Keeping fit is a daily routine for Ed Smarsh, as he runs just south of ICL Performance Products, in North Lawrence, where he works. Daily exercise is one way to help avoid the flu.

You have a splitting headache and a high fever. You’re extremely tired. Your throat feels like sandpaper. Your nose is bright red from blowing it over and over. Your body aches.

What a miserable thought!

But, it’s only a matter of time that numerous people will find themselves with these symptoms — confined to their beds with the yucky, nasty flu.

We’ve heard the drill over and over: Get a flu shot and wash your hands frequently to avoid germs.

While those may be the top two ways to avoid getting influenza, we checked in with the local health department for some other ways you can boost your immunity and avoid the bug that makes its way into the bodies of up to 20 percent of Americans every year.

Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department disease control program coordinator Kim Ens recommends:

Get moving

Ens says you should exercise for 30 minutes daily. You might get some weird looks by strapping on your tennis shoes and walking briskly around your office building or up and down the stairs in the back stairwell during your breaks, but Ens says it works. Your activity doesn’t have to be strenuous and can be split up into 10-minute increments.

Eat and drink healthy

While it might not be popular, Ens recommends steering clear of sugary drinks, coffee and alcohol. Instead, take in lots of fruits and vegetables; healthy soups full of broth and lots of vegetables, orange juice, water and proteins.

Sanitize surfaces

Use sanitizing wipes on your grocery cart at the store; clean your telephones and computers at home and at work twice a day; keep your bathroom clean; and wipe down door knobs, sink faucets, and anywhere else germs may be lingering. The flu bug can stay on surfaces between 24 and 48 hours, Ens says.

“We all get sick once in awhile,” she says. “But if you really try to think about these things and stay away from sick people, I really do think that will help you avoid getting sick.”

The more you stick to the list and remember what your mother told you as a child, the less likely you are to find yourself in bed with a thermometer sticking out of your mouth and a cold washcloth on your forehead, just wishing mom was back home to take care of you.