That's Fit

No matter how dedicated you are to fitness, you can't go out jogging or pick up those free-weights if you're too busy in the bathroom suffering flu symptoms. It's that time of year again, when cold and flu viruses are running rampant around workplaces -- having a real party bringing down one over-worked & stressed out coworker after another, sidelining even the toughest cookies one by one. While there's no way of avoiding exposure completely, there are many ways to reduce your risk of actually getting sick. And if you play your cards right, you just might make it through the season cold and flu free!

First off, wash your hands often: before and after you eat, after using the restroom, after coughing or sneezing, and any other time they start to feel a little grimy. These are all obvious times for cleanliness, but it's amazingly easy to space it and forget. Now is not the time! haha. It's also not a bad idea to keep a bottle of hand sanitizer handy for some additional "spot cleaning" throughout the day, and keep your workspace clean so you don't re-infect yourself.

It's also really important that you take care of yourself physically. That means eating balanced meals (including breakfast!), making sure you get your 8 glasses of water in each day, and taking frequent rest and stretch breaks whenever you start feeling tense or fatigued. If you have vacation days, go ahead and use them! The time off will help you de-stress and "refuel your tank" so to speak.

And last but not least, avoid sick co-workers as much as you can. And if it applies to you and it's even remotely possible -- quit smoking! At this point it's common knowledge that smoking is bad for your health, and smokers get sick a lot more than non-smokers do.