DAVIS COUNTY — Just because there are mountains of snow outside doesn’t mean your workout has to hibernate for the winter.

With a little preplanning, some minor equipment and a sense of imagination, it’s possible to stay in shape no matter how bad the weather gets outside. From workout videos to stair climbing to dancing your heart out, there are any number of ways to get active without ever having to leave your front door.

“There are a lot of things people can do indoors,” said Lora Erickson, a nutritionist and personal trainer from Bountiful. “It all depends on what you have in the house.”

One quick way to a snow-free workout are exercise videos, which can guide people through everything from aerobics to pilates. For those who don’t have any already in the house (or are sick of the ones they do have), some titles available through the Davis County Library include “Pilates Weight-Loss Workout for Dummies” and “Sit and Be Fit: All Sitting Exercises.”

For those who want to build their own routine, however, Erickson suggests either buying a trainer that will allow you to move your bike indoors or small free weights (10 to 15 pounds) that can be found at local retail stores.

Even a simple set of stairs can offer a pretty good workout when a person repeatedly climbs it while paying attention to their heart rate.

Resistance bands are also a possibility, especially on exercises that other people might use free weights for. Even for those who aren’t experienced at using the bands, they can help fill in on a fundamental that most people forget.

“A lot of times people forget about stretching,” said Erickson. “It has a lot of value in terms of staying healthy.”

Some people, however, may feel they need a guide, at which point the best place to go is your computer. There are several sites that can walk you through different stretching and exercise programs, including www.runnersworld.com, www.sparkpeople.com (video demonstrations), and www.blondrunner.com (side links). YouTube also has several demonstration videos, particularly when it comes to stretching.

If all of this sounds too complicated, however, you can always turn on your radio. According to Erickson, spending the afternoon dancing to music can be a workout adaptable to the whole family.

“It’s great to do with your kids,” she said. “Even nice weather can be limiting when you have little kids.”

If you get sick of staying indoors, however, or a glimpse of sunshine grants a bit of athletic courage, Erickson points out that even a lot of snow isn’t such a bad thing.

“They make such good equipment now that you can go out in pretty much any weather,” she said. “If nothing else, we are waterproof.”

jwardell@davisclipper.com