Winterize your outdoor exercise. (includes related information)

Winter sports can provide an exhilarating refreshing change of pace in your year-round fitness program.

If you live in a northern part of the country, winter often means lots of snow, ice and chilly temperatures. But don't let Mother Nature force you inside to hibernate until spring - take advantage of the many cold-weather sports available.

No matter how old you are, there's a winter sport that's right for you.

If you are the parent of a young child with diabetes, encourage your youngster to get involved in outdoor sports such as ice skating, hockey, skiing and snowboarding (surfing on snow) to maintain his physical fitness throughout the winter months. Your child can even benefit from less rigorous activities such as sledding or building a snowman. While there is little energy expenditure involved in sledding down a hill, a 55-pound child can burn about three calories per minute pulling the sled back up. The gathering and packing required to build a snowman can also help your child build muscle strength.

Winter sports provide your child a healthy alternative to sitting in front of the television set all day (an activity that tends to increase during the cold-weather months). As an added plus, you can have some time to yourself while your child plays outdoors.

If you are a young adult, you can benefit from …