We all have millions of excuses when it comes to exercising in freezing weather! Do you want to know what our secret is to staying fit in winter?

Here is how to stay active indoors and the secret to exercise in winter:

Staying fit in the month of July in New Zealand and most of the Southern hemisphere is not the easiest task at hand, due to the fact that it is extremely cold (and wet in New Zealand).

So what are you going to do to get some exercise, especially when you do not want to leave the warmth and comfort of your own home?

Here are some ideas for ways you can exercise indoors at home (BONUS: for free):

Burn those extra calories with some cardio indoor:

• Jump Rope - About a minute into jumping rope, you will feel the burn. If you want a good cardio workout in a matter of minutes, try a jump rope.
• Dancing - This one is so much fun! Get a beat on your phone/or stereo and dance like no one is watching. Get the whole family active on a cold evening.
• High Knees- if you are a runner and your stuck inside due to the bad weather, running on the spot can be frustrating and boring! Instead of running in place, you will find that high knees can really get your heart pumping, especially if you go double time. To do this exercise, march in place or down a hall, and bring your knees as high as they can go.
• Jumping Jacks - This is another elementary school throwback, but it offers a great cardio workout. If you are watching a TV show, get up during the commercials and do a round of jumping jacks.
• Squad-jumps and burpees will definitely also give you the cardio you are after…

Working on your strength in the comfort of your humble abode:

• The Plank - If you don’t have a lot of time, but you want to build up your core muscles, this is the exercise for you. Get into a push-up position, but instead of bending your arms and moving down towards the floor, hold the position with your arms extended. Start off holding the position for 30 seconds, and add an additional 10 seconds every day. See how long you can go for – it’s definitely not easy! This is one of the most challenging exercises, but it’s also one of the of the best for your core.
• Lunges - You do not need a lot of space, do lunges around the dining room table or up and down your hallway - try to go as low as you can. If that gets too easy for you, hold weights in your hands to make the lunges more challenging. You will feel it in your legs the next day, you can take my word for that!
• Water Bottle Weights - If you are looking to do some arm, shoulder, and back strength training, you can make your own weights by filling up water bottles. If using water bottles becomes too easy, use milk jugs. You can tailor the exercise to your level by filling the jugs to the exact weight that you need. For a greater challenge, increase the water amount just a little bit each time you workout.
• Squats, pile squats, calf raises, dips, push-ups, leg raises, hip bridge are just a few of the other strength exercises you can do indoors!

Stretching exercises are great for those rest days. Flexibility improves all aspects of your health, don't underestimate how important it is!

Working out at home takes very little preparation and zero driving, which takes out most of the excuses you can think of.

If you don’t want to workout at home, but the weather is not nice, head to your local mall and do some power walking, most ladies will agree that this is entertaining and does not even feel like exercising.

Do you have any exercises that you do at home to avoid the cold or bad weather?