Originally Published: 8/5/2018

Reformatted: 5/7/2021

by malia warren

If you’re hooked on the barbell like me, it’s kind of hard to break away from it.

I mean, what other exercises exist besides lifting a heavy barbell?

Am I Right?

THIS IS WHY I started the Work, Lift, Balance blog. Basically, I wanted to see how I would fair trying other fitness classes.

Someone recently asked me why I would waste my time trying other fitness classes when I already know what I love?

Huh?

My answer is why not.

I’ve been there: the girl walking into the gym, feeling anxious, intimidated and self-conscious. I didn’t think I would EVER love CrossFit and lifting weights as much as I do today.

But that’s because I kept going, kept trying new things, and continue to challenge myself, and never let the doubt of others affect my goals.

I try these new classes to see what new strengths I can pull out of my body, and what weaknesses I can work on.

My only rule about trying these classes, is that they have to, in some way compliment and/or improve my athletic abilities in some way.

So, you probably won’t catch me in a Nap Fitness class.

No shade, I just prefer to burn my calories with sweat!

Yes, it’s a thing.

Sorry friends, I love naps, but I like sweating, more.

I’m particularly excited about this post because I have always wanted to try out an Aerial Yoga class!

Walking into the AIR Denver studio, it looks like many other fitness studios with a mirror on the wall and hardwood floor.

Except.

There are large pieces of fabric hanging from the ceiling.

The official title is: Silks. As in, Aerial Silks. Aerial Hammock.

My first thoughts are:

How do we use these for Yoga?

Shit, I should’ve gotten here earlier so I didn’t have to be in the front.

And… can that thing hold my weight?        

They can! And they did! The weight limit is 1000-2000 lbs, so don’t even worry, girlfriend!

Think you’ll look silly doing it?

You will, but so will everyone else!

These big guys are tricky to get comfortable with but the idea is to, literally, go with the flow and listen to your instructors tips on how to execute each position.

HUGE trust exercise. Trust your instructors. Trust that you CAN do this. The absolute worst that can happen is you fall 2 feet from the silks to the soft mat on the ground. Which I definitely did.

This is not your typical yoga. There will be no “namastay quiet” on my own mat type of class.

Expect some giggles and laughs, as well as “ooo’s” and “ahhhh’s” for the girls who can get into the funkier positions.

The knowledgeable instructors will guide you through a range of positions, including comfortable ones for relaxation and challenging ones for those of us who want to try to look cool for the Instagram picture.

I thoroughly enjoyed this class for challenge and the fun that it offered!

Will I be back? Definitely!

The distance from my house is a little bit too far (30-45 min) to justify a month membership but if it was closer I would be all over it.

The stretching, relaxation, and challenge of strength to hold positions, are a great addition to any strength training program, if not for the pure fun of it.

Plus the feeling of landing one of the positions (pictured left here) is really cool and exciting. Hanging upside down (with a safety net of course) is enough to feel like a kid again!

I 100% stand by the fact that being a functional fitness athlete helped me with the strength needed to get into some of the tougher positions.

I’m ready to install my own Yoga Hammock in my basement for some relaxation hanging!

Check out @airfitnow on Instagram to see all the fun positions, or even dance type classes using the silks, you can get into! Find a location near you at www.airfitnow.com

I’ll just be waiting over here for a studio to come closer to me so I can join in on all the fun regularly.

So how would it benefit a functional fitness athlete? A few ways, I think!

Rest and relaxation is a huge one, but also the challenging positions and being able to hang and stretch in ways that are sometimes opposite in how we move.

Jump into an aerial yoga class or get your own home set-up with some YouTube videos and stretch away, my friend!

Have you tried an Aerial Yoga Class? What benefits have you found from incorporating Yoga type classes to your strength training schedule?

If you have any questions or you would like to be a guest blogger, please email us at hello@liftingthedream.com

Bee Tee Dubs (BTW). 

CROSSFIT, INC., USAW, AIRINC, DO NOT ENDORSE, SANCTION, APPROVE OF, OR SUPPORT THIS WORK OR ANY OPINION EXPRESSED HEREIN.