All of us are always trying to figure out different ways to incorporate working out and relaxing into our schedules. While jogging and yoga are wonderful ways to give us peace of mind while being physically active, sometimes they can feel a little boring. For some of us, there’s no way to motivate ourselves to sit down and stretch. If you’re looking for a new and fun way to work out and still practice the art of meditation, then aerial yoga may be for you!
What Exactly is Aerial Yoga?
Aerial yoga (or silks) is a mix of yoga, pilates, and dancing all while being suspended in the air! Already it sounds thrilling! Your yoga swing is a silk hammock that can be installed on almost any ceiling. Being suspended in the air allows your weight to be supported as you move into different positions as opposed to being stretched out across the floor.
Now, this might sound a little intimidating, and possibly even a little dangerous, but don’t let that stop you. If installed correctly, most aerial yoga swings can support weight up anywhere from 500 to 1000 pounds.
Benefits of Yoga
Before we get into why you should begin practicing this new way of fitness, let’s talk about the benefits of yoga. If you didn’t know this already, yoga is extremely beneficial for your health. Health Harvard tells us that “Practicing yoga a couple of times a week increases muscle strength and flexibility, boosts endurance and tunes up your heart, lungs, and blood vessels”.
What type of yoga poses can you do?
When you think of practicing yoga, you may be thinking of poses like downward dog and standing tree pose. Are you able to do those types of poses while being suspended in the air? ABSOLUTELY! In fact, with the ability to contour your body with no floor as a restriction, you’re able to do many more poses in an aerial yoga swing! Who knew floors could be so limiting!
Beginners can expect to be limited with the number of yoga poses you can do. With every new workout routine, you’ll want to slowly work into it to give your body time to adjust. When starting aerial yoga, make sure to give your body a break every other day. Your muscles need time to get used to the new ways they are working. Once your body gets used to stretching in this way you’ll feel like you’re flying as you work out.
Pilates + Aerial Yoga
This is where aerial yoga gets fun. Not only can you use your aerial yoga swing to perform yoga, but you can add in a mixture of pilates moves to get an even better workout. Prevention describes pilates as “a low-impact form of exercise that combines deep breathing with gentle stretching to boost strength, balance, and mobility. Workouts target your “powerhouse” (your abs, lower back, pelvic floor, hips, and glutes), but you’ll hit other areas too.”
Imagine not only having to hold certain poses in the air but also being able to move into different ones with ease at a steady pace. On top of that, you’ll be working out every single muscle group that you are wanting to tone! Implementing pilates into your aerial yoga routine is an incredible workout and inspiration to keep getting back in the air.
Relaxation
Being able to meditate in the air can give you a new perspective of the world. The portability of an aerial yoga swing is a huge plus as well. If you’re trying to practice yoga in your home, but your toddler is crawling on your feet, you can simply climb in the swing or take your aerial yoga hammock outside and suspend from a tree! This immediately provides you space away from the world to begin your relaxation.
Fun for the Whole Family!
Aerial yoga doesn’t have to just be for you, it’s something the whole family can enjoy! Practicing yoga offers the same, if not more, benefits to kids as it does for us. VeryWellFit tells us that kids who practice yoga can expect benefits such as “improved body awareness, coordination, and stress relief”. They go on to say, “Experiencing yoga can also help encourage kids to explore the unfamiliar with open minds and be comfortable in their bodies.”
With teaching your kids about aerial yoga, they’ll find new and fun ways of working out and stress relief, all while flying! Your kids will be constantly begging you to practice their aerial yoga skills, so you may want to invest in two swings! The best part about aerial yoga swings for kids is when they become tired, they can simply lay in the hammock and relax.
Read more: The many benefits of kids yoga
Where can I get an aerial yoga swing?
There are so many different options when you’re looking to purchase your first aerial yoga swing! The biggest suggestion we have is to make sure you’ll love aerial yoga before investing in your own swing. If you do a quick Google search, you’re bound to find aerial yoga gyms that offer beginner classes! This will help encourage and motivate you even more to continue this new form of working out and purchase your first aerial yoga swing!
Now that you’ve signed up for your aerial yoga class, you’re ready to purchase your first swing! We suggest going with a yoga hammock as you continue to learn and shape your body to an aerial yoga workout. Intey offers an aerial yoga hammock that is perfect for beginners, including hand straps to help pull you out of tricky positions. It even comes with everything for installation in your home!
Once you’ve mastered your skills at aerial yoga, you’ll have enough core strength built up to move on to aerial yoga silks.
So, ladies, it’s time to ditch your old yoga routine and get ready for some fun. With so many benefits to yoga, your body and mind will thank you for your constant struggle to shape and tone your muscles. While you’re spending time on your aerial swing, you won’t even think twice about it being a workout – you’ll be having so much fun feeling like you’re flying.
WANT TO READ MORE?
If you’re still not convinced you should practice yoga of some kind, make sure to check out how Yoga can Improve your Marriage and Sex Life!
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Photo Credits: Lauren Benson Photography | Tim Mossholder Unsplash
Sources: Health Harvard | Prevention | VeryWellFit
