Al - I love to walk outside and can't wait until it gets a little nicer so my dogs and I can do our appointed rounds. I would seriously look at a treadmill, however, for those days when it is really nasty. A treadmill, especially one with some of the newer features makes a lot of sense. Here's why: They have timers and distance measurement so you can make sure you have a good workout, and a thorough workout. some of them tie into your DVD player so you can walk/jog though a program with your personal trainer. You will have complete control over your speed. some of them have a built in heart rate monitor so you can be sure you don't exceed your recommended heart rate. Most of them have built in programs that take your though a terrain that will give you some peaks and valleys that most cardiologists like to see. Nuff said ? Chris