Many people will be hitting the ski slopes over President’s Day weekend, and lift lines will continue to grow through spring break and beyond. The air may be thin at the top of the lift but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to breathe. In fact, Anne Anderson, a certified ski instructor from Mohawk Mountain in Connecticut, takes advantage of the fresh mountain air by teaching her skiers breathing and meditation practices as part of her lesson plan.

Snowga, a combination of the two words ‘snow’ and ‘yoga’ is the latest hybrid yoga class to hit the slopes. A blend of yoga and skiing, Snowga helps to improve your downhill skiing skills by incorporating yoga poses, breath work, and meditation. Created by Anderson, Snowga also helps skiers face their fears of the mountain and stay calm and relaxed on difficult terrain. “Yoga has a natural benefit of healing. It calms the mind and body and is a true compliment to snow sports education,” Anderson told Fox News in a recent interview.

Anderson is not the only skier who practices yoga on and off the slopes. U.S. Ski Team freestyle mogul skier Heather McPhie adds a little yoga to the days she skis. “It is so helpful in keeping my body more physically prepared and is a wonderful pause in my day where I get away from everything else and just center,” McPhie also explained in her interview with Fox News.

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After a full day of snowboarding, skiing or snowshoeing the muscles of the hips can shorten and tighten. Flexible, open hips are a must for winter athletes. Without them performance may decrease while the risk of injury increases.

The following hip opening yoga poses are a must for keeping the lower body healthy and limber.

Warrior I and Crescent Lunge for the Hip Flexors

The psoas muscles, located along the front crease of the hips, are the powerful muscles that give winter athletes control, stability and strength. When they are tight, the low back suffers and as a result, injury can occur.

Yoga poses that stretch the psoas muscles are warrior one and crescent lunge. Similar to a runner’s lunge, these poses extend the front of the hip, giving those mighty hip flexors a dose of elasticity. For best results, be sure to tuck your tailbone under slightly.

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There is nothing worse than spending the rest of your glorious ski vacation in bed because your legs are too sore to do anything else. You want to keep skiing, to do a little shopping or go out dancing after a day on the slopes, but that is just not going to happen if you are out of shape. The black diamond advanced moguls, blue intermediate groomed runs or green beginner bunny slopes will get the best of you if you do not prepare ahead of time.

Whether you are a hot shot on the hill or you just want to look hot in your brand new ski outfit, the following yoga pose and its equivalent rating of intensity will help keep you on your feet.

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Many people look at the winter season as a time to let up on their outdoor exercise because the weather is too nasty. But there’s no reason to hibernate. There are plenty of things to do that aren’t just fun, but can also burn some serious calories.

Here are some winter activities and the calories burned. The number of calories will vary depending on your weight. So, for the sake of simplicity, this will be based on someone who is 160 pounds:

Downhill Skiing - Skiing isn’t just fun, it’s a great way to burn calories and workout your entire body. Make sure you warm up and stretch before you head out on the slopes. You should also stretch after skiing to minimize the pain. If you don’t, be prepared to feel like your thighs are on fire. If you ski for an hour (and who doesn’t ski longer?), you will burn about 740 calories.
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Tired of your old, boring workout routine and searching for a new and enjoyable one? Today, I am going to discuss the top five exercises that burn calories like it is going out of style.

1. Swimming Workouts are a fun and enjoyable activity for almost anyone and burns up to 700 calories per hour.

2. Running stairs adds a new twist to your cardio routine and burns up to 700 per hour calories as well.

3. Boxing is a great total body exercise and burns around 900 calories per hour.

4. Snow skiing or snowboarding burn 600 to 700 calories per hour, depending on your weight, but is expensive and the mountains are not always right next door. It is still a great workout and helps reduce a great deal of stress.

5. Running, the best of both worlds. Although rough on the joints, it is by far the best fat burning exercise for the body. Running burns up to 1,000 calories per hour, depending on how fast and far you are running.