Welcome to the quick and dirty tips to slim down and shape up. My name is Brock Armstrong. I'm the get-fit guy.

And, well, it's winter here in the Northern Hemisphere, and for many of us, that means colder weather, snow on the ground, and darker and shorter days.

All of that, added together, can make us want to just

hit the couch with a cup of coffee and a good book until spring rolls around, or at least

shift all of our workouts, exercise programs, and sporting events, to an indoor setting.

I don't blame you. I grew up in a place called Edmonton, Alberta, where the

winter lasts eight months of the year, and it regularly gets below minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit.

But there are many great outdoor activities available to us at this time of year, and many of

them are only available at this time of year. And I think it's

a shame to waste them. But I know what you're thinking. I need to get a good workout and there's

only so many hours in the day. I'm just going to hit the gym on the way home from work and

call it good. Well, I'm here to tell you that despite the snow, the cold and the potential

lack of sunlight,

you can still go outside and get a great workout and have some fun while you're at it.

To that end, here is a list of some regular outdoor winter activities,

along with some small alterations that you can make if you want to make it into much more of a

workout. Okay, number one on the list is winter hiking. All you have to do is find a trail,

a hill or a mountain, strap on your hiking boots, and away you go. Winter hiking may be hard

enough on its own, depending on how much snow there is where you live,

but if Hoofner along some trails in the nearest wilderness that you have isn't enough of a challenge,

you can try putting something heavy in a backpack, like a few books or a dumbbell or a kettlebell or even a rock.

And if you have a weighted vest or some of those wrist and ankle weights,

...