As the seasons change, it’s the perfect time to focus on habits that not only keep your immune system strong, but also enhance your movement and mindset. Whether you’re juggling holiday events, managing a busy schedule, traveling, or simply trying to stay healthy and feeling well – a balanced approach to health is key.

The following 7 healthy habits are those that I try to live by personally, but also routinely coach my clients on. These habits are designed to help you feel your best and keep sickness at bay – while also supporting your overall vitality and well-being.

Here’s 7 healthy habits to improve your immune system, movement, and mindset:

1. Stay Hydrated

You hear it all the time. But why is it so important? Water does more than quench your thirst – it’s a vital part of your immune system’s function. Staying hydrated flushes out toxins and ensures your cells, including those critical for fighting infections, operate at their best. Besides water – you can also resort to teas, broths, or other low-sugar beverages that are also excellent for hydration.

My personal favorite? A soothing thermos of hot water with lemon and honey. Packed with vitamin C and comforting warmth – it’s my go-to when I feel a cold coming on – plus it tastes refreshing and delicious.

2. Exercise Regularly

Movement is medicine. Because exercise boosts your immunity by increasing blood flow and circulating immune cells more effectively. But regular movement also sharpens your mind, lifts your mood, and reduces stress. Whether it’s a brisk walk, a yoga class, or weight training, staying active helps you feel more empowered and connected to your body.

On low-energy days, or even when you’re under the weather, prioritizing gentle exercise and light movement such as stretching or walking can aid in recovery and clear your mind. On healthy days, focus on building strength and more robust cardiovascular exercise to maintain resilience and stay motivated.

3. Prioritize Restful Sleep

Sleep is the foundation of health – both physically and mentally. While you sleep, your body repairs itself and produces the cells needed to fight infection. Sleep also refreshes your brain, improves memory, and helps regulate your emotions.

Lack of sleep can leave you feeling foggy, irritable, and more prone to illness. To set yourself up for a great night’s rest – stick to a consistent bedtime, limit screen time before bed, and create a calming nighttime routine. Good sleep equals a strong immune system, sharper mind, and better overall mood.

4. Eat a Nutrient-Rich Diet

Food is fuel, not just for your immune system but for your energy levels and mental clarity as well. A colorful diet full of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats helps your body stave off infections and illness, while also giving you the daily stamina to stay active and focused.

Probiotic-rich foods like yogurt and kimchi are great for gut health, which influences both your immunity and your mood. A healthy gut also means better digestion and less inflammation – which will naturally put you in a happier state of mind. When you eat well, you’ll feel energized and ready to take on whatever the day brings, and will be less likely to get sick.

5. Be Social

Human connection is one of the most overlooked aspects of health. Positive relationships not only boost your immune system but also improve your emotional resilience and mental well-being. Whether it’s a shared laugh or a heartfelt conversation, spending time with others helps you feel grounded and supported.

When you’re feeling good, make an effort to connect in person – perhaps during a walk or an exercise class. And when you’re under the weather, pick up the phone or hop on Zoom. Staying connected keeps your mindset strong, even when your body needs a rest.

6. Get Outside

Fresh air and natural light are some of nature’s best medicines to improve your immune system and mood. Stepping outside reduces stress, gives you a boost of vitamin D, and encourages more physical activity. Even a short walk outdoors can improve your focus, energize your body, and clear your mind.

In colder months, it’s tempting to stay indoors, but bundling up and getting outside – even briefly – can make a big difference. Nature has a way of lifting your spirits and making you feel more alive. When you do get outside and walk – try to aim for 10K steps throughout the day – your body will thank you.

7. Incorporate Daily Stretching and Breathing

Gentle, daily stretching will increase your blood flow, reduce muscle tension, and help calm your nervous system. And when paired with mindful breathing or meditation – a daily stretching routine can be just the thing to reset your body and mind – any time of day you need it.

Take five to ten minutes each day to stretch. Focus on areas where you feel tight, like your shoulders or hips, and breathe deeply as you move. Stretching not only prepares your body for activity but also creates a moment of mindfulness to calm your brain and center yourself.

How many of these habits do you already incorporate into your daily lifestyle? Which ones will you try?

This time of year can be tough to get any kind of consistency going, never mind all seven of these habits daily. But even just focusing on a few of them – each day – will add up. In no time – you’ll find yourself feeling healthier, stronger, and with more energy.

Local to Portsmouth, NH? Looking for a team of movement experts to help you stay strong and healthy?

👉 Connect with us HERE!

