Staying healthy all year long is oftentimes an elusive dream everyone wishes to come true, yet it rarely ever does. While it is perfectly natural to get sick once in a while (remember, getting sick also boosts your immune response), if you’re experiencing frequent drops in your immune system health then it’s time you took matters into your own hands. After all, there are so many sick days you can take and gym sessions you can miss before your lifestyle gets derailed long term.

Now, before you run to the pharmacy to stack up on synthetic meds that do little for your overall health and well-being, you want to explore a more natural, long-term approach to immunity. With that in mind, here are the best ways you can naturally boost your immune system.

Exercise regularly to strengthen your immune system

The physical and psychological benefits of regular exercise have been proven time and time again, and when it comes to keeping vicious pathogens at bay year-round, exercise will play one of the leading roles. Don’t worry, you don’t need to become a fitness model or hit the gym seven days a week in order to strengthen your immune system as even a moderate exercise frequency will do the trick.

That said, there are plenty of fitness opportunities out there for you to explore and every single one of them will have a positive impact on your long-term health. For instance, yoga is excellent for healing and boosting immunity, but so is lifting weights and running in the woods. So, take your pick and make sure to adopt a healthy fitness routine.

Be around people and socialize more

It might seem counterintuitive but socializing and being around people more often can actually do wonders for your immune system. In fact, being around friends and other people in general can be beneficial not only for your physical health but your psychological and emotional well-being as well.

While you might feel tempted to avoid everyone during flu season and wear a hazmat suit to the office, you should actually throw yourself right into the proverbial fire in order to strengthen your immune response. If you’re constantly cooped up in your home, your immunity is bound to drop, leaving you extremely vulnerable when you finally venture outside.

Healthy eating equals a strong immune system

If there is one thing that can make or break your immune response in the long run, it’s your diet. Nutrition is one of the most important aspects of a healthy lifestyle, so if you’re not eating right, you might as well kiss your long-term well-being goodbye. So, obviously, it’s time to start eating healthy.

First off, you want to cook more. Avoid snacks and processed foods and stick to healthy choices rich with proteins, fats and carbs. Your cookware will play a vital role here as well, so ditch the Teflon pan and stick to durable cookware that will preserve all of the much-needed nutrients in your food. Remember, there’s little use in picking up a bunch of kale and broccoli if all of its nutritional value gets destroyed in the cooking process later on.

Learn to deal with stress

Stress has, unfortunately, become an inextricable part of our modern, fast-paced lifestyle. It’s everywhere, permeating the professional personal realms with ease, endangering your long-term health, and shattering your immune system in the process. Needless to say, if you don’t learn how to control and even eliminate stress from your life, you will get sick a lot.

When creating a stress-free lifestyle, you will first need to discover the triggers that allow stress to settle in your body and soul. This can be anything from work, finances, all the way to your friends and family – there are no rules. But one thing is for sure, though, there is always an underlying issue and a causality chain that leads to stress. So be sure to dig deep into your daily routine to find the root cause of stress and anxiety in order to restore your immunity down the road.

Unhealthy vices can destroy a strong immune system

Not only are unhealthy vices bad for your physical health, but they can severely impact your psychological well-being as well. Simply put, there can be no room for unhealthy vices in your life, such as smoking or drinking if you want to preserve a strong immune system. Needless to say, overindulging in unhealthy habits can make losing excess weight infinitely harder.

Instead, you want to banish all bad vices from your life for good and pair your new exercise routine with your healthy eating habit in order to form an impenetrable shield that will safeguard you from every kind of nasty virus and bacteria out there. Don’t worry, ditching bad habits is easier than it seems, especially when you surround yourself with like-minded individuals.

The medical industry has taught us to always seek the help of a doctor for every little problem we might encounter, and while you should visit your doctor on a regular basis, there is no need to pop a pill every time your immune system takes a hit. Instead, stick to these natural tactics and you will have no problem keeping all kinds of nasties out there at bay. Yes, even during flu season.