Practice a healthy lifestyle and actively respond to severe cold weather

The temperature has dropped sharply recently, and the fierce cold air has caught people off guard. The China Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued a health reminder, reminding the public to strengthen warmth protection and guard against health hazards caused by the sudden drop in temperature.

The elderly, pregnant women, infants and young children, patients with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (hypertension, cerebral stroke, coronary heart disease, etc.), respiratory diseases, and people who work or engage in activities outdoors for a long time are easily affected by cold weather. They are vulnerable groups in cold waves and need special attention.

Travel: Keep warm and protect yourself from the cold, and keep a handbook on keeping warm

★Pay attention to weather changes

Cold waves are a process and may last for several days to more than ten days. We should actively pay attention to weather forecasts and changes in cold wave information or alerts issued by relevant departments so that we can take necessary protective measures in a timely manner.

★ Strengthen personal protection

The public should pay attention to strengthening indoor and personal warmth protection, change thick clothes in time, such as cotton pants, and wear protective equipment, such as hats, masks, scarves, gloves, etc. At the same time, reduce outdoor activities, try to avoid direct contact with cold air, and reduce the health hazards caused by the sudden drop in temperature.

★Sensitive people should keep warm and protect themselves from cold

The sudden drop in temperature in winter has the greatest and most obvious impact on the elderly, pregnant women, infants and young children, patients with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and people who work outdoors for a long time. Sensitive groups should pay more attention to health protection against cold waves: while adding cotton clothes and cotton pants to keep warm, pay special attention to keeping the head, chest, back, neck and limbs warm; try to reduce going out; and take warming measures when you must go out.

Sleep: Don’t work too hard, don’t stay up late, go to bed early and get up early

Not staying up late, going to bed early and getting up early, and getting enough sleep can not only help us recover to cope with our daily work and life, but also improve our body's immunity and fight against common winter respiratory diseases such as colds. The recommended sleep time for adults is 7 to 8 hours, and 6 hours is the health bottom line.

In winter, the days are shorter and the nights are longer. The elderly, pregnant women, infants and young children, and patients with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease, etc.) and respiratory diseases can extend their sleep time appropriately. It is best to wait until the sun comes out before getting up to avoid colds, coughs, asthma and other respiratory diseases caused by cold. Remember to get up slowly. In the early morning, the body's blood vessels are least resilient. Sudden activities can easily cause cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. You should rest for 5 minutes after waking up in the morning before getting up and moving.

Diet: light diet with high protein, nutritious vegetables and fruits, and sufficient drinking water

★Appropriately increase low-fat and high-protein foods

Increasing the intake of red meat such as lean pork, beef and mutton, which are relatively low in fat, can not only avoid excessive fat accumulation, but also supplement heme iron that is easily absorbed by the human body. Studies have shown that heme iron helps to enhance the body's ability to resist cold. When taking supplements, attention should be paid to balanced nutrition, less oil, less salt, low sugar, and low fat. It is not advisable to be too greasy or overeating. The amount of meat eaten per day should be controlled within 100 grams. Try to achieve dietary diversity. Milk, soybeans and their products are also good sources of high-quality protein. It is recommended to drink 300 grams of milk every day and eat soybeans and soybean products 3-4 times a week.

★Eat fruits and vegetables every day

Choose more vegetables and fruits with high water content, such as pears, citrus, apples, kiwis, grapefruits and other fresh fruits, cabbage, lotus roots, zucchini, white radish, carrots, winter melon, spinach, rapeseed, celery, mushrooms, winter bamboo shoots, baby cabbage and other fresh vegetables to replenish nutrition and water, moisturize the throat, clear the throat, help digestion and appetite, and reduce the probability of respiratory diseases caused by dryness.

★Ensure adequate drinking water

It is best to drink a glass of warm water before morning exercise and before going to bed at night. You should also pay attention to drinking more warm water to dilute the blood and reduce viscosity. Under mild climate conditions, adult men with low physical activity levels should drink 1700ml of water per day, and adult women should drink 1500ml of water per day.

