Still Going for AGY Classes

Still having fun with aerial yoga, or what is branded as ‘anti-gravity yoga’ at the gym. AGY. The yoga/meditation/spiritual element is low, and the focus of the class is always on moving into the different twists. With the flips, the movement looks more acrobatic than going into asanas per se. Well, this forty-year-old body won't be able to do many poses, like middle splits. But when my grounding comes from gymnastics and ballet, there’s plenty which I could still do (like flips, side splits and back bends). I intend to keep it that way.

That one hour spent stretching is great for flexibility training. When you adopt different exercises in the weekly regime, that’s fantastic cross training. When you're told to invert and do crunches up, those are a killer. So fun though. Core strength and flexibility ought to be built, even as we age. The core isn't just the abs; it goes round to your glutes. It comes in handy in the event of a fall. AGY classes are a great way to see if your core strength has increased through the year spent exercising.

Build the core and upper body strength needed for anti-gravity classes, then everything gets easier and all you need to be mindful of are the instructions to climb or invert, and how not to kill yourself by winding the silk hammock round your thighs and body like a tourniquet. Or after nailing a pose, sliding to the floor in an unglamorous heap as the non-slip socks ermm slip off the fabric.