With the cold climate at its most severe this time of year, many people use the weather as an excuse to abandon an outdoor exercise program. But with a few simple precautions, you can continue to exercise outdoors during harsh Pennsylvania winters.

To safely exercise in the cold, you must control the amount of heat your body loses. Heat loss is affected by both environmental factors and insulation. Excessive heat loss can result in maladies such as hypothermia or frostbite.

You should always check both the air temperature and wind chill factor (the combined effect of temperature and wind) before heading out on a cold day. In general, there is little danger for individuals with proper attire who are exposed to temperatures of 20 degrees Fahrenheit. However, it's dangerous to have exposed skin when the wind chill factor falls below minus 20 degrees.

If you are outdoors in temperatures below your comfort level, it is also a good idea to warm the air you are inhaling by wearing a mask or scarf over your nose and mouth.

Also important is proper choice of clothing. Clothing traps air, which is a poor conductor of heat. If the trapped air cannot conduct heat away from the body, temperature will be maintained.

Therefore, it is best to choose clothing that will trap air close to the body while simultaneously wicking sweat away from the skin's surface. Synthetic materials are great for this purpose, while heavy cotton sweats or other tightly woven materials are not.

Wearing layers is a great idea because you can quickly adjust your insulation as your workout progresses and your body temperature rises.

Also, it is essential to keep the hands and feet warm. In cold weather, the blood is directed away from the hands and feet, toward the center of the body to keep vital internal organs warm.

Superficial warming of the hands will return blood flow and prevent tissue damage. However, blood flow will not return to the feet unless the temperature of your torso is normal or slightly above normal. So to keep your feet warm, you must keep the rest of your body warm at all times.

It is also important to keep your head covered. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, heat loss from the head and neck may be as much as 50 percent of the total heat lost by your body.