Keeping healthy on campus during those chilly months means staying warm and beating the cold at Football games, walking to class, and those dreary, cold rainy days. Staying warm can be tough; you’re walking around campus working up a sweat but at the same time you’re breathing in cold, dry air. Not to mention, you’re in class with other students who may have caught colds, flu’s or viruses and could be spreading them without even knowing it. If you’re trying to stay healthy these Fall and Winter months, never fear. First, check out a blog we wrote a few weeks back about what you should do if you fall ill on campus. Preventative actions can be taken early to battle colds, viruses and those pesky airborne germs that work to make your life miserable. If you want to stay warm this Fall and Winter, here’s a few tips to keep your piggly wigglys warm in your shoes and your nose from resembling Rudolph’s. (Ready to save money on tissues?)
1) Heat it Up, Sip it Down- One of the most crucial things to staying healthy is to make sure you’re always hydrated. Sometimes, we often forget to monitor our water and fluid intake because we’re so exhausted from our daily stresses. Drinking things like soda and sweet juices may SEEM like you’re staying hydrated but in fact, some of these drinks can actually dehydrate you even more. In addition to drinking lots of water, invest in some Chamomile and herbal teas, or even some hot chocolate or coffee to suit your preference. You can purchase travel mugs, cups or thermoses from practically any store (Check out some for $9.00 on Amazon!) and wash them by hand for everyday use. These items are life savers when it comes to bringing your hot and cozy drinks on the go. A pair of mittens cradled around your warm travel mug full of your pumpkin spice latte is sure enough to warm you up in no time. When you start to feel a bit icky, heat up some chamomile tea with some fresh lemon and a few drops of honey. This is an old remedy from home that will keep you hydrated while working to soothe your sore throat. Breathing in the steam from your tea can also work as a temporary decongestant so if you’re feeling a little stuffed up, enjoy a nice cup of your favorite herbal tea and take it easy. Don’t forget the lemon and honey!
2) Mittens, Two Pairs of Socks and Still the Chills? What Gives?- Unfortunately sometimes, no matter how hard you try to layer up, you’re still left shivering out in the cold. This happens to students at Football games and other club activities going on at their university. If the weather is cold and the event is outside, bundling up in layers sometimes doesn’t suffice. Besides layering up and bringing that thermos of hot tea (see 1), it may be time to invest in some hand warmers! I’m often surprised how many people still don’t take advantage of these inexpensive and super handy pouches full of the warm and cozies. After unwrapped from their package and usually activated by shaking the pouch, these hand warmers stay warm-hot and last for hours! You can place them in your pockets for when you’re sitting bundled up on the bleachers or even hold them in your gloves. Some people stuff them in the toes of their shoes to keep their toes from being exposed to the cold! You can buy them in many places, even sometimes at your local gas station! Depending on your university, you may be able to purchase them in the campus store or even at the sporting event. The best part? They’re cheap and so handy. You can get a pack of ten for under 5 bucks! Stock up!
3) Fleece Vs. Wild- Through all of the high school football games I attended in my day to all of the college and NFL sporting events I’ve attended since, I’ve found one material to battle the cold better than the rest! Fleece. Fleece is so wonderful because it’s thick, warm and soft to the touch. You can buy fleece material and make your own items in your school colors (just head to your local craft store for a few sheets of fleece) or buy fleece hats, mittens, scarves, blankets and more. This fabric isn’t expensive to buy and will block the cold from hitting you skin-first. If you’re short on cash and can’t afford to buy some fleece items, take an old thick sweater, and starting from the bottom, trace a mitten shape around your hand. Cut the shape out from both layers of the sweater and sew together all ends besides where you slip your hand in. This is a fast, easy and innovative way to make your own mittens! Try using an old school sweatshirt to match your game day colors! Want a more detailed description? Head here to find an awesome mitten tutorial! And, besides wearable fleece items, definitely invest in some fleece throws! You can wrap them around you at sporting events and they’re light weight and thin enough to carry around just about anywhere!
4) Soup at Hand? Yes Please!- There’s practically no easier way to eat soup on the go then with these nifty and yummy snacks. Available in practically any flavor imaginable, these ‘Soup At Hands‘ are easy to heat, and easy to carry! My favorite usage of them is sipping them in my car in the winter months while my windshield defrosts (because I never start my car early enough to let it defrost before I have to get in it). Try shaking them up before ripping off the protective foil to mix all of the “good stuff” together. This will prevent the bulky stuff from sitting at the bottom, and will prevent you from taking a big ol’ sip of broth. I’m sure there’s many different companies producing variations of these today, but the ones I remember are from Campbell. My favorite? The chicken noodle with mini stars! (Such a kid at heart!). Interested? Snag a few for yourself here!
5) Socks and The Right Shoes Make All The Difference-To avoid sounding like a nagging mother, let me just say that I’ve learned this trick the hard way countless numbers of times. I remember planning my outfits so strategically the night before for a sporting event, delicately matching my cutest flats with my game-day ensemble. The problem? Well besides ruining my favorite shoes stepping in mud and getting my feet accidentally stepped on in large crowds, my feet were freezing! Wearing cute flats usually means that the top portion of your feet are exposed, and that’s a lot of skin for the cold to nibble away at. The three most important parts of your body to cover in the cold are your head, hands and feet! Why? This is where your body heat escapes, so trapping it in will keep you that much warmer for a little longer. If you’re going to be outside in cold weather, invest in some thick, fleecy socks (or long underwear) to wear under nice closed shoes! For girls this is easy, they slip on a pair of furry flat boots (also known as Uggs or something of the sort) and their feet are surrounded by warm fur to keep them nice and toasty. For boys, if Uggs aren’t exactly your fashion statement, try wearing two different pairs of your regular socks under your tennis shoes. Try not to allow any skin on your feet to show… the more skin exposed= the faster you”ll start shivering.
If you love these tips, start taking note of other things you see people doing and wearing on campus to stay warm. Start investing in things such as fleece throws, hand warmers and to-go travel cups that are microwaveable. You’re going to be so happy when you’re out in the cold and are one of the only students not shivering their toosh off and getting sick. Have any other tips to stay warm? Share them with us!
