Snow-ga to avoid on-piste muscle ache

Chill out on the slopes with snowga

It's the next big thing for snowbunnies: Snowga.

And it's such a brilliant idea (and name!) we can't imagine why we're not all at it.

Imagine combining your adrenaline-boosting day on the mountain, with a double dose of restorative, strengthening and injury-preventing yoga? Sounds like the most amazing winter sports holiday ever.

Yoga teacher and boarding enthusiast Claire Goodchild launched Snowga in the Alpine ski resort of Val d’Isere, to help you get the most out of your time on the slopes, by adding snow-sport-enhancing yoga.

Increasing numbers of professional skiers and snowboarders are cottoning on to the physical and mental benefits of including yoga in their regular training regimes.

Claire explains how Snowga came about, 'While on a predominantly male snowboarding holiday two years ago, I decided to continue my yoga practice. I searched the resort for studio classes I could attend but found none, so I began to take my own quick morning practice and evening wind-down in the chalet.

'By day two the guys got curious after they noticed I wasn't complaining about aching joints or sore muscles like the rest of them. The next day, two of them joined me doing yoga.

'By the end of the week, evryone was at it except one - it was hilarious! Their unexpected willingness to try it out, followed by the hugely positive feedback about their experiences, highlighted to me that this really should be more widely available in ski resorts. And so the idea of Snowga was born.'

Claire's Val d'Isere Snowga classes focus on preparing the key muscle groups and joints that take the brunt of the action when skiing or snowboarding, helping you stay out longer on the mountain. Benefits include increased stamina, better balance and thus more control, plus fewer injuries because of increased flexibility and awareness.

A morning pre-ski class increases the blood flow to cold, sleepy morning muscles, with postures designed to increase stamina and flexibility, leaving you energized and ready to hit the slopes.

The après-ski class takes place in a heated studio, designed to release and decompress the muscles, warm up your bones after an active day in the snow, and help you relax.

Visit the Snowga website for information and dates.