As the weather turns cold, exercising outdoors is less and less appealing. The number of joggers, morning exercisers and after-dinner strollers drops with the temperature.

Bundling up makes vigorous exercise difficult, our nose turns pink and our ears get cold. Those disinclined to exercise in good weather - and there are many - are even less inclined to brave the elements.

A national survey released last Wednesday showed that less than one third of the Chinese population engages in regular physical exercise at least three times a week for 30 minutes. Though many people do exercise, they don't do it regularly, and seniors exercise more than younger people, according to the State General Administration of Sport .

Being a couch potato, watching TV and eating snacks is more tempting in winter, but as a result of inactivity, we put on weight.

There's the gym, of course, for a workout, dance and exercise classes. Some young women prefer yoga and pilates. Ping pong is played indoors. There are enclosed courts for badminton, handball, and other sports, and indoor swimming pools.

There are lots of options - and few good excuses for doing little or nothing.

Here we look at several people who exercise, more or less, in chilly weather.

Indolent lady

Ye Ming, 40, works in an office and sits before her computer terminal for eight hours a day. She does walk to work for 15 minutes.

Her sedentary life does not include regular sports.

"I almost never do any physical exercise," says Ye. "Walking to the office and doing some housework are my only exercise."

After work, she says, "it's time to relax, watch TV or do some light chores."

From expert

Get moving. No excuses.

Many evening couch potatoes like Ye always make the excuse that they're too busy or too tired to exercise, or it's too cold to go out.

"Come on! It's time to change old habits," says Lu.

If it's too hard to go outdoors, exercise indoors ,  you don't have to go to the gym.

People can do some easy movements like stretching their arms and legs, moving their neck and shoulders when they are watching TV.

"Just don't sit on the sofa without moving at all," says Lu.

Alternatively, they can play badminton or ping pong, which are popular all year round and not influenced by the weather.

"Whether it's cold or rainy, I can enjoy playing badminton with my friends," says Chen Yinfei, a 35-year-old receptionist in an investment consultancy.

After she graduated from college, Chen's work schedule didn't permit the same kind of regular exercise to stay healthy.

"Since we started work, we seldom have the chance to play sports. We don't burn many calories, especially in winter," she says.

In order to keep fit, Chen has been playing badminton every weekend for two to three hours.

That's good, but according to the national exercise survey, burst of intense exercise once a week is not enough.

Regularity is the key.

Sweating white collar

Jiang Qi always gets up early and jogs in the park for an hour every day before he goes to work.

"Maybe it's cold, but it's the best time to take off your thick coat, change to warm sportswear, go for a jog and breathe fresh air," says Jiang, 38, who works in an advertising company.

He says it's the best way to start the day, not only for health and stamina but for overall well-being and a good state of mind throughout the day.

He's been doing it for four years.

From expert

Jogging (not running) is probably the best aerobic exercise. The oxygen that the jogger breathes in is sufficient as the movement intensity is low.

Jogging improves blood circulation and cardio-vascular health, lowers cholesterol, improves metabolism, burns calories and contributes to general fitness. It also can elevate mood.

"For middle-aged people, jogging is a very good way to prevent arteriosclerosis and diseases of aging," says Lu.

To get the maximum benefits, jog for at least 30 minutes three or four times a week.

"The speed should be controlled to slow or middle-speed, according to everyone's age and heart rate," adds Lu. Beginners can start at 10 minutes and gradually jog for longer periods.

The best time to jog outdoors is not the early morning, as most people think.

"Although many people feel full of energy in the beginning of the day, actually the perfect time to jog or exercise is 5-6pm," says Lu, "because the body temperature is the highest of the whole day. That promotes energy circulation."

Active oldster

Chen Shufeng, 77, gets up at 5am every day, walks to the park to meet other seniors and moves about. They do morning exercises and sometimes dance for a while. She eats breakfast when she returns home.

"We mainly stretch our bodies, arms and legs," says Chen.

From expert

It's essential for old people to do some soft sports like walking or slow dancing. But they shouldn't go out too early or in very cold weather that may injure elders' weaker windpipes and hurt heart and lung functions.

Exercising in very cold weather is not advised for people with high blood pressure.

On the other hand, contrary to what many people think, it's not a good idea to exercise too early in a park that has lots of greenery. There's not enough oxygen before sunrise when green plants consume lots of oxygen and release carbon dioxide.

The best time for old folks' morning exercise is 8-11am, says Lu.

Besides, exercising on an empty stomach isn't good for anyone's health, whether they're young or old.

Eating half an hour before exercise gives you energy and makes the exercise more effective.

Energetic youth

Nie Yizhong, 18, doesn't seem to notice the cold. Almost every afternoon after school, he plays basketball with classmates, on weekends he goes to Xujiahui Park near his home.

Although rain or frost may keep him indoors, he still exercises.

"At school, we do morning exercises every day; in regular PE classes, we do something like running, skipping," he says.

From expert

Keep it up, you're doing great. The problem may lie in overdoing it, not in underdoing it.

In all seasons, especially winter, it's important to warm up well and stretch before getting started, especially for running, football and basketball.

"As the bones and muscle are less flexible and pliable due to cold weather, it's easier to hurt ankles and muscles without a proper warm-up," says Lu Dajiang, a body-building expert from the Shanghai Sports Academy.

Young healthy people should also protect the throat and windpipe, so as not to cause injury to the heart and lungs, he says. Dress warmly.

(Shanghai Daily December 23, 2008)