Aerial yoga, also known as anti-gravity yoga or flying yoga, is a beautiful blend of traditional yoga poses, Pilates, and dance. This popular exercise offers a wide range of benefits and is suitable for any body type and age when performed with the proper techniques and guidance.
It supports your external as well as internal health. When performed correctly, it can significantly enhance your flexibility and strength levels and lead to a balanced body.
In this blog, we will explore the benefits of aerial yoga and its positive impacts on health, skin, mental health, and spinal health. We will also guide you on how to get started and more.
Health Benefits of Aerial Yoga
1. Improves Flexibility & Strength
In aerial yoga, as one moves through the poses, the chest, shoulders, and spine are gently opened without putting too much pressure on the lower back. The support of the hammock allows your body to move more freely into stretches, forcing the core muscles to engage more deeply to maintain stability.
2. Boosts Circulation & Detoxification
One of the lesser-known benefits of aerial yoga is its ability to boost blood circulation. Several aerial yoga inversions, such as aerial shoulder stands, involve placing the hammock under the shoulders while extending the legs upward. These inversions provide support to the neck and spine while increasing blood flow to the brain and upper body. Aerial inversions are excellent in stimulating the lymphatic system and promoting detoxification.
3. Reduces Joint Pressure
During traditional exercises or regular movements, strain is often felt in areas like the knees, wrists, and spine. Practising in the air facilitates an even distribution of weight, reducing pressure on the weight-bearing joints. This is especially beneficial for people with issues like arthritis or tendonitis. However, it is important to perform these exercises with caution and under the guidance of a qualified instructor.
4. Enhances Core Stability
While performing suspended poses in aerial yoga, the body constantly engages the abdominal muscles, obliques, and lower back to stay stable and controlled. Their continuous involvement encourages building a supportive core over time. A strong core not only enhances performance in aerial yoga but also improves everyday activities like walking and lifting more efficiently. It can also reduce back pain and provide support to the spine.
5. Aids Digestion
In aerial yoga inversions, as the body is suspended upside down at different angles, the shift in gravity stimulates the digestive system. This stimulation encourages blood flow to the stomach and intestines, which helps in better nutrient absorption and improves overall digestive function. Regular practice can also help with issues such as constipation and contribute to a balanced gut and healthy metabolism.
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Aerial Yoga for Skin Care
1. Increases Blood Circulation
Performing aerial yoga, especially through inversions, improves blood flow to the head and upper body. This increased circulation ensures more oxygen and nutrients are delivered to the skin cells, resulting in a natural and healthy glow.
2. Reduces Stress-related Breakouts
Besides physical benefits, aerial yoga also reduces stress levels by lowering cortisol production. Cortisol, which is a steroid hormone, regulates metabolism, the immune system, and the body’s reaction to stress. Elevated cortisol levels can impact skin health, including inflammation in the body, acne, and irritation. Hence, practising aerial yoga can help maintain the hormonal balance, promote relaxation, and prevent stress-related skin problems.
3. Boosts Collagen Production
Collagen, a vital protein, plays an important role in providing structural support to the body’s tissues, maintaining the skin’s firmness, and enhancing elasticity. By adding aerial yoga to your routine, collagen production is naturally boosted, and the improved circulation helps skin cells receive more nourishment, resulting in the reduction of fine lines and an improved skin texture.
4. Sweat Detox
As one performs various poses in aerial yoga, the body works harder to maintain balance, leading to increased body temperature. The elevated temperature induces sweating, which helps the body naturally detoxify. The detoxification includes clearing clogged pores by flushing out toxins, excess oils, and impurities from the skin.
Aerial Yoga for Mental Health
1. Reduces Anxiety & Stress
The gentle swaying of the hammock’s support provides a sense of weightlessness and induces a calming state. It helps to release tension in the tight muscles, which often store stress. Inversions, an important element, help with blood circulation and relax the nervous system.
2. Enhances Mindfulness
Aerial yoga demands practitioners be fully present in the moment while maintaining balance in the hammock. This helps individuals shift their mental energy away from worries and anxieties and become more aware of their bodily sensations. Certain poses and transitions can be meditative. The relaxation brings ease and a state of mindfulness.
3. Boosts Mood & Confidence
Physical activity or exercise of any kind, including aerial yoga, can help to lower stress hormones and increase the production of endorphins—the “feel good” chemicals in the brain. When one performs challenging poses in aerial yoga, a sense of accomplishment is created, which improves confidence and self-esteem.
Aerial Yoga for Spinal Health
1. Decompresses the Spine
Among the various poses, gentle inversions in aerial yoga help decompress the spine. They allow gravity to naturally create space between the vertebrae (the bones in your back) by gently stretching them apart. This helps in reducing pressure on the discs, relieving stiffness, and improving flexibility.
2. Corrects Posture
Regular aerial yoga practice strengthens the muscles of the back, shoulders, and core, all of which support the spine. The resulting stronger muscles help in holding the body in proper alignment. Issues such as slouching are also reduced over time, contributing to an overall improvement in posture.
3. Eases Sciatica & Lower Back Pain
Gentle stretching in aerial yoga improves the spinal alignment, promotes flexibility, and boosts energy for daily activities. It also helps relieve problems such as lower back pain, nerve irritation, and conditions like sciatica.
If you are interested in performing aerial yoga with expert guidance, visiting a yoga studio in Mumbai would be a great way to explore its benefits and different types.
Want to improve your flexibility and reduce stress?
Conclusion
Aerial yoga is a dynamic fitness practice that offers numerous benefits from various aspects of health. It not only helps tone the body but also significantly contributes to your mental well-being. It is generally considered safe for people of all ages and can be a transformative addition to your daily routine.
If you are experiencing weight-related concerns, movement difficulties, or challenges that are not improving from traditional methods, incorporating aerial yoga into your routine might be beneficial.
However, it is crucial to practise under expert supervision to ensure safety and effectiveness. For personalised guidance, you can also get in touch with a meditation centre in Mumbai where professional trainers can provide tailored instructions for your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, aerial yoga can help burn calories and improve overall body tone, which may contribute to reducing belly fat. However, combining aerial yoga with a healthy diet and other forms of exercise is more effective for significant fat loss.
Aerial yoga should be avoided by individuals with eye conditions, cardiovascular issues, children without proper supervision, during pregnancy—especially after the third trimester—or if have certain medical conditions. However, if one wishes to start, it is important to consult a healthcare professional to ensure it is safe for you.
Aerial yoga is an inclusive practice for all body types, including plus-size practitioners. With the right instruction and equipment, anyone can engage in aerial yoga regardless of their weight.
Aerial yoga is a unique practice that offers multiple benefits that range from physical to mental and emotional. For example, enhanced flexibility, stress reduction, improved sleep, and more.
