i workout at school where the gym is free. but you could do lots of things in your house, make up your own cardio workout. jumping rope, jumping jacks, pushups, running up the stairs- whatever it takes to get your heart rate up and keep it up.i would suggest a routine consisting of several parts, just a few minutes of each part until it adds up to enough time for it to be cardio.like 15 or 20 minutes.

I have to resort to the gym now cause it's way too cold where I live to go jogging now. Why not get some exercise videos and do them at home?

I run.
This winter from mid Nov -mid Feb I plan to use my summer training `rest week`as my weekly workouts (instead of 80k+ a week I`ll be running 60k+)
this is considered the offseason for me so I plan to basically keep my physical stance and from mid-Feb I plan to increase distance so get ready for the spring road race season, and then track season
Go to the rec centre and join a yoga or pilates class

I don't know! I hate the cold too and can't wait for Thanksgiving food! 

At my college the gym is free :) thank god!
But, if you can not afford a gym membership, just buy some cardio dvds!! they work wonders.. as long as something gets you sweating.. your good!

PS: You live in southern California and your complaining about the "cold" weather!? Try living in northern Ontario, Canada!! Winters are brutal!!

I normally run during the cold months, but I can't right now.  My winter running shoes are irreparably worn out, and I need to replace a couple other running items, but I can't afford to buy any of that right now.  I also usually need my prescription sunglasses while running in the snow because of the glare, but my eyes have gotten worse, so they give me a headache now.  And again, I can't afford to buy new lenses.

I also don't have any good rain gear, so I've been stuck inside most of the fall so far.  It's driving me insane.

The gym

I always try to get out in the winter,  even if it a small walk each day.

Running is great, but running in the cold can be tolling on your muscles - and I know I don't enjoy sucking in cold air when I'm at it, it hurts my lungs and I always get a runny nose 
I would say:
1) You can work out your abs anywhere inside.
2) If you're worried about the holiday season, count your calories as opposed to shoveling it in mindlessly.
3) Kick boxing. Will. Blow. Your. Mind.
4) Get a good nights sleep - deprivation increases appetite, it's proven.
5) Be wary of liquid calories - oh yea, the hot chocolate, eggnog, apple cider - they don't fill you up and generally contain a lot of sugar (I derive no calories from liquids - hello, water)
6) There's always the option of investing in a machine like a treadmill or an elliptical if it really becomes a huge (no pun intended) problem.

You have the right idea of just moving around - there are so many household activities that burn calories like no other. Even just FIDGETING helps.

When I was on my high school track team, we went out everyday for practice, rain, snow, sleet or shine. Unless of course, it was below freezing, then they had some mercy on us. What we did instead were circuits. This meant different things for different people, but I'd suggest something like, jump rope, sit ups, pushups, squats, run around your house for 20 mins, and do it all again for about 3 or 4 more sets. You can look up different workouts to add to personalize it from the internet or health mags. Afterwards, run up and down the stairs for a certain amount depending upon how many flights of stairs you have, for us it was 3 flights of stairs, 5 sets of going up and down 3 times, with a 5 minute light jog in between.

But this wasn't the best option, we only did it when we had to. Where we lived it was cold every day! So we went out most of the time, and this is what I'd suggest to you, because the best run is outside in the fresh air, just a personal opinion. If you're feeling cold, wear a long sleeve shirt and long pants, and if needed, spandex underneath. We wouldn't layer much on except for that because running keeps you warm, and too many clothes on starts to feel too warm and the run starts to drag. Add on hats, gloves, scarves as needed. Don't be afraid of the cold!

Keep tissues in a pocket though, usually your nose can run faster than you. 

@hedcandy@xanga -  I'm Canadian. heehee i know what cold is, but ... looks like my 10 yrs living here have messed up my cold-receptors. hahaha