We know you wouldn’t use the excuse of a little bit of snow as to why you haven’t cycled to work in weeks (of course you wouldn’t), but if the weather really gets so bad this December that you really can’t bring yourself to layer up in reflective winter clothing to start your morning commute, that doesn’t mean you’ve got a get out of exercise free card either.

Firstly, commuting isn’t the only time you can get out on your bicycle. Sure, if you step outside at 6am on a winter’s morning no one would blame you for wondering if you’ve accidentally got up at 2am… in Iceland. But, by mid-morning the sky should be somewhat resembling the blue that we remember from a few months ago making your lunch break the perfect time to go for a peddle.

The weekends are also a great time to get outdoors and get pedalling. Those winter days when the sun is bright in the sky, for us, are the most idyllic days for a leisurely cycle through a forest or around a country park.

And secondly, cycling isn’t the only form of exercise (crazy, we know). Normally we wouldn’t encourage you to leave the bike at home to go off to the gym or try your hand at snow-boarding but if it’s the only way to ensure you don’t slip back to that dress size that you’ve worked so hard to make a distant memory, we’ll turn a blind eye just this once.

The winter months bring about a whole new range of sporty activities that you can get involved with. If you live near an indoor ski centre (or are lucky enough to have a boss with a holiday home in Switzerland) then you’re good to go.

But if the idea of hurling yourself down a mountain with a long plank attached to each of your feet frightens you to death, you could try figure skating, tobogganing or squash instead. Failing that, there’s always swimming with the promise of a luxurious sauna afterwards sure to lure you there after work.