Cycling Tips & Stories

Outside temperatures may be dipping, but that doesn't mean you have to put your athletic shoes and hiking boots in cold storage.

In the Ozarks, outdoor fitness is a year-round pursuit for even the most senior of citizens. Undaunted by the cold, many people continue their weekly bicycle rides, neighborhood walks, trail hikes and caving.

"Getting outside in the winter is 98 percent mental," said Terry Whaley, a year-round outdoors enthusiast and director of Ozark Greenways. "Once you make that mental decision to cross out that door, you're glad you did it. ... Don't let your mind talk you out of doing it. ... Starting tomorrow is too late."

But shouldn't the cold concern you?

"There's no bad weather, there's just bad clothing," Whaley said.