While many people will head to their local gyms in earnest this month to follow up on New Year’s resolutions, there are a number of outdoor activities that can help folks shape up.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, there are plenty of calorie-burning outdoor activities to try.

Performing basic ice-skating skills, for instance, burns 800 calories over a given period for a 150-pound person, while cross country skiing at a brisk pace burns 771. Sledding or tobogganing burns 700, while snow shoeing, downhill ski racing, cross country skiing at a moderate pace, and playing ice hockey each burn 686 calories.

Even snowmobiling helps a bit. The ACSM says the activity burns 300 calories.

Ice fishing derbies on tap

Despite a couple days of warm weather, ice-fishing derbies are scheduled at a number of lakes and ponds across the state over the next few weeks.

Here’s a partial list of derbies (for more information, go to www.mefishwildlife.com and click on “fishing”):

. The Lowell-Enfield Boy Scout Troop 64 will hold a derby this weekend on Folsom Pond, Crooket Pond, Cold Stream Lake, Escutasis Lake, Saponac Lake, Madagascal Lake, and Mattanawcook Lake. The weigh-in will be held at the Ammadamast Grange in Enfield.

. The East Grand Snowmobile Club will hold a derby on Jan. 29-30 on East Grand, Brackett, Deering, and North lakes.

. The Pushaw Lake Snowmobile Club will hold a derby on Pushaw on Feb. 5-6.

. The Hartland Volunteer Fire Department will hold a derby on Moose Pond, Big and Little Indian ponds and Morrell Pond on Feb. 5-6.

. Hancock Memorial American Legion Post 207 will hold a derby on all legal waters of Maine on Feb. 6, with the weigh-in to be held at the Legion Post.

The Colonel’s outdoor tip

This is a great time of year to get outdoors and go ice fishing.

Are you looking for a good bait fish container for ice fishing? Often five-gallon pails and other open-top plastic buckets will leave bait fish exposed to freezing temperatures and make it difficult to keep them alive.

Plastic cooler-type lunch boxes make excellent bait fish containers – they insulate the bait fish against the freezing cold, usually have a decent lid that prevents spills, and double as a food cooler during the rest of the year.

Also, don’t forget – do not release live bait fish into the water after ice fishing. In addition to being unlawful, additions of bait fish to Maine’s inland waters can harm the sport fishery.

Good luck ice fishing!

– Col. Tom Santaguida, chief of the Maine Warden Service