6 Workout Tips That'll Save Your Shape This Winter

6 Workout Tips That'll Save Your Shape This Winter

As temperatures tumble and daylight dwindles, you might be tempted to grab the remote and hunker down on the couch 'til spring. Trouble is, a few months of indoor inactivity will translate into less energy, mushier muscles and a wider waistline.

Staying in shape when it's cold outside may take a little more effort and a dash more creativity than other times of the year, but it's worth it. Stick with your winter workouts and -- trust us -- you'll be a lot happier when the sweaters come off and the bathing suits go on. Below we give you six great strategies to keep yourself moving while the bears and squirrels are snoozing.

Window-shop for fitness. Like to walk, but hate the cold? Hate the treadmill even more? Hundreds of shopping centers across the country cater to walking groups who do brisk indoor strolls before doors officially open for business. You burn four to eight calories per minute whether you walk indoors or out. Of course there's an added bonus -- you get a head start on pursuing the merchandise. Check with your local mall management for details on their walking clubs and services.

Go from spud to stud. Instead of vegging out while watching Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, walk on your treadmill, do some step aerobics, jump rope or jog in place. Any movement, even if it's simply doing push-ups during the commercials, is worth something. You can also turn your TV into an exercise machine by popping in a workout video instead of cartoons. (No you can't just watch the video. You actually have to do it.)

Workout with class. Check out some group classes even if you don't do them when the weather is warmer. If the basics like spinning, low impact and step don't appeal to you, consider giving more offbeat offerings like candlelight stretch, circus aerobics and yogaerobics a try. You don't have to join an expensive gym to find a group class. Many adult education programs at community centers, universities and hospitals offer classes at low or no cost.

Give yourself a lift. When it's cold outside, you probably move around less than at other times of the year. That's one of the reasons you tend to gain weight during the winter, and that's also why it's even more important to keep up your weight training routine. Doing a weight workout that involves the major muscle groups of your chest, back, legs, abs and arms not only burns about eight calories a minute, it also builds and maintains metabolism boosting muscle. No need to get fancy either; all you need is your body weight and a few dumbbells for an at-home weight workout.

Summericise your workouts. Take a break from the cold and dream of warmer days. YMCA and YWCAs and health clubs offer swim lessons, aquacise classes, aqua running, aqua stepping and lap swimming. Water sports place less strain on your joints and give you the opportunity to tone up for summer. Some sample calorie counts: A basic crawl stroke burns between 8 to 12 calories per minute and a typical 45-minute aqua running session burns about 400 calories.

If you can't beat it, enjoy it. Sure you can stay cooped up until the ice thaws, but you can also embrace the cold weather by taking up a winter sport. If sliding down a mountain with your feet strapped to two planks isn't your idea of a good time, there are other cold weather activities to consider. How about ice-skating, sledding, winter hiking and cross-country skiing? They all burn between six and ten calories per minute.

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