While aerial yoga has grown immensely popular for its ability to combine flexibility, strength, and mindfulness, it’s just one of many exciting options in the world of aerial fitness. If you’ve been searching for aerial fitness classes near you and are ready to try something beyond traditional yoga, there are several dynamic alternatives that deliver fun, challenge, and full-body benefits—all from midair.
Here’s a look at the most popular alternative aerial fitness options near you, what they offer, and how to choose the right one for your goals.
1. Aerial Silks (Tissu)
What It Is:
Aerial silks involve two long fabric pieces hanging from the ceiling, which participants climb, wrap, twist, and drop through using upper body and core strength.
Benefits:
- Builds intense upper-body and core strength
- Improves grip, coordination, and endurance
- Offers dramatic visual performance skills
- Teaches creative sequencing in the air
Best For:
Those interested in circus arts, strength-building, and dramatic aerial expression.
2. Aerial Hoop (Lyra)
What It Is:
The aerial hoop is a suspended steel ring used for acrobatics and poses. It allows for spinning, hanging, and performing elegant or powerful shapes while midair.
Benefits:
- Enhances balance, coordination, and flexibility
- Develops strength through static holds and transitions
- Builds confidence and body awareness
Best For:
Those who enjoy structured choreography, want to combine dance with fitness, or prefer a more stable aerial apparatus.
3. Pole Fitness
What It Is:
Pole fitness fuses dance, strength training, and acrobatics using a vertical pole. While often associated with exotic dance, it’s a legitimate and challenging form of aerial strength work.
Benefits:
- Tones and sculpts arms, legs, and core
- Increases flexibility, mobility, and stamina
- Builds self-confidence and sensuality
Best For:
Anyone looking for a full-body workout that mixes athleticism with artistry and empowerment.
4. Aerial Hammock (Non-Yoga Flow)
What It Is:
Similar to aerial yoga, aerial hammock (or sling) classes explore fluid dance sequences, tricks, flips, and wraps—less focus on traditional yoga, more on choreography and skill-building.
Benefits:
- Strengthens the body with creative motion
- Encourages mental focus and flow-state movement
- Involves cardio, flexibility, and core engagement
Best For:
Those who love dance and want a playful yet challenging aerial experience without yoga’s meditative focus.
5. Bungee Fitness
What It Is:
Participants are harnessed to a bungee cord attached to the ceiling, allowing for resistance-based cardio, jumps, and acrobatic movements.
Benefits:
- High-energy, low-impact cardio workout
- Excellent for joint-friendly plyometrics
- Burns calories while having fun
Best For:
Anyone seeking a heart-pumping, gravity-defying workout with minimal joint strain.
6. Trapeze Fitness
What It Is:
Using a static or dance trapeze, this discipline involves holding poses, swinging, and transitioning through aerial skills while suspended from a bar and ropes.
Benefits:
- Improves coordination and spatial awareness
- Builds strength, especially in the arms and shoulders
- Offers a strong blend of power and grace
Best For:
Adventurous individuals who enjoy dynamic movement, classic circus arts, and physical problem-solving.
7. Aerial Dance Fusion Classes
What It Is:
Combining elements of ballet, modern dance, and aerial apparatus, aerial dance classes use tools like silks, hammocks, and hoops to create expressive choreographed routines.
Benefits:
- Enhances grace, rhythm, and musicality
- Provides a unique creative outlet
- Encourages emotional expression through movement
Best For:
Artists at heart or anyone wanting to fuse emotional expression with physical movement.
Choosing the Right Aerial Fitness Option Near You
Consider the Following:
- Your fitness goals: Are you seeking strength, flexibility, cardio, or creative expression?
- Your comfort level: Some apparatuses, like silks or hoop, require more upper-body strength than others.
- Class environment: Look for beginner-friendly studios with professional instruction and safe rigging.
- Trial options: Many studios offer intro classes or trial packs—perfect for exploring different formats.
Final Thoughts: Fly Your Own Way
Aerial fitness is more than a trend—it’s a transformational way to move, express, and strengthen your body. Whether you’re drawn to the elegance of hoop, the power of silks, or the bounce of bungee, there’s a gravity-defying workout waiting for you. Explore the alternative aerial fitness options near you, and find the one that lifts you—literally and emotionally.