--- title: Winter Flu: How To Avoid It 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. canonical: https://time.com/3639787/winter-flu-prevention/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-12-27T11:00:34.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T02:58:38.749Z article:section: Health og:title: Winter Flu: How To Avoid It og: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. og:url: https://time.com/3639787/winter-flu-prevention/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Winter Flu: How To Avoid It twitter: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. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # How To Prevent The Flu This Winter > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators.  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Dec 27, 2014 11:00 AM UTC  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Dec 27, 2014 11:00 AM UTC Flu season may begin as early as October, but it really [heats up ](http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season.htm)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/), 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) 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/). 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/) 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. 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