Juice cleanses, macro-biotic diets and torturous exercise routines have never been on my list of “must-do’s” in life. And while I love to stay fit with weights, cardio training and indoor cycling, when it comes to things like yoga I’ve always had other proverbial fish to fry. I love the deep stretches and pushing my body out of its comfort zone, but the soothing tones of the instructor and slow, flowing movements usually have me struggling to stay awake within the first ten minutes.
So when I was invited by a friend to try the new Swing Yoga classes at Fit Republik, Dubai’s very impressive new fitness mega complex, I was wary but intrigued.
Swing Yoga focuses on the development and flexibility of the spine, hamstrings and hip flexors. The majority of the poses also work towards improving core strength and improving postural stability. It’s an innovative discipline that uses hammocks with adjustable handles in order to perform the different poses. What’s great is that the use of swings allows you to determine the level of stretching that you can perform according to your own range of motion. The poses really do give some of the deepest, most satisfying stretches to lengthen limbs and improve flexibility.
“The use of the swings enables you to feel more secure and places minimal pressure on the muscles as the hammock carries the bulk of the body’s weight, so there’s less risk of injury,”assured instructor Kasi before the class began. He guided us through poses, explaining what needed to go where step-by-step and within minutes my class of first-timers were hanging upside down and proudly posing for photos. “Look! no hands!”
An hour later and we were happily cocooned in hammocks, ending the class with a comforting relaxation pose, gently rocking back and forth to the soothing sounds of soft music. This is a challenging, unique class that’s super fun even if you’re not usually an avid fan of yoga.
Classes start on March 1st 2015 at Fit Republik in Dubai Sports City. For more information visit www.fitrepublik.com or call (+971) 4 556 1800
I am so excited to try this out. Thanks for the great post!