The equipment and skill required for snowshoeing are minimal — but moving over the snow will be even more enjoyable (and healthier) when your body and mind are prepared for the sport's unique difficulties. For that, we consulted Rosemary Todd Clough, an avid snowshoer and owner/director of Moving Spirit, an education, health, and wellness center in Hollis, NH, where most of the teachers are trained in Kripalu yoga. Yoga and snowshoeing may seem as different as summer and winter, but to Clough they go hand-in-hand. "If I weren't doing yoga," she says, "I wouldn’t be having as much fun snowshoeing as I do." Here are four yoga-based exercises that will help you find similar joy in snowshoeing.

DIRGA BREATHING When you strap on snowshoes and try to plow through deep drifts, you'll realize how aerobic snowshoeing can be. Don't get caught breathless. Clough recommends Dirga Pranayama, an exercise that trains your core muscles to achieve deep, oxygen-rich breaths. This exercise is also called Three-Part Breathing because as you inhale from a standing, seated, or lying position, you should feel your belly expand first, then your ribs, and finally your chest. You should also feel your spine lengthen while you draw in air. Exhale completely by drawing your navel toward your spine while continuing to keep the spine elongated. Repeat for about 10 breaths. Practicing Dirga Pranayama may help you to breathe deeply on the trail and circulate oxygen where it will be needed the most, in your legs.

ARM SMART, NOT STRONG Clough cautions against becoming over-reliant on poles for balance and propulsion. This can decrease aerobic capacity and stride efficiency. She suggests Yoga Mudra, a posture that promotes an understanding of how your arm and shoulder muscles work, in addition to building strength and flexibility. Standing with your legs shoulder-width apart, interlock your fingers and hands, palms touching, behind your back and bend at the hips, lowering your ribs toward your thighs.

DID YOU KNOW?
Snowshoeing and yoga can each be traced back more than 5,000 years.

Roll your shoulders back so that your shoulder blades reach toward each other and your arms point upward. Hold this posture for a few deep breaths. If this exercise feels stressful, hold a towel or necktie between your hands in lieu of interlocking your fingers. While performing Yoga Mudra, avoid awkward or forced movements such as your wrists and palms splaying outward — a major no-no. "Let the shoulders find their own way," says Clough.

WARRIOR POWER Snowshoeing, like yoga, can be incredibly graceful, yet somewhere down the trail you'll encounter steep slopes, deep snow, or both at the same time. In order to have the leg power to complete these tough sections, Clough suggests the Warrior Pose (Virabhadrasana). Starting with the right foot, lunge forward so that your right knee forms a 90-degree angle. Make sure your hips are square with your shoulders. Allow the back leg and foot to be extended. You may be balancing on flexed toes or on a flat foot with the toes of the back foot on a 45-degree angle to the front leg. Hold the pose for about five breaths, step back, then repeat by leading with your left leg. For the sake of building strength and flexibility for snowshoeing, Clough recommends leaving your arms at your side as you lunge forward or putting your hands above your head palms facing toward each other. The important thing is not to let your arms "dominate" this pose, she says. This one is about your legs.

CHILD FLEXIBILITY Snowshoes are designed to keep you afloat, but inevitably they will sink a bit in soft or untracked snow. This taxes small stabilizer muscles throughout your body and places discrete demands on small muscles in your feet and ankles — especially if you must pull your shoes from deep snow step after step. According to Clough, the Child Pose (Balasana) can increase flexibility in the whole body, including susceptible joints and muscles such as those surrounding the feet. Kneel and ease your buttocks down so that you are sitting on your heels. Next, bend at the hips so that your chest is resting on your thighs. Let your forehead approach or touch the ground. Lay your arms alongside your legs, with your palms facing up and relaxed. Hold this curled position for numerous breaths. This posture helps to gain additional foot and ankle flexibility. Clough suggests curling your toes under so they touch the floor, or letting the top of your foot, toes pointed, rest on the floor. "While snowshoeing," she says, "you will want to have flexible feet and ankles."