By Danielle Schretzman–

Winter has arrived! The bitter cold, wind and frosty elements have come out of nowhere. For many students, illness could be right around the corner.

College students are going to face the cold as long as they face responsibilities like going to class and work, and that makes it easy to get sick. Luckily, there are quite a few ways to make sure you don’t get stuck in bed with the flu or end up suffering through class with a cold.

First be sure to bundle up! Wearing a jacket, hat and gloves is key to staying healthy in this gloomy time in the semester.

Also, spend more time at the SRC. Not only is it a place to hide out from the cold in between classes, but it provides some extra benefits to your health as well. In the SRC, you will not only find a warm building, but an extensive amount of workout equipment and fitness classes you can take to get your body moving and your immune system kicked into gear. Working out is one of the most effective ways to stay healthy in the winter because it boosts your body’s immune system.

Along with exercise comes making healthy eating choices to support your newly improved immune system and energy level. After a workout, especially in the winter, you want to make sure that you get a good meal with nutritious greens and carbohydrates for energy. Zime, located directly on your way out of the SRC, is perfect for healthy on-the-go or sit-down options.

The Health Promotions office, which is open from 9am- 5pm on weekdays and is located in the Student Services Annex, is another great resource to utilize. They provide massages, given by real masseuses, on Mondays and Tuesdays by appointment only. This is an amenity to take advantage of for those stressful winter days and those sore, tight muscles. The Health Promotions office also has nutritional coaches to point you in the direction of the healthy food that will protect those fragile immune systems during flu season. Health promotions is included in your tuition and almost all services are free. Check out their website to see their full list of services.

Also, don’t forget the essentials from elementary school. Wash your hands very regularly, especially during the flu season to prevent catching anything. Vitamin C needs to become your best friend along with multi-vitamins to yet again boost the immune system.

Don’t let these tough winter months ruin your health and spirits. It is completely possible to beat the cold weather and to beat being under the weather. Find creative ways around campus, such as the SRC or the Health Promotions services, to stay happy and healthy this winter so that this semester can be the one where you keep your resolutions, get to all of your classes and don’t find yourself fighting to get out of bed due to illness.