Class Act: AntiGravity Yoga "Wings"

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:30:00 PST

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,

The hour-long class starts with simple motions not only to warm up your body, but also to give yourself a chance to warm up to the idea of working with a piece of fabric hanging from the ceiling. As you stretch, move, and explore the hammock, it is essential to keep tension in the prop at all times. You push into the hammock to gain more control over its swinging nature. There is no way to get through this class, from the light aerobic dance moves in the beginning of class to the supported yoga poses, without using your deep abs. So your belly gets worked with zero sit-ups. The class combines elements of challenge, like swinging in a superman position with the hammock on your pelvis, and relaxation, found in many of the supported stretches. The class ends using the hammock to create many inversions, which feel divine for the spine. I especially like how the traditional closing pose of a yoga class, savasana, has been replaced with "cocoon," which involves completely wrapping yourself in the hammock and gently swaying in the breeze.

The class also really works your arms. Pushing down into the fabric of the hammock targets the lats and triceps. At the moment, these classes are taught exclusively at Crunch gyms, but I predict that more classes mixing yoga with different circus-like elements will be popping up all over.

If you live in the SF Bay Area, you should take advantage of the free 45-minute workshop being offered at Crunch 1000 Van Ness on Saturday, Nov. 22. The three workshops run from 1:15-4:15 p.m. and are open to the public. Arrive early; space is limited and is first come, first served. I suggest you wear tight-fitting clothes and leave your jewelry at home.

Check out the moves below to see how versatile the hammocks are.

View 3 Photos ›

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Get High Like Pink

FitSugar — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:00:13 PST

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

Some classes are all about learning how to do aerial dancing, and some are fitness classes that incorporate different types of circus arts, so contact the school to get more info.

Santa Cruz, CA: Mir and A Company
San Francisco, CA: Circus Center
San Francisco, CA: AcroSports
Santa Ana and Encino, CA: The Aerial Classroom
Denver, CO: Aerial Dance Over Denver
Denver, CO: Miraas Aerial Dance Studio
Denver, CO: Aerial Fabric Acrobatics
Boulder, CO: Frequent Flyers
Clearwater and Tampa Bay, FL: BB's Dance & Circus Arts
Chicago, IL: Aloft Aerial Dance
Long Hill Township, NJ: AntiGravity Yoga at Core Connection
Brooklyn, NY: Aerial Yoga
Brooklyn, NY: Fly by Night Dance Theater
New York, NY: Trapeze School of New York
Portland, OR: Pendulum Aerial Arts
Brattleboro, VT: New England Center for Circus Arts
Brooklyn, East Bay, Los Angeles, Miami Beach, New York City, and San Francisco: Anti-Gravity Yoga Wings Class at Crunch Gym

I tried that Anti-Gravity Yoga, and it sure was fun! These are just a few of the schools and classes in the US, so if you don't see one near you, do a little search on the Internet and I'm sure you'll be able to find one in your area.