AIR® Charlotte is a 50-minute intense aerial fitness training class fusing elements of conditioning, Pilates, yoga and even HIIT (high intensity interval training) in the interval class on aerial hammocks. This highly effective fitness program is designed to strengthen, lengthen and tone your physique in a truly fun and unique environment.
AIR® Charlotte is not your average yoga or Pilates class. This is an aerial yoga fitness studio that utilizes silk “hammocks,” pulsing music and positive energy to give you an invigorating corecentric workout. Diverting from traditional yoga, you’ll find yourself mixing in Pilates moves and boot-camp burpees while occasionally hanging upside down and maintaining your breath.
AIR® Charlotte has two locations. The Meyer’s park studio is located in a lower-level studio off Providence Road in Myers Park near the Harris Teeter. Walking down the stairs past the laundry location you may initially wonder if you’re in the right spot. You are. Their second location is in SouthPark tucked into the Morrison Shopping Center near Yafo, Earth Fare and fellow SweatNET studio, Vibe5. Not only is this SouthPark location a beautiful studio, it also houses it’s sister business MudbuM, which specializes in 30 minute facials for glowing skin! What sets MudbuM facials apart from the rest is their frozen glass-blown orbs that are used to massage the mask that has been uniquely curated to address your skin needs. Also the fact that I can treat myself in 30 minutes and leave feeling like I’ve spent the afternoon at the spa is a perk in itself!
Slip your shoes off and cross the threshold into AIR® Charlotte. The studio is clean, bright, and approachable. Turquoise silks hang from the ceiling around the room like kelp off the seafloor. Offering a bathroom, changing rooms, apparel, water fountain and a little bling, this studio keeps it refreshingly simple yet elegant and bright. Check-in is at the desk at the front of the studio space, but you will probably be greeted by Kerri, the studio owner, or any of the other authentic instructors before you get both feet in the door.
I took a chance and jumped into an AIR® Foundations class. Kerri recommends trying at least three introductory AIR® classes before stepping up and your first AIR® class is FREE (with promo code AIRCHARLOTTE)! The workout was heart pumping. While I personally was trying to just keep up, it seemed that there was always a way to add difficulty if the basics weren’t enough. The music kept the class moving along with the instructor just like any great spin class. For every new position, Kerri took the time to make sure each student successfully understood and achieved each pose or found a modification to keep the entire class progressing forward. This particular class was less about holding poses and more about getting the rep count in and keeping your heart-rate up.
Aerial yoga and fitness is commonly associated with women only. This is definitely not the case here. Men attend these classes and get the same amazing and challenging workout as the women. The hanging silk is utilized almost like a flowing exercise bench. It is not Cirque du Soleil. You are not dancing up and down. At AIR® Charlotte, they focus on fitness first and aerial second. You use the silks to support different limbs and position your weight differently as you do familiar motions such as push-ups or sit-ups.
Kerri and the other instructors here are nothing short of fantastic. From the moment you walk in the door, they’re engaging, supportive, genuine and care about YOU. Any reservations will be quickly alleviated before class begins. Offering tips and tricks and providing constant cuing AIR® Charlotte ensures that you’re finding the postures and staying safe throughout every set.
Armed with a great workout (and they offer a few), easy parking, great instructors, and a full body shred / stretch class, AIR® Charlotte is a great way to mix up your traditional fitness grind, become your primary method of sweat or compliment any fitness routine. It’s fun, it’s different, and a great workout to bring along a friend! A class for all fitness levels, you will find yourself laughing as you struggle to get into a pose, a little less gracefully than intended, and feeling the burn.
If you are a nerd like me, you will probably end up leaving feeling a little bit more badass like those Cirque du Soleil people.
VISIT AIR® Charlotte Website Here
Classes Offered
AIR® Foundation, AIR® Core, AIR® Flow, AIR® Interval and AIR®
Skill Level
Beginner to advanced; All Levels
Class Size
Up to 16 people per class
Duration
50 Minutes
Equipment Needed / Attire
Your bare feet, a water bottle, and snugger fitting clothes so we keep all the goods covered and locked in place when you end up upside down
AIR is a partner of SweatNET! SweatNET members will receive exclusive discounts at this studio. Not a member yet? Sign up here!