym no matter how sick they feel rather than miss
a single workout, this is not recommended. However, it is recommended
that you maintain your health throughout the entire year with
a regular and consistent fitness regime in order to decrease your
chances of getting sick in the first place. However, if you do
find yourself feeling ill, it is often best to skip your workout,
at least for that day. For starters, you are preventing the spread
of the illness to others, but possibly even more importantly,
you are not wearing your body down to a point that lowers your
resistance further yet, resulting in a weakened immune system.
One basic yet effective
method of preventing the onset of sickness after exposure is to
simply wash your hands, thoroughly and often. It is amazing how
many germs we come in contact with on a daily basis through common
items that we touch, and hand washing, especially before eating
or touching your face, can greatly reduce your chance of infection.
Another very important
factor-getting adequate sleep-will help to keep your immune system
at it's strongest. Without the proper amount of rest your body
is more susceptible to illnesses because it doesn't have the strength
to fight them off. The average person should be getting 6-8 hours
of sleep per night, and more if you're already sick. Sleep is
something you can't make up if you miss, either. In other words,
sleeping 3 hours one night and 9 the next isn't the same as sleeping
6 hours each night.
In addition to sleep,
proper nutrition intake (including the right amount of vitamins
and minerals to keep your body strong) is of the ultimate importance.
During flu season I always increase my vitamin C intake to boost
my immunity levels. Since vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin,
any excess will simply be passed out of your body through urine,
and therefore is not a danger, such as an excess of an oil soluble
vitamin like A or E.
Ideally, you should maintain
as healthy a state of fitness throughout the year as possible
in order to keep your immune system healthy and able to fight
off most anything that comes its way. If you're exercising on
a regular basis, eating healthy foods stock full of vitamins and
minerals, giving your body enough rest, not over-indulging in
alcohol, and moderating your body's stress levels, then you are
maintaining a healthy state of living and taking the proper steps
to keep your body happy and healthy.
Other health related programs
should be considered in order to optimize your health and keep
your body at it's best. These health programs are what I refer
to as "maintenance programs", and entail chiropractic
adjustments, message therapy, regular dental visits, yearly physician
check-ups, as well as other preventative measures that you deem
fitting, like acupuncture or acupressure and reflexology.
Hopefully this issue gave
you some tips that may help to keep you in good health this flu
season. The key points are summarized below for your convenience.
* Exercise regularly and
consistently
* Wash your hands often
* Get adequate sleep
* Eat healthy foods
* Don't overindulge in alcohol consumption
* Monitor your body's stress levels
* Practice maintenance programs for optimum health
Have a great week and
stay healthy!
Melissa Allen is a certified
personal trainer, Blackbelt & fitness consultant, as well
as the owner of Optimum Condition— personal fitness training
and kickboxing instruction. She is a regular columnist with various
newspapers and welcomes input from her readers. Please contact
her with any questions or comments that you may have by calling
(619) 252-4993, email her at Opticondit@aol.com, or visit her
website at www.optimumcondition.com. |
