During the winter time, in cold-weather areas, the average adult gains anywhere from 3-10 pounds. Several factors play a role. Fewer daylight hours can cause a drop in energy and may lead to a less upbeat mood. We tend to eat more calorie-laden foods during cold winters and the accompanying holidays, and we are more reluctant to get outside and exercise.

People tend to skip the parking lot walk, and in snowy weather, park closer to the front door of a given destination. In the name of staying warm and dry, it's tempting to drop one's exercise routine altogether in the winter. The metabolism experiences a slow-down as result of these combined factors.

Another explanation is offered by Lawrence Cheskin, MD, founder of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center in Baltimore. Part of the weight gain may be a biological phenomenon that goes back to more ancient times when there were no insulated homes and no central heating, so the extra winter weight served a valid purpose. "Your body may be working against you to hang on to it so you stay warm, says Cheskin.

How To Prevent A Cold Winter Interrupting Your Exercise Routine

-Monitor yourself more closely. Keep a daily food and exercise journal and weigh in at least once a week. This helps you know the minute you begin to consume too many calories or put on any weight.

-Refuse to let the cold weather deter you from pursuing your outdoor exercise routine. Dress in warm light-weight layers and proper footwear, and take that walk or get in that daily jog. Make sure to take the proper time to warm up and cool down. This prevents injuries from further thwarting your efforts to keep up your exercise routine.

-Vary your outdoor exercise to keep it interesting. Take up skiing or ice skating. Help the kids build a snowman, or shovel the driveway. (Check with your doctor to make sure you're fit enough and that your heart is healthy enough to take on the shoveling.)

-Make good use of your gym membership during the cold winters. If you don't belong to a gym, try walking the indoor mall perimeters if the cold becomes too intense to exercise safely in it.

-Develop contingency plans for those times when winter ice storms or blizzards strike. Buy an exercise DVD or some basic inexpensive hand weights and stretchy bands and exercise at home. If you have a treadmill or a stationary bike, so much the better. Dust them off and put them to good use. Skip rope to upbeat music.

-Turn up the music and dance or take a class in spinning or yoga.

-Stay motivated to pursue a winter exercise routine by enlisting a fitness buddy: your spouse, your children, a neighbor. Continue to make good use of your food and exercise journal.

In conclusion, when you keep yourself motivated, when you plan ahead and stick to the plan, you'll prevent a cold winter from interrupting your exercise routine with ease. You can do this!

Learn more about this author, Karen Chaffee.
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