AIR Foundation classes combine yoga, body weight and barre exercises

Editor’s Note: This article originally was published in the Chicago Sun-Times on Nov. 12, 2013.

When you first see the hammocks suspended from the ceiling at AIR Aerial Fitness, you might think: naptime.

They’re a soothing shade of blue, and made of a silky material Cirque du Soleil relies on for their aerial acrobatics — which, coincidentally, is a lot more like what you will be doing in the class.

In the AIR Foundation class you’ll learn the combination of yoga, barre and body weight exercises that AIR explores. The basic moves are common ones: push-ups, pull-ups and crunches of all kinds — all using the hammock . But because of the different ways your body is suspended, they won’t feel familiar at all.

For cardio, you’ll be jumping all over the place — guided by the hammock, of course. Cardio kicks have you put one foot in the loop of the hammock and one foot on the ground before you launch yourself up to two straight legs. Lock jumps have both feet on the ground and your hands locked (or wrapped tightly in the hammock), before you jump as high as you can.

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