So you have made some goals for the year that involve getting fit, but it’s absolutely freezing outside and there is snow on the ground. While it might be tempting to cover yourself in blankets, watch a bunch of series shows on Netflix and hibernate until spring, be encouraged to get out there and continue or start your fitness routine, even in February. Granted, you may not be able to run around your neighborhood to rid yourself of those chocolate heart calories, but there are plenty of ways to stay fit in winter, and you’ll have such a good time that it won’t even feel like exercise. Plus, keeping fit in the winter is proven to boost immunity at a time when colds and flus are trying to sneak their way into your system, and because your body has to work harder to maintain its own temperature in the cold, you burn more calories. The mental health benefits are great, too, as exercise can also battle winter depression (even in the winter, being outside in the sun gives you air and vitamin D), and it’s a great stress reliever.

Skiing
When you think of winter sports, skiing and snowboarding likely come to mind, as these are the most popular. Hitting those slopes offers a total body workout, and let’s face it, living in New England we have easy access to some of the best lodges in the country. There is downhill skiing and cross-country skiing. Downhill skiing provides excellent calorie burn (450-550 calories an hour). You are using your body to balance itself, which works muscle groups in your stomach and legs and increases agility, making this one of the best workouts you can get. Downhill provides less calorie burn than cross-country, but is faster paced for that rush factor. Cross country skiing covers not only downward hills but flat terrain and even some uphill climbs and so exerts more effort and burns more calories (a whopping 500-650 per hour), but it is slower-paced and more about endurance than speed.

Snowboarding
Snowboarding, a sport that combines the idea of skateboarding and surfing using snow as the terrain, burns an average of 475 calories per hour and increases flexibility, cardiovascular strength and provides even more of a leg workout than skiing. Additionally, the workout it provides on your joints means that as you age, you will be less likely to have age-related injuries in the hips and knees. If you don’t ski or snowboard all the time or are a first-timer, you can rent the equipment. Lisa, a friend of mine who is an avid snowboarder, tells me that she prefers snowboarding to skiing because “it’s much more of a freestyle sport and there are far more stunt options. The clothes are cooler, the boots are comfortable, and I’m not the ‘ski bunny’ kind of girl!”

Tubing
Tubing is so much fun that it is hard to believe it actually provides some benefit to your body. This form of sledding is riding an inflatable tube down a snowy hill. In addition to using core muscle groups to steer yourself, you have to bring the tube back up the hill again, which is a great leg workout. It burns about 250 calories for every 30 minutes, depending on how many times you trek back up.

Snowshoeing
I remember asking my mother why people had tennis rackets strapped to their feet when they walked in the snow. As an adult, I am actually pretty impressed that the concept of snowshoeing started more than 6,000 years ago as a survival skill and think it’s pretty cool, considering the physics of how snowshoes work. Burning around 270 calories every 30 minutes, snowshoeing is a great way to get your body moving and get some oxygen into your blood and lungs. It’s a scenic way to get some exercise while you enjoy nature’s beauty and spend time with friends and family, and it’s great for all skill levels.

Ice Skating
This definitely takes some practice, coordination and balance, but once you master how to skate, you will realize what a great workout it is (and it’s fun, too). An excellent leg and abdominal workout, you will burn around 250 calories in 30 minutes going around the rink at a normal speed. Playing ice hockey is another great workout, burning 300 calories every 30 minutes.

Football
Though some may not look at it as a winter sport, football is played in the winter months. My dad always said, “Any weather is football weather,” and he was right. Football is played even when it’s raining, snowing or bitter cold. There are rarely cancellations in the NFL due to weather issues. Touch or tackle football is a great way to stay in shape and is a great social event, too. It burns about 530 calories an hour, and you’ll barely notice the cold once you get moving.

Curling
I have to admit that I had never heard of curling before the last Winter Olympic Games. And when I first saw it, I thought it was basically shuffleboard on ice. In a way it is, but it’s a little more complicated. Originating sometime in the 16th century, the sport requires a lot of skill to try to slide a stone into a bull’s-eye. It’s become a popular sport and works the legs and arms and requires brainpower for strategizing. It burns around 210 calories an hour, and it’s a low-impact sport.

Snowmobiling
Alright this isn’t really a sport, per se, and it’s definitely low-impact, since you are seated and letting a motorized vehicle do most of the work, but you can still burn 165 calories an hour doing this, and it gets you out and about and off the sofa, so we are all for it.

Snow Shoveling
Totally not your idea of a fun pastime? Me neither, but you have to do it, and it does burn calories and give your arms and back an excellent workout at 315 calories burned an hour. Your heart will thank you, too.

Note: Calories burned are based on a 150-pound, average height person of good health.

Where To Go:

For skiing, snowboarding and tubing, the options are pretty endless, but if you don’t want to drive too far, Ski Ward (skiward.com) is right in our backyard. It’s on the smaller side, with three trails, and there are a variety of seasonal pass options, including a 50 percent military discount and a college pass. If you don’t mind driving a short way, Wachusett Mountain in Princeton is an excellent choice. In addition to having tons of trails, Wachusett has a full calendar of different events (including a Valentine’s event Feb. 14 and the Kiss 108 Winter Games on Feb. 21), races, workshops and night skiing. Lift ticket rates average around $55. If you want to venture out to western Massachusetts or out of state and make a weekend of it, try Butternut Mountain in Great Barrington, which has excellent group rates and terrain parks, or Okemo Mountain in Ludlow, Vt., which has more than 650 acres of slopes and terrain.

For snowshoeing, the Upton State Forest trail is pretty close and is a beautiful walk. The forest is 2,660 acres, filled with maples and white pines and has a 3-mile looped trail for snowshoeing. Hopkinton State Park also has snowshoeing and a 3-mile looped trail. Estimate 1 mile per hour and $5 for parking.

For ice skating, there are indoor and outdoor options. For skating indoors, most skating rinks, like the Buffone Arena on Lake Avenue in Worcester, have public skate hours for a small fee, and you can bring or rent skates. If you’d rather skate outside, the Worcester Common has a rink, and there is always Patriot Place in Foxboro.

For snowmobiling, some places do not allow snow vehicles, so do your research first. Snowmobiling in Massachusetts is only permitted in daylight hours, and the vehicle must be registered. We recommend Douglas State Forest. It is great choice close by, with 4,640 acres that surround beautiful Wallum Lake. Spencer State Forest also allows snowmobiling.

If you want to try your hand at curling, there are four curling clubs in Massachusetts. The closest is Petersham Curling Club, located on Route 32. The club offers lessons in curling that take about three hours for a $20 fee. Sign up at petershamcurling.org. The largest curling club in the area is Broomstone’s Curling Club out of Wayland, which has four sheets (playing fields).

For shoveling, look no further than your very own driveway.