In last September’s newsletter, I spoke about the “Annual Back-to-School Cold” and how I was going to avoid it this year. So far, so good, I’ve stayed healthy since. But a couple weeks ago, winter finally arrived in Colorado with bitterly cold mornings, and sure enough I started to see boxes of tissues appear throughout the office. The related sound of honking noses and the sniffles could only mean one thing, cold season had arrived.

Seeing all that Kleenex, I was reminded that athletes and active people like you have to be vigilant about protecting yourselves from catching the common cold during this time of year. That’s because most of you are undoubtedly taking a well deserved break from intense workouts as you transition from this past year’s training and ramp up for 2008’s goals. And while that sounds great in theory, I know most of you have replaced the physical stress of training with the stress of the holidays and many end-of-the-year deadlines at work. Even worse, this packed schedule usually means that any attempts to enjoy some regular exercise were tossed aside well before the Thanksgiving holiday.

That’s not a smart move; regular exercise is one of the best ways to keep your immune system strong and firing on all cylinders. Think of it as a muscle: if you want to make a muscle stronger, you have to stress it so it grows stronger. But you also don’t want to over-stress it, either. Fortunately, you don’t need to do much to maintain your cold-fighting defenses. Completing roughly 45- to 60-minutes of moderately intense strength and cardio work that’s hard enough for you to break a light sweat, three times a week, should do it.

In addition to exercise, I’ve got several other easy ways to help you stay healthy this winter and year round.

1. Eat a well-balanced diet of whole foods that’s heavy on the fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. This way you get all the vitamins and minerals your immune system needs to fortify you against germs and viruses.
2. Get plenty of sleep. You and your immune system need 8 hours a night to stay healthy. If you’re feeling tired, you’re stressed. And if you’re stressed, your immune system’s not up to full strength.
3. Stay hydrated. Proper hydration is vital to helping your body’s defenses work efficiently. It’s easy to overlook your fluid levels when the temperature drops, but winter’s dry air can leave you critically dehydrated in a matter of hours.

Too Late? Sometimes a cold just sneaks up on you--maybe your kid brought back some super bug from school, or you spent 6 hours cramped in a sold-out airplane with dozens of hacking passengers. If that’s the case, at the first sign of a cold—a sneezing bout, running nose, scratchy throat—try using zinc lozenges or nasal swabs from Zicam to mitigate the length of the cold. As I’ve said before, I’ve experienced great results from using the nasal swabs. Colds that historically last a week with me are usually gone in a couple days. In fact, zinc’s effectiveness is why I’ve partnered up with Zicam as a spokesperson.

Last word: Keep your exercise habit going throughout this season. Not only will you significantly reduce your sick time, but you’ll come into spring in great shape and with the conditioning to enjoy a knock-out 2008.