Fitness on the last frontier: have fun in the winter while getting fit (And remember, it's the whole package!).

• Author: Stomierowski, Peg
• Position: HEALTH & MEDICINE

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Here's some homegrown advice for Alaskans who want to step up their fitness quotient as winter settles in across the land. Pick an activity you enjoy--whether it's swimming, skiing, yoga, Pilates, handball, racquetball, yoga, weights, skiing or mushing, and find ways to do it, preferably in inspiring environs and perhaps by sharing your sweat with colleagues or other creatures. Alaska is rich with trails, pools, gyms, event calendars, fitness centers and health clubs to help folks get through the long stretch of winter.

Whatever your chosen activities, a handful of health and exercise sources asked about winter fitness emphasized aiming for measured progress--seeking balance over a beating. Try to ditch the straight bootstrap mentality and think of your sessions as fun--as well-deserved treats. Carve out time during the week and commit to immersing yourself in some integrated routines.

Going with a friend may help boost the social aspect of the experience. Over the long haul, some health coaches predict, balance and variety may be as important as drive in accomplishing your long-term goals.

"Health, both physical and emotional, during the long Alaska winters is best served by balancing a wide range and variety of activities with the inner quietude and peace of a snow-filled landscape," said Jo Going, who teaches yoga and both dance- and hi-lo aerobics at the BayClub in Homer, in a room with an majestic view of Kachemak Bay and the mountains beyond. Club users also may choose to enjoy the view while swimming in the pool or, for some other indoor activity, opt for Pilates or weight training, even Tai Chi.

"Activity that involves being outdoors," Going said. " From something as simple as walking to the vigor of skate skiing, is an essential ingredient in staying well toned, happy and renewed. Indoor activity should include cardio exercise, movement through space, and stretching."

"It's the weekend warriors I worry about," reflected Dr. Ronald Christensen, a family practice physician who's made sports medicine a specialty. Office workers and others who have only weekends off all too often try to compensate at the gym or on the slopes and end up injured, whether it's a sore knee or "skiers thumb." Better to exercise a few times during the week, trainers suggest, even if you have to leave the house at 5:15 a.m.

Older people are particularly vulnerable to overdoing, the doctor said. Pushing to try and keep up with the...