Recently, Samantha of Samantha Diane Fitness reached out to me asking if I’d like to try out one of her classes. One look at her website and I couldn’t respond fast enough with my astounding, “heck yes!” I had taken aerial yoga previously, but never thought that I gained enough skill in the class to make it a good workout, as I was still in the learning phase months after beginning. But an aerial fitness lesson? Sure, I’m game!

The Beginning

We started the class with a quick warm-up including a bit of cardio to get our hearts pumping and some dynamic stretching. From there, we made our way over to the “silks” to start learning some of the basics. (Silks are the long ribbon-like things that aerial pros – and you! – twist and turn in while flying up in the air.)

The Basics

The fitness portion of the aerial fitness lesson started immediately following. This portion felt like a TRX with some additional variety, which I absolutely loved. Elements such as inverted rows and pendulum swings definitely worked muscles I haven’t worked in quite some time, and the upper body strength portion was incredibly tough, but do-able! Samantha was very encouraging, which I definitely needed. (This just in – my traps are WEAK!)

Learning New Aerial Moves

After spending some time learning the basics, we got into the silks within the first hour. In comparison to my aerial yoga class, I loved that aerial fitness gave me personal attention so that I could succeed at my own pace.

I’ll be honest that I’m not going pro anytime soon in aerial fitness, but I did accomplish some of the “moves” that I thought were going to be impossible during the demonstration. It was a total confidence builder to be able to achieve something that I thought I would never be able to do! I usually only get that feeling from being able to lift more weight than the week prior – but this time I felt elegant and, for lack of a better term, pretty. An equally great workout, but such a different sensation.

If you’re in the Denver area, then I strongly encourage you to reach out to Samantha Diane to check out her aerial fitness program. She is both a certified personal trainer and an aerial pro, so a perfect combination for an instructor.  I can’t wait to see what you accomplish!

Top Tips

· This class is barefoot, so no need to bring additional materials

· It’s HARD WORK and you get sweaty – bring a towel to wipe down your hands so that you have better grip on the silks

· Arrive a few minutes early to your first lesson/class to sign the waiver

· You’ll be twisting and turning a lot in the silks, so I recommend form fitting, comfortable clothing (I’ve linked to my gear below.)

*Please note that, while I was not compensated for this post, I did receive a free lesson in return for my honest thoughts and opinions.  Thank you very much for your support!*

My Gear

Check out the below widget if you’re a fan of my gear for this lesson.  I’ve seriously been wearing these pieces for every workout since I got them!  (I linked to two pants, low-rise and hi-rise – I prefer hi-rise.  I also linked to two similar tops.)

 

WEEKLY WORKOUTS

At this point in the week, I like to review my past week of workouts to consider what I’m doing well and what I can improve upon in the coming week.

Monday: 14er hike to the top of Mt. of the Holy Cross

Tuesday: Mountain Biking (that was TOUGH!)

Wednesday: Advanced hike to Lake Deluge

Thursday: Piney River Ranch Intermediate hike

Friday: Vinyasa Flow Yoga

Saturday: Dancing at our wedding!

Sunday: Day off

Ray and I intentionally scheduled a lot of activity for our wedding week.  (Often calling it Summer Break ‘16 instead.)  Yes it keeps us healthy, but it’s also what we most like to do!  I can’t wait to share the pictures and memories. 🙂

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Have you ever tried Aerial Fitness?

What was the highlight of your week of workouts?

Create a great life!