As the weather turns colder, the common cold (and flu) seem to spread like wildfire. Being a college student myself, it seems like more and more of my classmates become absent every day as we enter flu season. Although there is no way to completely avoid the common cold or flu, there are ways to reduce your chances of becoming sick.
For example, before flu season begins, you should start taking vitamin C daily. Studies have shown that those who took vitamin C daily, shortened cold duration by 8% in adults and 14% in children. There are many ways to obtain adequate amounts of vitamin C. A single orange contains about 75% of average daily requirement of vitamin C for adults. Another great source of vitamin C is through Emergen-C packets. I personally swear by these guys. All you have to do is pour the packet into a glass or bottle of water and you have 1,000 mg of vitamin C as well as other beneficial antioxidants, electrolytes, and nutrients that can help boost your immunity. I encourage you to check out their website.
Another way to avoid getting sick is to make sure to wash your hands multiple times a day. Most colds and flus are spread from direct contact, so the desk you touch in school or door knobs in bathrooms are key places where these germs are often spread. An easy way to kill these germs is to carry a pocket, alcohol-based hand sanitizer to kill germs on the go. Also, after you go to the bathroom, try to avoid touching the door handle if you can and use a paper towel instead.
Lastly, another easy place to pick up germs is the gym. To avoid these nasty germs, make sure to wipe down equipment both before and after use. If you are using a mat, I would suggest bringing your own towel to put down on top of the mat.
Getting sick is never fun, but if you follow these suggestions, you should be able to significantly lower your risk of getting cold or flu symptoms. Also don’t forget to sleep for at least eight hours a night. When your body is worn down or stressed,your immune system is weakened, making you more prone to cold and flu symptoms.
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/vitamin-c-for-common-cold
FITNESSBUFF 
