The winter season comes with the most-awaited holidays of the year. However, to enjoy the fun celebrations in winter, it’s important to check on your family’s health and safety first. According to Medical News Today, exposure to cold and dry air may adversely impact the body’s immune system. Even if you don’t venture outdoors, you can still be at risk of catching the cold, flu, and other winter diseases. Be prepared to stay safe and healthy in winter with these relevant home tips.
1. Heat your home safely
To help fight off viruses and infection, maintain a steady supply of heat inside your home during winter. Nidirect recommends heating your main living room to around 18-21ºC (64-70ºF) and the rest of the house to at least 16ºC (61ºF) to stay warm during the day. To make sure your heating is safe in winter, do not forget to schedule heating maintenance and tune-up in the fall.
2. Wash your hands frequently
During the cold winter months, more people will be staying indoors, trying to stay out of the cold and snow. According to the National Library of Medicine, this can increase your chances of catching viruses that cause colds, the flu, or COVID-19. Protect yourself by avoiding close contact with others as much as possible and washing your hands frequently. Michael Starnbach, a professor of microbiology at Harvard Medical School, said that practicing good hand hygiene works in keeping you and your family safe from viral threats.
3. Eat a healthy diet
To maintain a strong immune system, you have to eat a healthy and balanced diet. Make nutritious choices when grocery shopping for the holidays. Eat a diet full of fruits and vegetables and cut on food cravings that have lots of fats and added sugar.
4. Stay active
Don’t let the cold weather stop you from staying fit and healthy. If you can’t take the cold temperature outside, then bring your daily workout indoors. Also, don’t forget to drink water after every workout to replenish lost fluids in the body.
5. Get enough sleep
A good night’s sleep is vital for maintaining good health. Studies show that people with short sleep duration experience a range of symptoms, including fatigue and mood swings. According to Healthline, sleep quality and duration can also have a major effect on many health risk factors.
To get better sleep in winter, do not forget to lower your thermostat before you go to bed. Setting the thermostat to around 65 degrees would be enough to keep you cool and comfortable throughout the night.
How to prepare your HVAC for winter use
A furnace breakdown in winter can put your family’s health at risk. You can prevent such a troublesome situation from happening by preparing your heating equipment for winter use. If you don’t exactly know how to winterize your heating system, you can always ask for help from a licensed and experienced HVAC contractor. Book a heating service no later than today to ensure your HVAC’s optimum performance during the cold season.
