Is Aero Yoga Actually Better for Your Body Than Traditional Yoga?

Yoga is increasing in popularity, and with an increasing number of styles and variations, yoga classes no longer fit into a single box. One of those changes is the increasing popularity of aero yoga. With aero yoga, instead of stepping on a mat and working through familiar poses, you can lift off the floor in a fabric hammock, enabling gravity to assist your workout.

In this guide, Nastya Bonds, co-founder of BODIFY, breaks down what actually changes inside your body when choosing aero yoga over traditional yoga, and why the difference is so important.

BODIFY offers both of these styles. This is not as a way to jump on a trend, but as varied tools for boosting strength and mobility. By the end of this article, you’ll know which practice supports your body in the way you need.

What traditional yoga gives your body

Traditional yoga is completely grounded. Throughout, your body stays connected to the floor. You feel feedback ground your hands and feet, as well as through your joints.

Contact with the floor builds awareness and control. Strength is developed slowly as poses are held for a period of time. Your balance improves as you learn to stabilize your body without any assistance. Flexibility grows slowly, at a pace your body and your joints can really handle, similar to the benefits of structured stretching classes.

This style is especially helpful if you want:

• Clear structure and predictable progress
• Time to learn alignment calmly
• Control over depth and intensity
• A practice you can repeat anywhere

While traditional yoga typically puts a lot of stress on your joint, there are also ample opportunities to adapt poses. If you have pain in your knees, shoulders, or lower back, or perhaps they just feel sensitive on your workout day, staying on the mat gives you many modification options without pressure.

How aero yoga can change your body

Aero yoga is not on the floor. Instead it uses a fabric hammock which supports some of your body weight. The support given by the hammock totally changes how your joints experience movement because it changes how gravity works on your spine.

Why is that?

Well, that’s because part of your weight is suspended, which in turn decreases pressure on the lower back and hips. Movements that feel restricted on the mat can feel lighter in the air. Inversions become more accessible because the hammock carries you, instead of asking you to hold everything yourself.

Women doing aero yoga feel deeper stretches in their back, when compared to traditional yoga. They also notice less compression and far more freedom in their hips and shoulders, when compared to work on a mat. This can feel incredibly relieving for women whose days consist of mainly sitting down, whether that be at work or behind the wheel of a car stuck in Dubai traffic.

How do these two types of yoga approach strength and stability?

Traditional yoga builds strength through stillness. In contrast, aero yoga builds strength through controlled movement.

In traditional yoga, you hold poses, training endurance and joint control, which teaches your body to support itself without any external help at all.

In aero yoga, the shifting of the hammock forces your core and shoulders to consistently respond to small changes. Instead of building stability through effort in a static pose, you build stability through coordination.

The two types of yoga train totally different systems, and they do replace each other. If you prefer grounding and repetition, traditional yoga feels familiar. If you enjoy gentle challenge and movement variety, aero yoga keeps your body alert without feeling heavy.

Can you do yoga if you have joint pain?

Joint comfort is one of the main considerations when choosing a type of yoga.

If you’ve ever tried traditional yoga, you’ll know that it places a significant load on wrists, knees, and ankles. If your joints are healthy, this load is totally safe and very beneficial.

For those with significant joint discomfort, they may find traditional yoga a little too painful. Aero yoga is one of the solutions to this issue, as there is no direct downwards pressure against the floor.

This pressure can be a good thing, however. If you’re returning to yoga after an injury, mat-based yoga can actually be a positive due to the feeling of control. Aero yoga can then be added when confidence and awareness improve.

For those with back issues, aero yoga may be the best choice. The hammock very much helps the spine to lengthen naturally, which many women with pain find especially comfortable.

How yoga builds mental focus

Traditional yoga has long been used as a way to build focus. This comes through repetitions and the building of familiarity. The simple repetition of revisiting poses again and again feels grounding and calming for many.

For those used to yoga on a mat, the novelty of aero yoga gives the brain something new to concentrate on. You must learn to trust that the fabric won’t break, and learn that your grip is strong enough. This is a confidence-building exercise that has many positives.

Ultimately, this is a personal choice. Many women feel far more comfortable on the floor, and the max helps them relax and feel calm. Other women love the feeling of engagement that comes from being suspended in the air, and the mental focus needed to perform poses properly.

How these classes are taught at Dubai

Dubai has become a hub for yoga. As an international, vibrant city, there are increasing numbers of classes for all types of people and for a number of different styles.

At studios like BODIFY, safety and comfort are the two main priorities. This is especially important in aero yoga., where hammock height, transitions, and grip cues are explained clearly.

Studios in Dubai are very beginner-friendly, and you do not need any flexibility or prior yoga experience to start. With a good instructor to guide you through the pace, you’ll stay comfortable throughout.

Which type of yoga suits your lifestyle?

Yoga happens inside a studio, but it should match how your body feels outside the studio.

If you spend your days sitting down, carrying bags, or sitting in traffic, aero yoga might be a perfect way for you to decompress.

Your energy level is also worth considering too. Because of the instability, aero yoga can be incredibly physically engaging. Traditional yoga has far more variants, and ranges from very gentle to physically demanding, depending on the class style.

If you travel a lot, and want a routine that you can take on the road, it might be a good idea to take traditional yoga. You only need a mat and a quiet space, and you can take everything you learn from BODIFY on vacation with you.

How to decide between aero yoga and traditional yoga?

You don’t need to pick one, and stick to it forever!

There are so many women who alternate, depending on how their joints feel, or how their recent workouts have been.

Traditional yoga is brilliant for building awareness and control. Aero yoga adds decompression and range. If they are tried in combination with each other, they create a balance that can benefit your body more holistically.

It’s a really good idea to pay attention to how you feel after class and the next morning. Comfort and energy levels are useful signals and feedback for your body.

Need help choosing?

Experts at BODIFY can help you choose what is best for you. There’s no need to guess! Instead, seek guidance from a qualified professional who can explain what the options for you are.

Remember that aero yoga and traditional yoga are not necessarily competing options. At BODIFY, you have the chance to try both formats.