Well, it's that time of the year again! Just last week alone four of my clients were out sick with the flu, and at least another four friends suffered the same fate. Unfortunately, flu season isn't over yet, and that means you stand a good chance of being exposed to the virus at some point.

While a lot of people will go to the gym no matter how sick they feel rather than miss a single workout, this is not recommended. However, it is recommended that you maintain your health throughout the entire year with a regular and consistent fitness regime in order to decrease your chances of getting sick in the first place. However, if you do find yourself feeling ill, it is often best to skip your workout, at least for that day. For starters, you are preventing the spread of the illness to others, but possibly even more importantly, you are not wearing your body down to a point that lowers your resistance further yet, resulting in a weakened immune system.

One basic yet effective method of preventing the onset of sickness after exposure is to simply wash your hands, thoroughly and often. It is amazing how many germs we come in contact with on a daily basis through common items that we touch, and hand washing, especially before eating or touching your face, can greatly reduce your chance of infection.

Another very important factor-getting adequate sleep-will help to keep your immune system at it's strongest. Without the proper amount of rest your body is more susceptible to illnesses because it doesn't have the strength to fight them off. The average person should be getting 6-8 hours of sleep per night, and more if you're already sick. Sleep is something you can't make up if you miss, either. In other words, sleeping 3 hours one night and 9 the next isn't the same as sleeping 6 hours each night.

In addition to sleep, proper nutrition intake (including the right amount of vitamins and minerals to keep your body strong) is of the ultimate importance. During flu season I always increase my vitamin C intake to boost my immunity levels. Since vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, any excess will simply be passed out of your body through urine, and therefore is not a danger, such as an excess of an oil soluble vitamin like A or E.

Ideally, you should maintain as healthy a state of fitness throughout the year as possible in order to keep your immune system healthy and able to fight off most anything that comes its way. If you're exercising on a regular basis, eating healthy foods stock full of vitamins and minerals, giving your body enough rest, not over-indulging in alcohol, and moderating your body's stress levels, then you are maintaining a healthy state of living and taking the proper steps to keep your body happy and healthy.

Other health related programs should be considered in order to optimize your health and keep your body at it's best. These health programs are what I refer to as "maintenance programs", and entail chiropractic adjustments, message therapy, regular dental visits, yearly physician check-ups, as well as other preventative measures that you deem fitting, like acupuncture or acupressure and reflexology.

Hopefully this issue gave you some tips that may help to keep you in good health this flu season. The key points are summarized below for your convenience.

* Exercise regularly and consistently
* Wash your hands often
* Get adequate sleep
* Eat healthy foods
* Don't overindulge in alcohol consumption
* Monitor your body's stress levels
* Practice maintenance programs for optimum health

Have a great week and stay healthy!