While most people are less motivated to exercise in cold weather, experts stress the importance of continuing your fitness routine to stay healthy and stave off the winter blues. Frigid temperatures can discourage the most dedicated exercisers and can even be dangerous unless you follow expert tips that will help you stay motivated and safe.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin, an exercise enthusiast and author of The Healthy Heart Miracle, warns that cold weather is associated with an increased risk of heart attacks and lung complications.

“If you have a heart or lung disease, you are far more likely to die in cold weather than in the heat,” he says. Mirkin says that nearly 20% of North Americans have exercise-induced asthma which is usually caused by breathing cold, dry air, not by exercise. “It affects 50% of elite cross-country skiers, ice skaters and hockey players.”

To prevent health hazards, always check with your doctor before exercising outdoors in the cold, especially if you have a heart condition, says Mirkin. “If you have heart disease, your doctor will probably recommend that you should not exercise outdoors in temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.”

But for most healthy people, cold weather exercise is safe, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you have certain health conditions such as asthma, heart problems or Raynaud’s disease, check with your healthcare professional to see if there are special precautions to take. Otherwise, follow these suggestions:

• Check weather conditions. A safe, cold-weather workout depends on the temperature, wind, and moisture along with the amount of time you plan to stay outdoors. Wind and cold together make up the wind chill factor and extreme temps can make exercising outside unsafe even with the proper clothing. The risk of frostbite is less than 5% when the air temperature is above 5 degrees Fahrenheit. At wind chill levels below minus 18 degrees Fahrenheit, frostbite can occur on exposed skin in 30 minutes or less, says the Mayo Clinic.

• Dress in layers. Dressing too warmly is a mistake when exercising in cold weather. Exercise generates heat and can make you feel warmer than it really is. So, the key is to dress in layers that you can remove when you feel heated and allow the sweat to evaporate. Start with a synthetic material, such as polypropylene, which wicks sweat away from your body. Add a layer of fleece or wool for insulation. Top this with a waterproof, breathable outer layer.

• Protect your head, hands, feet, and ears. A cold environment concentrates blood flow in your body’s core, leaving extremities vulnerable to frostbite. Wear a pair of glove liners made of a synthetic wicking material under a pair of heavier gloves or mittens lined with wool or fleece. Choose workout shoes that are a little larger than you normally wear to allow for thick thermal socks or an extra pair of regular socks. Wear a hat to protect your head or a headband to cover your ears. Consider wearing a ski mask or scarf to cover your face in extremely cold weather.

• Know the signs of frostbite and hypothermia. Frostbite injures the skin by freezing, especially on exposed skin. Watch for numbness, loss of feeling or a stinging sensation. Get out of the cold immediately and slowly warm the affected area without rubbing. Hypothermia is an abnormally low body temperature and symptoms include intense shivering, slurred speech, loss of coordination and fatigue. Seek medical help right away if your suspect you have hypothermia.

• Include safety gear and sunscreen. It may be dark when you exercise so wear reflective gear. Use headlights and taillights when you are biking and choose footwear that provides good traction on slippery or icy surfaces. Sunscreen is also important to protect your skin from the sun’s UVA and UVB rays because exercising in the snow or at high altitudes can result in sunburn. Mayo Clinic experts recommend wearing dark glasses or goggles to protect your eyes from ice glare.

• Hydrate. Staying hydrated is equally important in winter months as it is when exercising in the summer. Drink water or sports drinks before, during and after your workout. You can become dehydrated in the cold from sweating, breathing, the drying power of the winter wind and increased urine production.

Stay safe this winter by being smart and closely monitoring how your body feels during cold-weather exercise. Shorten your workouts in very cold weather and know when to head indoors to warm up.