LOS ANGELES - A growing number of health clubs around the world is offering exercise that allows people to stretch and strengthen their bodies while hanging in the air, often upside down. It's called AntiGravity Yoga.

At first glance, students hanging upside down on hammocks made of silk cloth hanging from the ceiling seems more like acrobatics than yoga.

When I first saw people hanging upside down from hammocks and calling it yoga I thought they were crazy," said Marie Bice. "But it ended up being a lot of fun and just swinging it felt very playful.

Thats student Marie Bice. She says AntiGravity Yoga is not all play. Its also hard work, with benefits.

I dont have a lot of flexibility in my back and doing this work has really helped my back with that," she said.

Instructor Heather Blair says hanging upside down helps the body in a way that regular yoga does not offer.

You actually have spinal decompression so when youre upside down your vertebrae actually open up so the space in between the vertebrae opens naturally and gently," said Blair.

Student Chris Meierhans has done traditional forms of yoga. But this is his first AntiGravity class.

I would like to increase flexibility," said Meierhans. "Of course, Im a guy, a runner, so my hamstrings are very tight.

Blair says when Believe Fitness Studio first started offering AntiGravity classes over a year ago, people became interested very quickly.

Excerpt from:
AntiGravity Yoga Gains Popularity