Overnight, it turned from autumn to winter here in Winnipeg. We went from 20 degrees to 0 in the space of a week. It’s horrible!

One of the problems with cold weather – especially when there isn’t yet snow on the ground to go skiing, and the river isn’t frozen over to go skating – is that it’s tough to fit in exercise. When your body hasn’t acclimatized to the weather, you just don’t want to spend any amount of time outdoors. It’s the time of year that you curl up on the couch with a heavy blanket, tasty hot chocolate, and a couple of movies or a great book.

I'm all for homemade hot chocolate on the stove using cacao and cinnamon, but if you're going to go for pre-made stuff, Camino is one of the best out there!

But it’s important to stay fit year-round! Exercising is good for us in so many ways – it keeps us healthy, gives us energy, improves our moods and much more. Here are some ways to stay fit when it’s cold outside:

1) Take your workout indoors. Join a gym and use the treadmill, start taking boot camp classes, or focus more on lifting weights than cardio.

2) Bundle up. Dress appropriately and continue working out outdoors! The good thing about this time of year is that the ground isn’t icy, and it’s not SO cold that you’re going to freeze if you go running. So this is still a good time of year to keep up running if you’re a runner.

3) Try something new. Why not start doing yoga instead of your usual outdoor activity? Switching up the type of exercise we do keeps us motivated and our muscles guessing, and it ensures that our entire body gets a really great workout (not just the same muscles over and over again).

4) Be NEAT. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis is perfect for cold weather. Stand at your computer at work instead of sitting. Pace back and forth when you’re on the phone. Keep moving throughout the day; every little bit adds up!

What do you do to stay fit and healthy in cold weather? Share in the comments section below!