What Are Workout Swings?

Yoga may be an ancient practice, but that doesn't mean it's immune from modern innovations. Anthony Cardenas, a California physical therapist, developed the yoga swing at the turn of the 21st century. The swing, also known as a yoga trapeze, lets you perform a variety of exercises and yoga poses while partially or completely suspended off the floor. If you've never used a yoga swing, find a class and see whether aerial yoga is for you.

  1. The Swing

    • The yoga swing's body is made from soft fabric and closely resembles a hammock. The ends are attached close together -- on the ceiling of a dedicated aerial yoga studio, or a horizontal object, such as a tree branch or a straight bar -- so you can't actually lie down in the swing in its standard position. The swing also contains three handles hanging down from each side. You place your arms and legs into the handles to perform various exercises and yoga asanas.

    Purpose

    • Yoga swings serve multiple purposes and let you do a large variety of poses. The swing can support you and remove gravity from the equation of some asanas, allowing you to learn them more easily. You can perform a full range of poses on the swing, including activities that build strength and improve your flexibility. Some inversion poses are designed to prevent or treat back and neck compression, and to keep the spine in alignment. Proponents claim the swing provides a range of other benefits, from stress relief to improved mobility and blood circulation. Performing your poses in the air can also be a fun experience and help you achieve a tranquil state of mind.

    Workout

    • Yoga swing workouts vary greatly. You'll find classes performed entirely on the swing, and others in which the swing is only used for a few poses. As with standard yoga, aerial yoga classes also vary in their intensity. Non-yoga practitioners can handle beginning yoga swing workouts, while more advanced strength classes may burn 500 to 1,000 calories in an hour.

    Warnings

    • Check with your doctor before doing yoga swing exercises, particularly if you're using the activities to treat a specific condition, such as back pain. Don't do inversion poses on the swing if you have glaucoma or uncontrolled high blood pressure. If you install a swing yourself, test it each time you use the swing. Stand below the attachment points, grasp the upper handles, and then lean back. Look up at the attachment points as you put your weight on the handles to see if the swing remains secure. Place protective padding beneath the swing if you're using it above a hard surface.