If swinging on a trapeze is not your thing but you've always wanted to experience a circus workout, try an aerial arts silks class. Although there is climbing involved, it's nothing compared to the heights scaled to fly on a trapeze. Working with the silks is a graceful full-body workout, with an emphasis on the upper body and core — even your fingers will feel worked.
One way to shake up a humdrum fitness routine is by going outside the box — way outside. (And I'm not talking about hitting the treadmill after a stint on the elliptical.) Push yourself to the limit with a workout that tests both your fears and physicality. It's amazing what you can do once you set your sights on something.
To find out what it takes to fly through the air like a circus performer, we're turning to the Trapeze School New York (TSNY) to show us the ropes. With the Santa Monica Pier as our backdrop, the TSNY instructors teach us that a flying trapeze lesson is more fun than scary and that it's also a great workout for your core. Best of all — anyone can do it!
Circus-inspired fitness classes are becoming increasingly popular and for good reason. Being able to spin, flip, and balance your way through the air takes a tremendous amount of strength, balance, flexibility, and courage — it also looks like a lot of fun, too! Curious about tapping into the circus arts while also achieving the body of a Cirque du Soleil performer? Keep reading to see which circus acts are at a gym near you.
Yes! I was one of the children who wanted to run away and join the circus, even in spite of the creepy clowns. I was lucky enough to live out a bit of this fantasy at the Trapeze School New York on the Santa Monica pier and take a turn on the flying trapeze. And it is nothing short of exhilarating. Learning to listen, understand, and implement commands while upside down is more challenging than I would have ever expected, but releasing the bar and swinging from just my knees made me feel as giddy as a school girl. Workout bonus: my abs, hamstrings, forearms, and upper back all felt pleasantly worked after my lesson. I can't wait to fly again!
Dreya Weber may not be a household name, but in the circles she runs with, she's a big deal. Renowned aerialist, former Olympian, and the choreographer behind Pink's jaw-dropping aerial routine at this year's Grammys, she's also toured with Madonna, Britney Spears, Rihanna, and Christina Aguilera. But hey, if aerial arts aren't your thing, Dreya is just as known for appearing in the P90X DVD fitness series — she even has an exercise move named after her, the Dreya Roll!
Dreya is currently playing Cleopatra at Teatro ZinZanni in San Francisco, a dinner cabaret show that combines live music, improv, and circus arts. On a recent Friday, I was invited to see the show for myself; I didn't know what to expect, but the whole production blew me away. Quite literally between a costume change, I had a few minutes to ask Dreya what she does to stay in such amazing shape. As an aside, these pictures are a far cry from how amazing she looks in person; Dreya is clearly one fit woman who takes great care of herself!
Find out what Dreya does to stay in shape, and see pics from the show when you read more
Everyone at Sugar HQ is so excited, because tonight is the big premiere of Sex and the City 2. Since Yum shared some of the biggest food trends from the series, and Bella gave us a photo recap of Carrie's hair evolution, it seems only fitting that we share our favorite fitness moments from Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte. And while the girls might be known more for shopping, romance, and cosmos, these scenes provided a great backdrop for some classic one-liners.
Photos courtesy of HBO
Watching the Grammys last night, one of my favorite acts was Pink, not only because she is a gorgeous and strong role model for how your body can look with hard work, but because of her aerial dance moves. Wearing a skin-tight and skin-colored leotard, she spun high above us in the air, singing her heart out and doing acrobatic yoga moves while being cradled in a ribbon of white. It was really amazing, and if you missed it, check out the clip below of her gorgeous strength and flexibility.
While watching Pink soar in the air, if you thought "Wow, I want to do that," you're not alone. What woman doesn't want to wrap herself in ribbons and dance in the sky? Combining gymnastics, aerobatics, yoga, and dance, aerial dancing takes tremendous strength, courage, flexibility, and balance. Not only is it a great workout, but it will build your confidence and is probably the most fun you'll have while burning calories. Adult classes for all levels are offered in many cities across the US, so if you're interested, check out the list of schools near you when you read more
Inspired by the list of the upcoming fitness trends generated by the American College of Sports Medicine, I have started my own list of how working out will evolve in 2009.
The ancient practice of yoga is flexible enough (bad pun, I know) to mix with almost any other form of exercise or prop. The folks over at Crunch have been dreaming up trend-setting classes for years now, and their latest yoga hybrid is AntiGravity Yoga "Wings." The class blends traditional yoga poses with circus arts to create 60 minutes of good fun in the form of strength and flexibility training. You often forget you're exercising, but your muscles will remind you the next day. The class is centered around a soft fabric hammock, which supports you in basic yoga poses but also allows you to swing.
For details and images of the class, read more
As a little girl, who didn't dream of flying around on a trapeze dressed in dazzling spangles. Some childhood dreams can come true, but maybe without all the sequins. Chances are high that you can find Adult Circus Arts Fitness classes (also called Aerial Arts) in your neck of the woods, since these classes are becoming increasingly popular. You can learn to walk on a tight rope, to perform handstands on blocks, or to dance tangled in a long pieces of silk hanging from the ceiling. Check out the video to see the feats you could learn.
There is no way you could get bored with this type of workout. Not only do the Circus Arts look amazingly fun, but all these stunts will challenge your strength intensely since they require so much attention, strength, balance, and endurance. Are you're interested in taking a class or workshop? Then read more
