Holiday Travel Tip: Eat Right and Exercise
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George Doyle/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Millions of people will hit the roads, rail and sky over the remainder of the holiday season, and tagging along with them will be hordes of germs ready to spread to the traveling masses.
Despite being surrounded by bacteria and viruses in stores, airports and other public places, there are a few simple ways to minimize the risk of catching a disease, such as the cold and the flu, which could zap the happy out of the holidays.
“You don’t want to be a hermit, and you want to enjoy the holidays, but try to use some common-sense principles to avoid getting sick,” said Dr. Lisa Bernstein, associate professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine.
Along with washing your hands, remaining especially vigilant and getting your flu shot ahead of time, remember that proper nutrition and physical activity are especially important during the holidays. People may neglect these needs because of bad weather or other obligations, but they are vital to staying healthy.
“Eat a healthy diet and exercise — those are the best preventive activities along with not smoking,” said Dr. Michael Perskin, assistant professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center. “Your immune system will be healthier and that will help fight off infection.”
Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio