Fall is here and the weather is changing in Athens. Cold and flu season are upon us. Staying healthy as an athlete is important so you don’t miss practices or competitions. Here are a few tips for how to stay healthy this season:
- Stay hydrated. Hydration is important all the time, but when you’re sick it helps to keep your body fighting the illness. Taking in fluids can help relieve the symptoms of sickness and strengthen your immune system so you can get back to feeling better.
- Eat well. Make sure that you are getting enough protein in your diet. Also, make sure to eat foods with lots of vitamins and antioxidants.
- Get extra rest. Sleep when you can and as much as you can. Take naps when your schedule allows it. If you get sick your body will be working harder to fight it off, so more sleep can help you feel better sooner.
- Wash your hands often. Prevent the spread of germs by washing your hands after touching something that someone who is sick previously touched and wash your hands before eating. Keep hand sanitizer nearby in case you cannot get to a sink.
- Keep a clean house, desk, or office. Use a disinfectant to clean surfaces that are commonly used to prevent spreading germs further.
- Stay away from people that are sick. If your roommate is sick, then keep away from them until they are better. Resort to texting each other from opposite rooms at home instead of hanging out together. Only come home at night to sleep and allow them to recover, but also protect yourself by keeping your distance.
- Reduce the stressors in your life that you can control. While you may not be able to stop working or doing school work altogether, you can control when and what you are doing. If writing that history paper today is going to be too stressful then out it off until you are feeling better (of course this only works if you plan ahead and give yourself enough time to complete the assignment before it is due).
Sometimes getting sick is inevitable but what you do next could mean the difference between being sick for a few days or a few weeks. Here are some tips for what to do after you get sick:
- Go see a doctor. There is no way to know for sure what kind of sickness you have without going to the doctor. If you don’t know what you have, then you can’t treat it properly.
- Stay home if you are sick. Get extra rest and avoid getting others sick by staying home in bed and allowing your body to fight the illness.
- Make sure you are getting extra fluids and taking the right medications.
