--- description: Flu season may begin as early as October, but it really heats up in December. To stay healthy and enjoy the holidays, follow these tips. title: Winter Flu: How To Avoid It image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Health](/section/health/) ## Health Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Infectious Disease](/tag/infectious-disease/) ## Infectious Disease Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # How To Prevent The Flu This Winter  by [Justin Worland](/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Dec 27, 2014 11:00 AM CUT  by [Justin Worland](/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Dec 27, 2014 11:00 AM CUT Flu season may begin as early as October, but it really [heats up ](http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season.htm "undefined")in December. To stay healthy and enjoy the holidays, follow these basic flu prevention tips. **Get a flu shot** You should have done this months ago, but it’s not too late. This year’s flu shot may not have been the [most effective](http://time.com/3617759/cdc-flu-vaccine/ "undefined"), but the vaccine is the best protection against the disease, which, it bears reminding, is not just a couple of days feeling woozy—some people have to miss work (and play) for weeks when the virus hits. Look for a place that’s still offering the shot and get vaccinated. **Wash Your Hands** The [guidelines](http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html "undefined") are pretty simple. Put soap on your hands and wash them with hot water for 20 seconds. Still, more than 95% of people don’t meet this standard, according to a 2013 [study](http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/06/14/only-5-of-americans-wash-their-hands-right/ "undefined"). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you wash your hands frequently, including but not limited to when you eat, sneeze, touch garbage and use the restroom. **Avoid Sick People** This one is obvious. Leave the area if you see someone who looks feverish and is sneezing or coughing. Stay home if you have flu symptoms yourself. **Go to the Gym** Exercise boosts your immune system and makes you less likely to catch the flu. Exercising at least 2 and a half hours a week reduces the likelihood that you’ll catch a flu-like ailment by about 10%, according to a [study](http://time.com/56697/the-workouts-that-can-prevent-the-flu/ "undefined") from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. **Get Sleep** Your immune system will function best when you’re well rested. Adults typically need 6 to 8 hours each night. If you’re getting less than 6, you may want to rethink your habits. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3639787/winter-flu-prevention/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3639787/winter-flu-prevention/"},"headline":"How To Prevent The Flu This Winter","datePublished":"2014-12-27T11:00:34.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T02:58:38.749Z","description":"Getting a flu shot tops the list","url":"https://time.com/3639787/winter-flu-prevention/","keywords":["Infectious Disease","winter","flu","health","flu shot"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/infectious-disease/","name":"Infectious Disease"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3639787/winter-flu-prevention/","name":"How To Prevent The Flu This Winter"}}]}] ```