Dr. Carrie Jose, Physical Therapist and Pilates expert, owns CJ Physical Therapy & Pilates in Portsmouth and writes for Seacoast Media Group. To get in touch, or request a free discovery visit with one of her mechanical pain specialists, CLICK HERE or call 603-380-7902

How Stress Leads to Pain

People are dealing with more stress than ever right now and it’s impacting people in different ways. Many folks I speak with have been experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions — and their bodies are reflecting that. Keep reading to learn how stress leads to pain.

Stress impacts everything from your gut, to your immune system, to your mental health, to your musculoskeletal system.

When it comes to musculoskeletal pain – common areas in your body that easily get impacted include your shoulders, jaw, head, and lower back.

Stress is your human response to physical, emotional, or mental changes in your body or living environment.

According to internal medicine physician Richard Lang, MD, PhD from the Cleveland Clinic: “Stress doesn’t necessarily cause certain conditions, but it can make the symptoms of those conditions worse.” It’s easy to fall into a vicious cycle. Your physical symptoms worsen. Your stress increases – and so on and so on.

We know without a doubt that stress impacts our bodies – but exactly how or why this happens is an interesting phenomenon that is still being researched.

But for now – here are some of the working theories on how stress leads to physical pain.

Social conditioning

Many of us are taught from a young age that expressing emotions, particularly negative emotions, is “bad” or “unacceptable.” The result is that you may have learned to hold stress inside your body when faced with a stressful situation. Researchers who study this believe that the muscle tension we develop is the result of “unspoken social beliefs” that we adopted as children in order to feel accepted or liked. This pattern carries into adulthood and becomes embedded into our subconscious systems, i.e. our nervous system. Later on, when faced with any type of stress, our muscles react based on how we’ve taught them. If you grew up learning to bury emotions and tension somewhere in your body as a response to stress, it’s easy to continue that pattern into adulthood.

Trauma

When we think of trauma – we often associate it with one big event or injury. Like an accident, major fall, or perhaps a violent crime or incident. This type of trauma typically results in obvious physical damage such as broken bones, bruises, or soft tissue and organ injuries. But trauma can also be more emotional in nature and less obvious. Emotional “micro-traumas” typically occur over the course of a lifetime and go unrealized for years. And regardless of the type of trauma or its perceived severity, your body reacts and “remembers” the emotional impact. But these memories are rarely conscious. Similar to what happens with social conditioning, if you’re faced with a stressful situation later in life that reminds your brain of a previous trauma, your body may still react like it did when the actual trauma occurred, except you won’t consciously know it.

For some folks, until they’re able to associate their physical symptoms with the deep, often emotional trauma that happened much earlier in life. They may continue to suffer or worse, resort to lifelong medications to manage their pain. Have you suffered from chronic pain and been told there is no “logical” evidence or reason for it? It’s possible it could be related to undiagnosed trauma. Find a therapist (psychology today is a great resource) who’s been specifically trained in this to help you.

Environmental Stressors and Habits

Your environment and daily habits can have a huge impact on how your body feels from day to day. They can also influence both physical and emotional stress. For example, if you’ve been reading my articles for awhile, you know that sitting too much is a number one cause of back and neck pain. Sitting too much could be the result of your job – or stress.

When you’re stressed, you tend to be less motivated and you may opt for unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as more TV and more couch time. You’ll be less reluctant to exercise or go for a walk. How you set up your environment can play a big role in combating stress at home. If you’re working from home – choose a set up where you can stand at your computer for part of the day. Reduce the physical stress that sitting has on your body. Get the TV out of your bedroom. You’re more likely to get a good night’s sleep and less likely to turn the news on first thing in the morning. This can be a source of stress in and of itself. The take home point is that life is hard enough. So set yourself up for success by creating an environment that encourages good daily habits.

Regardless of how or why stress impacts your body, there is one thing I know for certain, movement helps.

Start there and see what happens. Regular, every day movement helps you both physically and mentally and I have yet to see any negative consequences from a daily movement or exercise habit. If musculoskeletal pain is currently keeping you from daily movement – then talk to an expert who can help.

Request to talk to one of my specialists to see if we would be the right fit to help you get out of pain. CLICK HERE to request a Free Discovery visit with one of my specialists.

Dr. Carrie Jose, Physical Therapist and Pilates expert, owns CJ Physical Therapy & Pilates in Portsmouth and writes for Seacoast Media Group. To get in touch, or request a free copy of one of her guides to back, neck, knee, or shoulder pain, email her at [email protected].

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7 Healthy Habits to Improve your Immunity, Movement, and Mindset