Moving to a tropical island always helps, but less fanciful ideas include:

• Get outside - Even if it's just for a quick walk, getting out can boost your mood and help you feel less crazy from cabin fever.
• Spice things up - If you're stuck working out indoors, workouts can quickly get tedious. Now is a great time to try that class or workout you've been thinking about. Try a new exercise video or a new activity like kettlebell training.
• Plan a future event - It may feel like spring will never come, but it really will and you can prove it to yourself by finding a spring race to train for. Or you can tack your bathing suit up in your bedroom as a reminder that it will eventually be warm enough to wear it. Even better? Schedule a massage on the condition that you get all your workouts completed for the week - that may just give you something to look forward to.
• Exercise with others - I tend to workout alone, but winter exercise often brings out the social exerciser inside and I find a little extra energy around other people. If you're the same way, break out a little and workout with a friend or take a fitness class at the gym - just being around others can make you feel better.

You'll find more ideas in my article about beating the winter blahs, but I want to hear from you. How do you get through the toughest part of winter? Leave a comment and tell us about it.

Getting Through the Winter Workout Blahs originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 at 06:00:51.

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This winter weather is always a pain, but with much of the country in a deep freeze, many of us are bundling up, shutting the door and laughing at the idea of going outside for a workout (except that guy in my neighborhood who runs every day, no matter how cold it is - more power to you, buddy).

There are ways to make winter exercise more tolerable and stay warm during outdoor excursions (you might find some ideas in Best Clothes for Winter Exercise) but, for some of us, this cold weather is starting to make us a little stir crazy.

What about you? How is the cold winter affecting your workouts? Vote in this week's poll and leave a comment to tell us how we can make it through the winter.

Vote in This Week's Poll: How is the very cold winter affecting your workouts? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Monday, January 11th, 2010 at 10:07:17.

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