Scene & Heard: Aerial Fitness

Aerial fitness trend sitting position

I had heard a lot about aerial fitness for some time now and in my never- ending quest to lose my postpartum weight, I decided that I was going to kick off my shoes and give this new trend a try by taking to the sky (well, not literally).

I made my way through the Toronto gridlock that is summer construction season and arrived, if not a little frazzled, at Brass Vixens on Queen West. Luckily, I had called the studio in advance to inform them that I would be a tad late, so the kind instructor set up my harness for me. Harness, that sounds strange, but consider, you are lifting yourself into the air with this apparatus.

Having been out of the workout saddle for months, I was happy that the class started out with gentle stretching to help get our bodies and muscles warmed up. It was certainly needed, because as soon as that was done, it was time for lift-off.

The aerial fitness trend works with the aforementioned harness (think hammock) and cloth straps, suspended from the ceiling. My classmates and I had to hoist ourselves gently (if not ungracefully—on my part) into the apparatus with our bodies suspended in the air. Certainly, at first it was an odd sort of sensation, particularly for a workout, but it reminded me of my youth and flying through the air on a swing.

Get your body in the air and soar like a bird while working muscles you never knew you had

We did all sorts of exercises and stretched muscles that probably couldn’t be stretched otherwise. Make no mistake, I was glad I had water and glad that it was a small class because I was sweating buckets half way through the class—and could I ever feel the burn. I especially liked that we were focused on engaging our core throughout the exercise, because that is what I wanted to work on most.

By the end of the class I had swung upside down, did flips I hadn’t been able to perform since I wore pigtails and I had an absolute blast. We completed the class swinging silently in our hammocks, listening to the bustle of Queen Street outside the studio.

I felt the workout burn for several days after, so I know that the hour spent was not only enjoyable, but a good workout. I truly enjoyed my aerial fitness experience and I would certainly do it again.

End your aerial fitness session with a relaxing swing

What people are saying about the recent trend:

Get hung up on Aerial Fitness:

• Improve circulation and blood flow – glowing skin
• Release stress and relax – sleep better than ever before
• Align that spine – achieve better posture
• Build muscle – get a strong and lean looking body

Aerial Fitness is for:

• Anyone who wants to fly or join the circus
• Desk job workaholics and before bed laptop junkies
• Yoga and Pilates peeps looking to advance their practice
• Fitness fanatics who want a challenge

For more info and class schedules please visit: Brass Vixens