Exercise: moderate exercise to increase muscle strength and improve balance

★Maintain low to moderate intensity aerobic exercise

In winter, high-intensity exercise should be reduced, and medium- and low-intensity aerobic exercise should be the main focus. Aerobic endurance exercise can be selected, such as walking, jogging, long-distance slow swimming, dancing, freehand gymnastics and other low-intensity, long-term exercise.

The Chinese Population Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that adults:

150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week, or an equal amount of moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity combined;

Perform muscle strengthening exercises at least 2 days a week;

Maintain and increase your daily physical activity.

★ Enhance muscle strength and improve balance

During the process of medium and low intensity aerobic exercise, you can intersperse resistance training and flexibility training, coordinate and cooperate with the exercise to enhance muscle strength and improve body balance. For example, in winter when outdoor activities are not suitable, indoor exercises such as Ba Duan Jin, Tai Chi and Wu Qin Xi, which are mainly light strength exercises, can be preferred. Muscles are exercised in the process of completing various movements, which is very beneficial for improving the unique problems of the elderly such as decreased strength, bone loss, degenerative changes in bone and joints, and falls.

★Keep warm and warm up during outdoor sports

Winter sports should be carried out when the sun is bright and sunny, and avoid exercising too early or too late. The best time to exercise in winter is between 14:00 and 19:00. When exercising outdoors, pay attention to keeping your head and limbs warm to prevent the head from being suddenly exposed to cold, which can easily cause vasoconstriction and spasm, increasing the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

In addition, in severe cold weather, blood vessels contract, blood circulation is poor, and muscles and ligaments are tight. You should warm up thoroughly before exercise, and the warm-up time should be controlled within 15 to 25 minutes. The intervals between exercises should be shortened appropriately, and try to avoid being in cold air for a long time.

Psychology: Enhance self-management awareness and maintain a positive attitude

Winter is cold and has short sunshine hours, which can affect our mood. Being optimistic and energetic can help increase our resistance, while being negative can easily lead to the occurrence of diseases. Maintain a positive attitude and avoid being overly excited, tired, anxious, depressed, etc. The elderly should participate in group activities, seek social support, stay in touch with friends, family or community interest groups, and cultivate an optimistic attitude.

Everyone must be the first person responsible for their own health. When they cannot solve psychological problems by themselves, they should actively seek help from professionals and actively adjust their mindset through the guidance of a psychologist.

Focus on key groups: practice a healthy lifestyle and actively respond to respiratory diseases

Cold air in winter can dry out the local mucosa of the nasopharynx, causing tiny cracks, which can easily allow viruses and bacteria to enter, resulting in a high incidence of respiratory diseases. A sudden drop in temperature can trigger the aggravation of diseases such as asthma. Respiratory diseases are at a high risk in winter, so we should practice a healthy lifestyle and actively deal with respiratory diseases:

1. Avoid crowded places

In crowded or confined places such as airports, stations, public transportation, farmers' markets, etc., masks should be worn in a standardized manner, personal hygiene should be maintained, and habitual direct contact with eyes, nose or mouth with hands should be avoided as much as possible. For key groups such as the elderly, patients with underlying diseases, and children, they should try to avoid or go to crowded places less frequently to reduce the risk of infection.

2. Get vaccinated on time

Influenza vaccination is an effective way to prevent influenza and reduce influenza-related severe illness and death. Children and the elderly who are susceptible to respiratory diseases should avoid going to public places. If conditions permit, they can get influenza and pneumonia vaccines during the transition from autumn to winter.

3. Practice a healthy lifestyle

In daily life, we should maintain adequate sleep, adequate nutrition, and appropriate physical exercise to enhance physical fitness and improve physical resistance. When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, towel or elbow; wash your hands or clean your hands in time after touching public facilities such as elevator buttons and door handles, coughing or sneezing.

4. Do a good job of self-health monitoring

If you have symptoms of respiratory infection such as fever, sore throat, cough, etc., it is recommended to rest at home as much as possible. If you feel worse, you should go to the hospital in time.