Safety in Aerial Yoga

Aerial yoga is a wonderful exercise program, but with the unique nature of it, you want to be sure to be well taught by a professional for optimum safety and benefit. Instructors should be certified aerial instructor, most likely you will find these through your area yoga studio. You need a professional in order to learn the poses without risk of injury as these have many unique aspects.

You will be working in a hammock in the air, but you won’t be up high, approximately about three feet in the air only. A fall would not cause much if any damage, though to increase the challenge the hammock height can be adjusted.

You will be inverted a fair amount of the time, so you will need to be mindful of not being upside down too long. Your health can be negatively impacted if you are upside down too long, but your instructor will be very aware of this and will be sure to advise you of any risks or limitations.

There are a few health conditions that are contraindicated in the use of aerial yoga. Please talk with your instructor and your doctor if you feel any of these may pertain to you, and as with any exercise, consulting with a doctor before beginning is recommended.

  • Pregnancy – it is not recommended that you participate in aerial yoga when you are pregnant due to the movements, flips and being upside down. This can be very stressful on you and the fetus. Wait until after baby to try out this yoga form.
  • If you have eye surgery recently, aerial yoga is not recommended as the unhealed eye will get pressures on it that will damage or reduce the healing from surgery.
  • If you tend to get dizzy easy or have vertigo, aerial yoga may make it worse with the rapid movement changes. Please consult your doctor first.
  • If you have cardiovascular issues you will want to talk to your doctor first. Blood pressure can be affected by rapid movements, so if you have issues with high or low blood pressure you will also want to consider whether this is advised for you.
  • Hip replacements and bone disorders all may be contraindicated for performing aerial yoga and could cause injury, so please check with your doctor and see if he/she feels that the benefits outweigh the risks.
  • Sinus pressure, sinus infection, colds or flu – generally your breathing is complicated by nasal passage blockage or impediment, and you will not want to attempt aerial yoga until you are well. Otherwise you may find increased breathing challenges due to your illness.

As this is an aerial workout, you will want to not only be taught by a professional and in a class, but you will also not want to do this on your own because of the potential for injuries. In an aerial yoga studio or class you will be supplied with the most appropriate equipment to increase your safety in this wonderful exercise program.

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