One of the facts of living in Edmonton is that you can’t escape the winter. Some people are fortunate enough to have means by which to travel to a warmer climate. However, except for the snow birds who live elsewhere four or five months a year, when the vacation ends you’re back in the snow and subzero temperatures, albeit with a suntan.

The good news is that there are indeed ways to escape winter’s icy hold without heading anywhere exotic. The bad news is that these escapes are temporary. No matter how hard we try, we will still have to go back outside to face the cold sooner or later.

Since getting fit is a New Year’s resolution for many people, winter is an ideal time to join a gym, sign up for a class, or even regularly attend drop in sessions. The Commonwealth Fitness Centre isn’t due to re-open until early 2012, but there are a couple of YMCA locations downtown. As well, several of my friends have gotten into Zumba, which involves shaking jiggly body parts to music, as well as yoga. Who knew that twisting yourself into a pretzel would become such a trend?

Edmonton has numerous indoor attractions that are perfect for family outings. These include the Muttart Conservatory, Art Gallery of Alberta, Royal Alberta Museum, and Telus World of Science. They do come with admission fees though, so it can get pricey depending on the size of your group.

Finally, not all winter days are created equal. On warmer days, it is great to get outside and ski, ice skate, toboggan, or just go for a walk. And just keep reminding yourself that eventually, spring will come.