by Jade Rodriguez
With an overload of pressure from social media, school and life in general, kids these days are faced with a lot. As parents we all know that healthy exercise is one of the best things to help them face these challenges and thrive, but often finding the right type of fitness for your child (that they actually want to do!) is not an easy task.
Enter aerial yoga for tweens and teens!
What is Aerial Yoga
Aerial yoga is exactly what it sounds – a studio yoga practice, but instead of being on mats on the ground, you’re wrapped and safely swinging in a cosy hammock suspended from the ceiling.
Suitable for children aged 8 years and up, aerial yoga is far less daunting than it sounds. It’s also a lot more than performing impressive circus tricks, even though it is super flying fun.
The Benefits for Growing Bodies
Our tween and teen classes help kids build flexibility and strength in their arms, legs and core, while also boosting overall confidence, balance and coordination skills, plus body awareness.
Inverted poses in aerial yoga are fantastic for increasing blood flow circulation and decompressing joints, and because the children learn playful routines throughout the term classes, this also requires both mind and body focus.
Not just physical benefits
Because it’s a mindful practice (like other forms of yoga), aerial yoga has the added benefit of being able to help emotional regulation and provide much-needed relief from everyday stress, which is particularly ideal for children with ADHD or similar disorders.
It allows kids to be mindful which can lift their mood and help relieve anxiety, and also adds to those feel good endorphins already achieved by the physical workout.
Flying high
Whether attending aerial yoga by themselves or with friends or siblings, children really love the opportunity to try something new and exciting that seems more like fun than fitness. There’s also no pressure to do advanced poses or tricks either, kids can go at their own pace and be as bold or relaxed in the class as they feel they want to be.
So why not let your tween or teen give it a go! They’ll be flying in no time.
Jade Rodriguez is a yoga instructor and the director of Luxe Yoga Fitness in Brookvale on Sydney’s Northern Beaches which offers aerial yoga classes for children during school terms, holiday workshops and private parties.
For more info head to: luxeyogafitness.com.au