The mission To swap the credit crunch for the ab crunch, to practise a little holistic belt tightening, and put a brave new (younger-looking) face on all the gloom and doom.

USP When times are hard there's nothing for a girl to do but to get to a nunnery - preferably one in the South of France. The exclusive, anti-ageing, five-day retreat is geared at putting high-powered, high-maintenance females in touch with their inner Frenchwoman, through exercise, diet, beauty treatments and talks by the retreat's founder, the writer and journalist Helena Frith Powell. And there's little HFP doesn't know about unlocking inner French- women; she lives locally and has written a book on the subject (Two Lipsticks and A Lover, Random House, £6.99.)

Ambience Cool and fragrant; laid-back and informal. The retreat is held in a former convent, decorated in tasteful shades of dove grey, in the pretty village of Hérépian. There are 13 spacious suites (just the right side of spartan), with fantastically comfy beds. Lavender and other aromatherapy oils waft pleasantly through the flagstoned interior. The spa on the ground floor is small but perfectly formed; there is one treatment room, a hydrotherapy pool, showers, and a few loungers looking out on to the south-facing terrace and the Black Mountains.

Quality of experience Enthusiastic, comprehensive and good fun. HFP has assembled a formidable trio of experts to knock us into shape: Anna Cooper (exercise and pep talks), Tina Richards (skincare and diet) and Sonia (massage and beauty therapy). A typical day kicks off at 8am, with HFP herself serving guests a healthy infusion of ginger, mint and lemon in their rooms before yoga on the terrace at 8.30am. After sun salutations, breakfast and, an hour later, a serious workout with Anna on the aforementioned abs, there's a chat on de-stressing, beauty food and how to feel good about yourself when age creeps up on you. Lunch is followed by beauty treatments, then yoga (and more ab work), dinner and bed.

Sonia delivered a vigorous and no-nonsense sports massage, which left me feeling revitalised. No self-respecting Frenchwoman would neglect her nails, and although the polish on my fingers peeled off quickly, the pedicure was spot-on down to my navy-blue toes (the couleur du jour). The skincare consultation with Tina, based on a questionnaire I had filled in before the retreat, was a revelation. Her top tip? Sunscreen, sunscreen - no matter what the weather.

Products Aromatherapy oils and essential lavender oil, produced locally, in the spa. L'Occitane products in the suites.

Food Organic, locally sourced where possible and light on buttery sauces. Breakfast consisted of cereals, fresh fruits and yoghurt, green tea - and coffee for me (well, nobody's perfect).

In-crowd Smart, sassy women who like all things French and want to overhaul their beauty regimen.

Wallet watch Not cheap at £2,500. However, that includes everything, bar the flights. I flew Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) to Carcassonne, but Hérépian can also be reached easily from Béziers and Montpellier. Free transport from local airport or train station.

Need to know The next retreat is September 25-29. For more information, visit www.renewretreats.co.uk; Le Couvent d'Hérépian, www.couventherepian.com. To find out more about Tina Richards, visit tinarichards.com.

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