The cool thing about the Christmas holiday break is you have extra time to work out and you can workout at your leisure. Imagine that, your leisure!

Avery Acheson, co-owner of Pursuit Adventure & Travel, shows his patrons a good time. As a matter of fact, they cover adventures that span three surrounding areas.

“Our range of operations goes from B.C., Alberta and to Montana.”

If you’re looking for something to do, Acheson is the man to ask.

Acheson says that the cheapest place to go out and get active is right under your nose. “The cheapest activity is would be snowshoeing at the nature centre.” The Kerry Wood Nature Centre is holding snowshoeing workshops for those who want to try it out for the first time. They’ll provide the snowshoes and all you need is the attitude.

Another great workout is cross-country skiing. “Cross-country ski rentals are done through Valhalla Pure Outfitters,” Acheson says. Cross-country skiing is such a great workout that they build workout machines that simulate the movement. But you can’t just cross-country ski at the Kerry Wood Nature Centre. “River Bend Golf Course has definite ski trails.”

For many the idea of having all this time is foreign. Add to that there are some activities that don’t seem like a sport, but they are. “For the folks that like to go snowmobiling, I know that there’s lots of snowmobiling around town. A lot of people go up and down the Red Deer and the Blindman River.”

And for those looking for downhill skiing, Canyon Ski hill is just around the corner for Red Deerians. “Canyon has a little bit of everything,” says Acheson. They have everything from bunny to expert ski hills.

But the hidden gem of Central Alberta is south of Rimbey. “The little tiny gem in my mind is Medicine Lodge ski area,” he says. “It’s a small little ski hill. Last year we had some of the best skiing all year when we went to Medicine Lodge.”

Acheson says that the hill is not always groomed which can make for a real fun day. “We went up to Medicine Lodge and they hadn’t groomed it. They just let the natural snow build up. We had a great day skiing out there, it was just a blast.”

So there you have it, a few activities you can take advantage of when you’re thinking of working off some turkey.

sports@reddeerexpress.com