Ever wonder why you always seem to come down with a life-interrupting virus this time of year, while other women you know sail through the seasons sniffle-, cough-, and ache-free?

有没有想过为什么每年这个时候烦人的病菌总会找上你，而其他人却能轻松度过秋冬季节，没有鼻塞咳嗽头疼的烦恼呢？

Follow these simple steps to boost your virus protection:

按照下面简单的四步，就能提高你的病菌抵抗力：

Make Friends With Fresh Air

和新鲜空气交朋友

Common wisdom has it that staying indoors, where it's warm and toasty, is easier on your immune system than being outside in the cold. Problem is, being inside puts you in close constant contact with other people -- and their germs。

一般人对于免疫系统的认识，都是觉得待在温暖舒适的室内比待在寒冷的外面好。问题是，待在室内你会跟其他人还有他们身上的病菌亲密接触。

Not only does escaping into the fresh air give you a break from all those germs circulating inside, but going for a stroll can actually boost your immunity¹。

逃到新鲜空气里，不仅可以让你避开室内流动循环的病菌，出去散步还能大大提高你的免疫力。

Relaxation² Fights Off Colds

放松打败感冒

There are a trillion reasons why taking time to chill out might be the last item on your to-do list. But here's why it should be a priority: Being stressed will increase your susceptibility to catching³ a cold. That may be because, over the long term, it leads to the ongoing⁴ release of stress hormones⁵, such as glucocorticoids。

你肯定很奇怪，预防生病为什么要花时间来舒缓情绪？你肯定有各种借口拖拖拉拉不想做这件事。让我来告诉你为什么放松情绪要优先考虑：因为压力太大会让你很容易得感冒。这也许是因为，长期的压力过大会造成身体持续释放糖皮质激素(肾上腺皮质素)等压力荷尔蒙。

These impede⁶ your body's ability to produce cell-signaling molecules⁷ called cytokines, which trigger a disease-fighting response from your immune system. You're also less likely to take care of yourself -- get ample sleep, eat right, exercise -- when you're stressed。

这些压力荷尔蒙会阻碍身体释放一种叫做“细胞因子”的细胞信号分子，而正是这些细胞因子能刺激身体免疫系统做出抗病应激反应。而且当你压力过大的时候你也不太愿意照顾自己：不会有充足的睡眠，不好好吃饭，也不愿意运动。

Clean Hands Are Everything

手部清洁最重要

Cold and flu can spread all too easily through touch. Keep your fingers away from your eyes, nose, and mouth as much as possible, and make sure to master the art of hand-washing. Soap and water remain your most effective tools there, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention。

感冒和流感都很容易通过接触传播。尽可能少用手碰眼睛、鼻子和嘴巴，也要保证正确的洗手方法。根据美国疾病控制与预防中心的研究，肥皂和水是最有效的清洁工具。

Germs can grow on bar soaps, so use the pumped kind -- or better yet, a hands-free dispenser and choose regular soap over antibacterial. Lather⁸ for a solid 20 seconds before rinsing⁹, and make sure to dry thoroughly¹⁰ (but not on your germy clothes!)： Damp hands are far more likely to spread bacteria than dry ones。

条形肥皂会滋生细菌，所以要使用洗手液，最好是免提式皂液器。选择普通肥皂，不要用抗菌肥皂。用肥皂泡沫仔细搓洗20秒再冲洗掉，记得把手完全擦干(可不是用沾满细菌的衣服擦哦！)，湿手更有可能传播细菌。

The Magic Bullet

灵丹妙药(魔弹)

An occasional restless night is nothing to worry about, but a continuous lack of zzz's can hamper¹¹ your immune system's ability to function. Though experts often say that sleep requirements vary by individual, a 2009 Carnegie Mellon study found that anything short of seven hours nearly triples your odds¹² of catching a cold -- and that means seven straight hours, with no middle-of-the-night wake-ups。

偶尔休息不好没什么好担心的，但是长期缺乏深度睡眠会妨碍免疫系统的正常作用。虽然专家通常认为睡眠需求因人而异，但是美国卡内基梅隆大学2009年的研究成果表明，少于7小时的睡眠会使染上感冒的几率增至两倍。这里的7小时指的是连续7小时，不包括半夜醒过来。