Around this time of year, “winter” becomes synonymous with “the flu”.
Alex Currier is not afraid of the flu making its way around campus.
“I haven’t been sick with the flu since sixth grade,” Currier said.
He has a couple of tips for side-stepping the flu bug this time of year.
1. Stay active.
Exercising is known to be able to increase one’s immune system. Use the neck rule to know whether or not to workout. If the sickness is above the neck, feel free to exercise. It might help with the head cold. If it is below the neck, take a break for a couple days (Health.com).
“I am in sports so I run a lot and I feel like that helps,” Currier said. “The cold doesn’t feel so bad when you run outside for cross country.”
2. Wash your hands.This tip is an obvious yet sometimes forgotten way to stay healthy.
“If my hands feel a little dirty, I use the hand sanitizer in Ramaker,” Currier said.
Hand sanitation stations can be found at the entrances of dorms, the DeWitt Library and VPH.
3. Get more rest. Adequate rest tends to be a common issue for college students already, but crammed schedules can make finding time to rest even harder.
A study showed that people who got less than seven hours of sleep were almost three times more likely to get sick than those getting more rest (Health.com).
Jen Te Grotenhuis is currently fighting a cold and understands the struggle of finding time to get the much needed rest..
“When I get sick I tend to not take good care of myself. Some of it is because I still have responsibilities and I need to go to classes so I don’t get behind so it is hard to kick the sickness,” Te Grotenhuis said.
4. Drink a lot of fluids.
“I tend to drink a lot of water this time of year. I have also been drinking a lot of orange juice. I’m not sure if it actually helps, or if I should be taking vitamin C,” Te Grotenhuis said.
Currier tries to drink at least one cup of tea a day along with water to keep his intake of fluids up.
“I also drink a lot of tea. It does a good job of cleansing your body,” Currier says.
As students live in close proximity with classmates, it is important to make sure to follow these tips to avoid catching whatever sicknesses may be floating around. Currier also offers one last piece of advice that most doctors will not tell their patients.
“I usually just call and cry to my mom and she makes everything better,” Currier said.
