This ancient mind-body practice is not new but what’s great is that it can be practised on-the-go and can boost your mood, and strengthen your entire body. While traditional Ashtanga, Hatha, and Vinyasa classes are readily available, fitness pros are also constantly finding new ways to reinvent yoga. Many classes now involve a combination of Pilates moves as well, and some take it even further— such as aerial yoga, and rope wall yoga.
Fly Yoga or Aerial Yoga is a form of yoga utilising a hammock, which is draped from the ceiling and supports your full body weight. Once you’re in the hammock, an instructor will teach you to manoeuver the fabric so that you can hold poses (like headstands) or perform moves such as swings and back-flips, or use it to support your feet for exercises like push-ups. The unique thing about aerial yoga is that the hammock provides suspension which enables you to achieve complex moves which may have taken a longer time to master on-ground, has zero-impact, yet can be great for building abs and getting a cardio workout as well.
A new study from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) showed that women who did three 50-minute aerial yoga classes a week for six weeks lost an average of two and a half pounds, 2 percent body fat, and about one inch from their waist.
One of the pioneers of aerial yoga (back then called Body Fly) testifies that it helps in strengthens the core, improves agility and tones muscles.
Fitness First, one of AIA Vitality’s partners, is among the few fitness centres in Malaysia offering the Aerial Yoga experience through classes led by yoga instructors.