Upon hearing the word yoga, most people’s minds automatically turn to people striking a tree pose or a downward dog on a small floor mat. What they don’t usually think of is people hanging out of teal hammocks in strange and often upside-down positions.
Step into Super Fly Fitness, though, and that is exactly what you will find.
“I’m not a gym. I’m not. I’m a super savvy, structured way to sweat,” said Alex Chapman, the proud owner of Super Fly.
Chapman had been instructing aerobic classes for 16 years when in December, 2011, she saw an Under Armour commercial featuring a woman suspended in the air doing crunches.
“I thought, ‘Why don’t I know about this?’” Chapman said. “’I have to figure out what this is.’”
Chapman’s online search led her to find AntiGravity Yoga, an aerial yoga program launched by Christopher Harrison in 2007. According to AntiGravity’s website, Harrison created the Harrison AntiGravity Hammock in 1999 to heal the acrobatic group’s back compression tweaks.
The hammock, a long, sturdy piece of fabric bolted into the ceiling, with each attachment point rated to hold over 1,000 pounds, allowed Harrison to incorporate moves from yoga, pilates and calisthenics in a way that is free from the restraints of the floor.
Chapman set her sights on becoming a certified instructor – a six-month journey that would take her across the country to New York to train with Harrison himself.
“[AntiGravity] had bets that Idaho would be the last state to, if ever, get AntiGravity Yoga, so when I called the New York office and gave them my pitch… they go, ‘Idaho’s on the phone!’” Chapman said. “They’re cheering because apparently one of them lost the bet.”
Chapman trained with Harrison for six days. She said that the first time she ended a session on the hammock in the meditative Cocoon Position, a position where one lies horizontally on the full length of fabric and that is frequently described as a giant hug, she knew she was in the right place at the right time.
“For somebody who set out to chase a dream and dumped a lot of their heart and time and money into something, it felt good to get that hug and that affirmation and find out also that I was going to heal a lot of the injuries I have sustained over the years.” Chapman said, adding she was also excited about the prospect of using these new skills to help others with their own pains.
The Benefits
The hammocks at Super Fly are not only good for a thorough workout; those who use them also experience many restorative benefits.
Chapman said she was excited to learn how healthy the AntiGravity Yoga would be for her spine and joints. She suffered a car accident while in her early twenties, resulting in bulging disks. Because of the work she has done with AntiGravity Fitness Techniques, Chapman said she has been able to reverse the damage and realign her spine.
“I often travel with my hammock because I can’t live without that stretched-out feeling,” Chapman said.
Cara Riddoch, a recently-certified AntiGravity instructor at Super Fly, said the AntiGravity experience is helping to heal her back and neck. She said she is now more flexible and a lot stronger.
“I also noticed a difference in my mood because AntiGravity Yoga releases feel-happy hormones,” Riddoch said, adding that she discovered this the first time she came in to try out the gravity-defying yoga.
Alyson Nantoni, another new Super Fly AntiGravity Yoga instructor, said the yoga is important when it comes to balance because it can increase people’s awareness of where they are in space, which many lose as they age.
Alyson’s Dream
“I’m a speech pathologist during the day, and I do AntiGravity Yoga whenever I can. I would be here all day every day if I could. The reason why I wanted to get certified – well part of the reason – was not only did I love it but I want everyone to love it. I tell all my friends; I tell all my co-workers; I tell everyone I know how much I love this and how much I think they will love it too.
“One day after I left class I was just thinking about how much I wish I could do this for a living, how much I love it here and it got me thinking about the patients I see. I have lots of autistic patients that have sensory needs or lots of kids with attention difficulties and these kinds of gross motor activities…. There’s tons of research about your auditory receptors are firing about 50 percent more in conjunction with gross motor activity.
“Plus, there’s the safety of the hammock and how it wraps around you – It gives really good sensory input for kids that have sensory difficulties. My wheels started turning and somewhere down the road I hope to be able to do speech therapy incorporating the hammocks.”
– Alyson Nantoni, Super Fly AntiGravity level one instructor
Classes
Super Fly welcomes students of any gender and adult age. Chapman said they hope to open classes for children soon, as AntiGravity Fitness has recently launched a children’s program.
Classes currently offered include:
- AntiGravity Yoga, which includes everything from fundamentals and core exercises to restorative and decompression sessions
- Kettlebells
- TRX
- Group X and Zumba
- Yoga
- Paddleboard Yoga (offered only in the summer months)
Safety
One of the first things new AntiGravity Yoga students hear when taking a class is a speech on safety.
Nantoni said this includes understanding the hammocks are rated to hold 1,000 pounds at each attachment point, the moves are certified by OCEA for safety, and the certified instructors received training on how to spot moves gone wrong.
It doesn’t hurt that Christopher Harrison, the creator of AntiGravity Yoga, has an impeccable safety record through his company Aerials by AntiGravity.
“Your safety is my very first concern,” Harrison said on the AntiGravity website.
Even though the brain may recognize that this is safe, Nantoni said they recommend trying out at least three to four classes before deciding whether or not one should stick with the airborne yoga.
“In the first time, even though you are aware that it is very safe, your body is a little tense because it’s not so sure,” she said. “By the end of the fourth [class], I challenge anyone not to love it.”
Zumba
In addition to AntiGravity Yoga and other workout classes, Super Fly offers Zumba, an aerobic workout that takes the form of a dance class.
“Zumba is a place where you can go dance, have a party, make friends and still get fit,” said Tia Vargas, one of Super Fly’s Zumba instructors. “It is the ultimate ideal workout.”
Vargas said people do not have to have any sort of dance background to participate, and some of her students are off-season athletes simply looking to stay in shape.
Jennifer Steffa, another Super Fly Zumba instructor, said the age group she instructs ranges from eight to eighty.
“My students come from all different backgrounds. I have doctors, lawyers, teachers, children; coordination or no coordination, they just love the music,” Steffa said.
Alex Chapman
- Has been a competitive athlete her entire life and still competes in different races, including Spartan races
- Originally worked in marketing, most notably for Melaleuca, the Wellness Company
- Overcame a diagnosis of Lupus at the age of 29 through diet, exercise and yoga
- Is a certified level two instructor for AntiGravity Yoga, now called AntiGravity Fitness
- Plans to one day become an AntiGravity Fitness Master Trainer
"I knew I was embarking on a new path and risk but ultimately I followed my passion and took the risk for the overall benefit of my personal growth and ability to inspire others to live healthy lifestyles and meet personal goals!" – Alex Chapman, owner of Super Fly Fitness