Fun in the snow: Skiing is a great winter activity. [Photo provided to Shanghai Star]

Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you should sit on the couch. Wang Zhenghua looks at the best ways to stay fit as the temperature plummets in the colder months.

Cold winter weather can discourage even the most motivated exercisers. It’s tough to stick to your regular workout plan when you look out the window and see snow, rain, clouds or gray skies. While it’s reasonable for activities to slow down during the winter months, chilly weather is not an excuse to give up exercise completely.

Take some time to plan more interesting workouts and do sports suitable for the season, and you will find it doesn’t have to be an unhealthy winter.

In Shanghai, the temperatures drop to near freezing in the winter months, in contrast, the mercury can go as low as -30 C in northern China.

It rarely snows in Shanghai and there’s not much rain either, which means you can continue on with the outdoor exercise, like cycling and hiking. Others may opt to move workouts inside, taking up swimming or Pilates.

Here are what we recommend for winter exercise.