Those of us who live in cold winter climates know that this time of year comes with special challenges to living an active lifestyle. It’s cold. It’s slippery. It’s snowy. It takes twice as much time to get dressed to go out. But this time of year our bodies naturally slow down and store more fat, which means that it’s still very important that we keep active throughout the winter.

There are lots of ways to stay active when the snow flies other than spending a fortune for a day of skiing or snowboarding. Here are some tips for keeping active when all you want to do is snuggle up in your flannel and wool socks.

• Try a new winter sport – Never tried snow shoeing or cross country skiing? Why not now? Outfitters like REI offer classes in these with equipment included and they offer equipment rentals for your own excursions at very reasonable prices. That’s how I discovered I love show shoeing. The great part about sports like this is you don’t need to go to a mountain or make a project of it. You can do them in the backyard or at a local golf course.
• Ice skating
• Buy some crampons and get out there – You can buy a pair of crampons that stretch over the bottoms of your shoes for $20 on Amazon so you can go for a run or a hike without worrying about slipping and breaking something.
• Bundle up and go for a walk – Take a brisk walk by yourself or make a romantic evening of it and go out with your partner during or after a fresh snow.
• Do a workout video – I’m a big fan of Daily Burn and Zumba fitness, but there are also a ton of free videos on the Internet. Get your family or partner involved for more motivation and group fun.
• Go sledding! It’s still fun as an adult! – Sledding down is fun but hustling back up that hill works up a sweat. Plus your kids will get a kick out of seeing mom and dad sledding, too.
• Shoveling is also a workout but it’s very important that you take it slow and be careful. It’s easy to overexert yourself or hurt your back doing this.

Try out a couple of these and see what you think. What are some ways you’ve figured out to stay active this time of year?