Benefits of Aerial Yoga
Aerial yoga can be a lot of fun, but it also has some exceptional health benefits.
Take a look at the different benefits of learning and practicing aerial yoga.
It is a Total Body Workout
Aerial yoga can be considered a total body workout. You even have to do certain weight lifting and conditioning exercises to be able to pull off some of the yoga moves. You are going to work all of your arm, leg, buttocks, and ab muscles, truly helping to become stronger and more confident.
You Will be in a Great Mood
All forms of exercise are good for your energy and mood, but aerial yoga can really take you that one step further. Whether you have a lot of emotional stress or you struggle with depression, this can help tremendously. It will get to a point where you look forward to your next aerial yoga class, and it becomes almost addicting because of the mood-lifting power this exercise has. If you try it in the morning, it gives you an excellent amount of energy for the rest of the day.
It Helps With Balance and Flexibility
Balance and flexibility are key components of yoga, as well as doing aerial yoga. Even though you are suspended in the air for most of the yoga moves, you still need a good amount of balance to pull these moves off. You are working against gravity and improving your strength at the same time. Due to all the various moves you will do, it also provides an excellent boost in your flexibility.
Safety Tips For Benefits of Aerial Yoga
Aerial yoga is a fun, yet challenging workout to get involved in. It is not something you just try a few times, then take long breaks from. You really need to be dedicated to it in order to get it right. Before you do that, you should understand the following safety precautions.
Start in a Class First
One of the most important things to remember is that aerial yoga requires you to be suspended in the air, using an aerial silk or ring to hold your body for the different poses. While you aren’t extremely high in the air, it can be dangerous to do this on your own at home with no prior experience. It is highly recommended that you start with a class first so you can learn the fundamentals. This also ensures your silks are fastened and secured properly.
Wear the Right Clothing
With aerial yoga, there is certain clothing you should wear for the activity. This is for your own safety, not just comfort. While long yoga pants are okay for traditional yoga, they can get in the way when you are participating in aerial yoga. Stick to the leggings that hug your legs more closely, preferably capri style pants. You should wear just a sports bra or a tight-fitting tank over your sports bra, avoiding loose t-shirts and long-sleeve shirts.
Don’t Forget About Conditioning
Conditioning and strength training is a big part of aerial yoga. This is going to improve your strength and flexibility so that you can do the different aerial yoga moves. It is also essential for your safety when you are suspended in the air, allowing you not to just do the moves, but to have better control and prevent accidents.
Workouts That Help You Train For Aerial Yoga
As you will soon discover, aerial yoga is a challenging workout. There are certain types of training and body conditioning you will need to do between classes so that you are strong enough.
Stretching
You need to have excellent flexibility for aerial yoga, just like with standard yoga on the ground, so you should have a good amount of stretching done beforehand. Not only should you stretch before and after each workout, but on the days in between your aerial yoga workouts as well. This improves your range for the different poses and stretches out your ligaments to avoid pain or injury.
Strength Workouts
The next type of workout that can help you train for aerial yoga is strength workouts. This helps build up the proper momentum for aerial yoga, as mentioned more than once in this report. This includes weight lifting and cardio combined with using weights, such as with kettlebells or even weighted cardio workouts. Try to do strength training 2-3 times a week at least to build up your muscle capacity.
Cross Training
Cross training is going to provide more cardio, while continuing to work on your strength and flexibility in the process. Since aerial yoga is an intense workout, especially for beginners, your cross training is important. Here are some cross training workouts to try out when you want to do aerial yoga:
Pilates
Yoga
Hiking and Walking
Jogging
Dance and Ballet
Aerial Silks VS Rings
When it comes to aerial fitness, there are some different tools that are used. Many people think of the aerial silks or fabric, which is probably most common. But there are also many other ways to do aerial yoga or fitness, from the rings or hoops, to ropes.
Aerial Silks
The first form of aerial yoga, which is also one of the most commonly seen is with the silks. Aerial silks are made of very sturdy and stretchy fabric, sometimes called Tissu. It is a single stretch of fabric that hangs from the ceiling, and that you will use for the various yoga positions. You can use the silks for contorting your body in different ways, swinging, hanging, and climbing. If you take an aerial yoga class or any type of aerial dance class, they will most likely start you with the silks.
Aerial Rings
The aerial ring is next, which might go by the term hoop or Lyra. The aerial ring is typically made of sturdy steel, also attached securely to the ceiling or hung vertically outdoors. With aerial yoga classes that use aerial rings, they will start you off with a single point ring, meaning you use just one ring. Multiple rings are saved for more advanced classes, as well as various trapeze stunts.
The aerial rings provide some different types of moves and tricks you can do, and it is not uncommon to use both the silk and the rings for your aerial yoga or aerial trapeze classes.
Other Forms of Aerial
There are also some other tools that aerial yoga classes sometimes use. This includes the rope, which is similar to a silk, except you do more climbing and inverting with it. Another option is to use a bar between two ropes, called a static trapeze. This is typically saved for more stunt work.
Why You Should Get Professional Instruction
If you have been considering trying out aerial yoga, it is highly recommended that you get professional instruction first. Even if you have a place in your home where you can hang aerial silks and use them that way, there are a lot of techniques that need to be learned first.
Aerial Takes Certain Skills
First of all, you may eventually learn enough proper techniques and form to do aerial on your own, but continued training is essential for this type of sport. Even if you do feel that you have a grasp of the basics, professional classes will ensure you maintain the right form and also that you keep learning more advanced moves. Aerial teachers work with all types of students, including beginner and advanced ones.
You Need the Right Equipment
It also requires some special equipment, which is part of the extra cost you pay when you go to an aerial class instead of trying to set it up at home. The aerial silks need to be right type and support your weight, while also being secured above you.
