For some dedicated runners, winter is nothing more than tendon-shocking pavement, slip-sloppy shoulders, or even frightening near-misses with plows.

Chris J. Dunn, an exercise physiologist, used to be one of those harried harriers. He’d suffer through bleak winter roadruns only to feel burnt out in the spring. Then, Dunn found snowshoeing. “When I started using snowshoeing as a cross-training activity,” remembers Dunn, “my fitness level in the spring became head-and-shoulders above where it was before.”

By substituting snowshoeing for one or two days of running each week, runners of all abilities can increase their fitness and enjoy a blissful off-pavement winter wonderland. Here’s how to do it:

JOGGERS (run less than 25 miles per week) It might sound too good to be true, but you don’t have to run with snowshoes to get a full-value cardio workout. In fact, Dunn recommends against it.

Because snow is softer than a jogging path, snowshoeing engages your leg muscles more than jogging does. This is especially true in deep snow.

When translating workouts between jogging and snowshoeing, Dunn advises maintaining the duration of your exercise but decreasing the intensity. For example, 30 minutes of jogging on pavement is roughly equivalent to 30 minutes of steady walking with snowshoes.

“The neat thing about [snowshoeing] is that you can trek anywhere,” says Dunn. Easy hiking trails, local conservation land, or even golf courses and athletic fields can transform from mundane to marvelous with a pair of basic snowshoes.

RUNNERS (run 25-50 miles per week) As a trainer for acidotic RACING, an adventure racing team in New Hampshire, Dunn is often approached by proficient runners who want to try snowshoeing. He cautions them against being too aggressive. Running in snowshoes, Dunn says, is “unlike running on trails or roads; the physical demand is more than they’d ever imagine.”

He recommends that runners throw on the snowshoes only once or twice a week. Initial workouts should be conservative, such as alternating between five minutes of running and five minutes of walking, for a total of 30 to 60 minutes. If that feels easy, try intervals of 10 or 15 minutes. And running continuously for 20 minutes is “very respectable,” praises Dunn.

Running in snowshoes is best accomplished with lighter “running” models that have a small surface area, often retailing from $75 to $150. Major brands also sell “racing” snowshoes, which retail up to $350. Also, because you’ll be revving up the metabolism, Dunn stresses to layer lightly. Strapping regular running shoes into snowshoes is OK, but trail-running shoes usually have better traction and stability. Also, avoid going too heavy on the socks. “You don’t have to worry about your feet getting cold,” predicts Dunn, “you’ll be working hard.”

FLIERS (run more than 50 miles per week) Highly competitive runners might find a new zing to their stride after a few snowshoe workouts. Just don’t get injured trying to do too much too soon, warns Dunn. Experienced athletes may add an additional day of snowshoeing, but cross-training on snowshoes more than three times per week is too much. Dunn notes that what makes snowshoeing attractive–getting off of hard roads–can cause overuse injuries in soft tissue, like the Achilles tendon.

That being said, advanced snowshoeing can offer unique running-related workouts. Adam Chase, the captain and manager of Atlas Snowshoes Racing Team, says snowshoeing is the best sport to enjoy beautiful, untracked winter landscapes, and breaking trail is an unrivaled exercise.

One of Chase’s favorite workouts is to run single file with four or five partners through fresh snow, swapping leads regularly. The front runner will be working very hard, while those “drafting” in the broken trail can recover and prepare for their turn at the head of the line. To do a similar workout without peers, Chase suggests finding a large, untracked snowfield and running perimeter laps, increasing your pace as you’re able to.

Some serious aerobic athletes may choose to train explicitly for snowshoe competitions. According to Chase, road runners tend to make decent snowshoe racers, although the downhills are their biggest trouble spots. He tells hopeful racers to “lean forward, maintain good posture, and look ahead,” which Chase adds “is always harder than it sounds.”

Chase also offers advice that applies to anyone: “Just float and have fun and enjoy it!”