Being sick is never good, but it’s even worse when it keeps you from working out (or at least working out to your full potential). When you have a cold, you usually don’t feel like going to the gym for at least a day or two. If you can tough it out, you still usually have less energy than normal so you’re not going to get in as good a workout as you should. Instead of sitting there and accepting these illnesses year after year, shouldn’t you do what you can to prevent them? I’ve compiled a list of things you can do to lessen your risk of getting sick, so you can continue your muscle building program 52 weeks a year!

• Wash Your Hands - This is the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself and others from getting sick. Scrub with soap and water or use an alcohol based gel to clean your hands after you use the bathroom, eat, sneeze or cough, or touch dirty surfaces.
• Exercise Regularly - Your fitness regimen actually helps you to keep from getting sick. It builds your immune system to protect you from dangerous bacteria, or at least lessen the symptoms and shorten the duration of your illness.
• Disinfect Common Household Objects - Think about all the people who touch these things and what is probably on their hands, and your own. Here’s a list: keyboard and mouse, phones, remote controls, door handles, toilet handles, faucets, light switches…
• Eat Well - Include the right amount of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals in your diet to make sure you are getting the proper nutrition. I’m going to include multivitamins and nutritional supplements in this category. These things will help keep your immune system operating at its peak.
• Drink More Water - Your entire body is made up of about 2/3 water by weight. Maintaining this level is of great importance to your health. If you get dehydrated, your body will be weaker and therefore you are more likely to get sick.