10 ways to keep fit without freezing off your toes

                1:            Run outside anyway! You can’t go without the great outdoors? We might think you’re a bit crazy, but athletic companies understand your plight. There are running shoes and running apparel that are designed specifically for this weather; clothes that insulate your body will make the low temperatures easier to withstand, and sneakers with spikes and better tread-grip will make it easier to run on wintery terrains.

                2:            Embrace the snow! There are many winter sports that attract snow bunnies and summer lovers alike. Maridel Reyes writes in an article for Fitness magazine that skiing, skating, snowshoeing and sledding are all fabulous calorie burners – even simply walking on snow burns more calories than walking on dry pavement. Not into winter sports? Build a snowman or snow fort, or have a snowball fight! Just because it doesn’t require athletic equipment doesn’t mean you won’t break a sweat.

                3:            Join a gym! Not into being in the freezing outdoors? No problem. A gym is a popular option, especially after the holidays. It provides a variety of options for your workout; between pools, weight training, personal fitness training and more, you’re bound to find something! And you might even make some friends along the way, especially through group classes. And there are specials now to entice you to join. For example, the Dwares JCC is offering a discount for new members now through Feb. 5.

                4: Workout tutorials on YouTube! YouTube has plenty of workout tutorials that you can do from the comfort of your living room, ranging from a few minutes to more than an hour. Pilates, yoga, aerobics … YouTube has it. Just make sure you’ve moved the coffee table at least an arm’s length away from where you’ll be working out – there are already enough ways to break a limb outside in the freezing cold.

                5:            Search coupon sites! Websites like Groupon often have discounted prices for specialized classes. For example, right now there are Groupons not only for general fitness, but also for indoor rock climbing, yoga, Crossfit, and kickboxing classes. This gives you a chance to try something new without a big financial investment!

                6:            Specialized fitness centers! If you already know what you want to try and don’t see a coupon for it, there are plenty of places that specialize in one kind of exercise. There are studios for yoga, Pilates, cycling … the list is endless, but websites like Yelp can help you find well-reviewed studios. If you know of a studio and want to look up reviews, simply entering the name and location of a studio followed by the word “reviews” often turns up reviews from someone.

                7:            Get your vitamin D! Less sunlight leads to less vitamin D. Less vitamin D leads to less happiness. Less happiness leads to comfort food, which as we all know, leads to an expanded waistline. Vitamin D comes naturally from the sun, but there are ways around exposing your skin to the sun in sub-zero temperatures. According to a fact sheet published on the website of the Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin D can be obtained through vitamin supplements, light therapy (which you can talk about with a doctor), and certain foods including fish and vitamin D-fortified milk and orange juice.

8:            Grab a healthier snack! Speaking of comfort food, why not try cutting down on it? I can’t say eliminate completely because let’s be honest: I can’t go an entire winter without a hot cocoa, so I wouldn’t ask the same of anyone else. According to an article on WebMD written by medical journalist Colette Bouchez, one of the reasons we term certain warm foods “winter comfort foods” is because they give an immediate “warm-you-up” feeling that we crave in the cold winter. She also suggests that although we don’t typically think of fresh fruits and veggies as winter foods, biochemically they will warm you up just as well without the worry of weight gain.

                9:            Drink water! Your doctor tells you to, and now I am, too. Not only is it simply a rule of being a living, breathing organism, but hot lemon water is a super-drink. It suppresses appetite, and bonus! It makes you more alert throughout the day. Double bonus! It’ll warm you up!

                10:                          Oatmeal for breakfast! Not the sugary, flavored ones, but plain-Jane boring oatmeal. It keeps you full for longer than many other breakfasts due to its high fiber and protein content, and has the added benefit of that “warm-me-up” feeling previously mentioned. Still want some flavor? No fear – adding fruits like bananas, raisins or prunes is a fabulous way to add some sweetness without suffering the detriments of added sugars.

ARIEL BROTHMAN is a freelancer writer who lives in Wrentham, Mass.