How one Simple Routine Can Decrease Your Risk of Getting Sick this Winter

Ice patterns created from the current freezing on the Cedar River

It’s really cold outside right now. At least it is for me, since I live in Northeastern Iowa. When I woke up this morning, it was a balmy 6 degrees. So naturally, I opened all my windows first thing.

Does this seem counterintuitive?  What about my heating bill?  Well, I don’t keep them open for more than 30 minutes, but I do make sure it happens every day.  Why?

Fresh Air’s Effect on Viral Load

The simple answer is viral load. The old cliché about getting fresh air for our health is actually some of the best advice for staying virus free during the long winter months. While we do experience respiratory infections in the summer, they are much more common in the winter. This is primarily because we confine ourselves indoors, rarely opening doors or windows, and limit our access to fresh air.

Go Outside and Take Deep Breaths

Going outside and taking deep breaths allows us to draw in fresh, clean air that circulates through our lungs and achieves a similar effect. Additionally, if it’s sunny outside, we can benefit from the antimicrobial effects of sunlight, the vitamins it provides, and the positive psychological impacts.

Hospitals utilize this concept with negative and positive pressure rooms to protect immunocompromised patients or contain infections.

Visiting a Norwegian Spa

So go ahead and give it a try! I like to open all my windows, bundle up on my couch, and use a heating pad. It makes me feel like I’m at a spa in Norway.- and of course I add a cup of coffee, it wouldn’t be Norway without coffee!