Admit it: this holiday season, you indulged. You had that extra slice of pecan pie. And thirds on mashed potatoes. And all of Santa's cookies. And hey, let's not even get started on all the eggnog, right?

When it comes to holiday weight gain, though, there's good news and bad news. Good news is, according to the National Institutes of Health, most people gain only one pound between Thanksgiving and New Year's. But the bad news is that pound (and its friend from last year, and the year before that) tends to stick with you - for years. Those added pounds may even lead to obesity later in life.

Losing the weight, however, doesn't mean you have to shell out hundreds of dollars for gym memberships or fitness equipment. In Rochester, it's as easy - and as cheap - as going outside, even in the winter.

A walk in the park

Government agencies and fitness gurus alike extol the virtues of walking, but why should you stop just because there's a little snow on the ground? Grab some warm clothing and a pair of waterproof boots, and you can keep on walking on.

The amount of calories you burn walking depends on your speed and the grade of incline, but an 150 lb. person walking at 3.5 mph on a level surface will burn 258 calories per hour, according to calorie-count.com. That's almost exactly one grande Starbucks latte.

All Monroe County public parks and their trails remain open throughout the winter, but they operate on reduced schedules during the week, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday. (On the weekends, parks are open from 7 a.m.-11 p.m.) Most parks groom their trails throughout the winter, but to be safe, you should call the Department of Parks (753-PARK) for trail conditions before planning a hike.

Another option is the Seneca Park Zoo. Ticket prices are reduced November through March, and winter's the perfect time to catch up with cold-weather animals like penguins and polar bears.

Snowshoeing for fun and profit

But maybe the thought of slogging through icy, slushy trails isn't exactly tempting you out of hibernation. If so, rise above the snow. Give snowshoeing a try.

Snowshoes, used by Native American tribes for thousands of years, are essentially oversized boots that distribute your weight over a larger area, so you don't sink into the snow. Many walkers and runners love them, because snowshoeing uses the same motions. There's virtually no learning curve: if you can walk, you can snowshoe.

According to Winter Feels Good, a national consumer awareness initiative about the health benefits of winter sports, the average 155 lb. adult burns up to 563 calories an hour snowshoeing. In fact, you can burn up to 45 percent more calories snowshoeing than walking - or even running - at the same speed. Not half bad for funny footwear.

If you want to try snowshoeing without shelling out major cash, you can rent shoes from specialty running stores like Medved Running and Walking Outfitters or Fleet Feet. Plus, the Genesee Country Village Nature Center and Tinker Nature Park offer rentals, as well as flat trails for novice showshoers to practice on.

What would Brian Boitano do?

Ice skating is an obvious wintertime activity, but did you know it's also an excellent workout? According to the U.S. Figure Skating Association, you can burn anywhere from 250 to 810 calories an hour ice skating, depending on how rigorously you skate.

Rochester offers several outdoor skating rinks for you to perfect that triple lutz. Churchville, Highland, and Ellison parks all have public rinks available (the one in Manhattan Square Park is still closed for renovations). However, there are no skate rentals, so be sure to bring your own pair. (For hours and conditions, call 753-PARK.)

If the weather's too frightful to skate outdoors, try one of the several indoor ice arenas, including the ESL Sports Centre, the Genesee Valley Park Ice Rink, Scottsville Ice Arena, and the Webster Ice Arena. Also, some local colleges host open skate hours in their hockey rinks, like RIT's Frank Ritter Ice Arena and Brockport's Tuttle North Ice Arena. Public hours and skate rental info can be found on their websites (rit.edu/studentaffairs/ciar) and brockport.edu/recservices, respectively).

"Cool Runnings" in your backyard

Who said fitness meant being a grown-up? Be a kid again: go sledding!

It's easy, too: just grab a cheap sled or toboggan from the store (or even flatten a cardboard box) and hurl yourself down the nearest hill. You can burn up to 476 calories an hour, according to calorie-count.com.

But for those whose backyard hills might be too wimpy - or non-existent - the Monroe County Parks Department has designated seven dedicated sledding areas. These include:

* The area behind Woodside Lodge in Black Creek Park

* Near Landing Road in Ellison Park

* Across from the Calvary House Lodge, and next to the East and West lodges in Mendon Ponds Park

* Across the street from the ski lodge in Northampton Park

* Near the north and south lodges in Powder Mills Park

* Beside the Parkview lodge in Webster Park

Call 753-PARK for conditions before you go. And while you're flying down the hill, time will really fly too. Before you know it, you'll have worked off all those naughty holiday indulgences. You know, just in time for Valentine's Day.