New Aerial Fitness Craze Comes To Pittsburgh Area

PITTSBURGH,None — Some of the hottest fitness programs out there are now under one roof in the Pittsburgh area.

The new Fullbody Fitness Club, owned by Channel 11 anchor Darieth Chisolm, offers Zumba, Turbo Kick, Aerial Yoga, Silk Dance, JUKARI Fit to Fly and JUKARI Fit to Flex. I visited the club on Wednesday to check some of them out.

"For me, it's almost like a dream come true because these forms of fitness really work the full body, and you can get it in an hour. You can walk out feeling excited," said Chisolm.

I was excited to try the workouts after hearing that celebrities like Brooke Burke, Jennie Garth, Maria Menounos and Kim Kardashian love them.

First, I took an aerial silk class.

"You do a lot of traditional yoga moves but inside of the fabric, and it makes you feel like you're flying, and in some instances, floating," said Chisolm.

Next I took a JUKARI Fit to Flex class.

"You use the FlexBand, and you do a lot of movement that helps with mobility, flexibility and core strength," said Chisolm.

JUKARI programs combine Cirque du Soleil's artistry and Reebok's athleticism. So cool!

"Reebok & Cirque du Soleil joined forces in 2008 to create JUKARI, a word meaning to play. The combination of Reebok's heritage in women's fitness, Reebok revolutionized the industry with Step Reebok in 1989, and the excitement and innovation Cirque du Soleil brings to their craft meant that together, the two brands were in a unique position to provide a solution to the needs of women looking for ways to keep their workouts effective, innovative and fun," said JUKARI Business Development Manager Tracy Murphy.

My last and favorite class on Wednesday was JUKARI Fit to Fly.

"We use a piece of equipment called a FlySet. It's like a trapeze bar, but it's low to the ground. What we're going to do is use it to support your body while we go through cardio choreography, and then we're going to use that FlySet to teach you a series of jumps," said instructor Tammi Hanak.

Now, you might be thinking, "Can anyone do this?"

"I had a 65-year-old woman, who had open spine surgery, take my aerial yoga class, and after three weeks she was unbelievably proud about how strong she had gotten. It was therapy after therapy. If you are even worried, you can do it. You have it inside of you," said Maddy Landi.

"I love that moment when someone who never believed they could turn upside down or spin, or they climb to the top of the fabric all the way to the ceiling ... I love that exhilaration on their face when they do it," said instructor Erin Carey.

Carey went to circus school in Europe and has toured with circuses internationally.

Grand opening celebrations will take place this weekend at Fullbody Fitness Club. Former Pittsburgh Steeler Jerome Bettis will be there to try the fun workouts.

Regular classes begin on Monday. Click here to check out the schedule, sign up for classes and view more information about the club.

WPXI