Here are some of the latest fitness trends to try out this summer:

Picture: Flickr

AERIAL YOGA

Just to make yoga that bit more challenging, why not try it while hanging from a silk hammock. While aerial yoga is a bit more tricky than normal, the silk hammock actually supports your body while performing various moves, which allows you to slowly progress and practice more advanced inverted poses. It is not restricted to yoga experts and you can expect to go through a beginner safety course when starting out. Like any yoga you can anticipate feeling stretched after a class of body aligning, flexible moves. The additional aerial challenge adds a focus on balance and core strength.

Where to do it

Sydney – House of Yoga; Life of Flight
Melbourne – Vibes Yoga
Adelaide – Your World Fitness
Brisbane – Flight Skool
Perth – Air Yoga Perth
Canberra – Oya Yoga Studio

POUND

If a fast, high energy, strength building workout sounds like good stress release, then Pound is probably for you. This is definitely no quiet, relaxing exercise class. Aiming to engage your inner rock star, Pound participants use weighted drumsticks to keep in time with the accompanying dance music. Expect cardio and dance type moves that aim to leave you sweating and feeling empowered.

Where to do it

Pound classes are currently held in a number of Sydney gyms including UFC Gym and Hard Candy Fitness Sydney City.

CAVEMAN FITNESS

Thanks to the popular Paleo diet, caveman fitness is taking off in an effort the recreate a caveman (and woman) type lifestyle and body. These classes offer a boot camp style of training where you are pushed to your limits with high intensity, non-stop exercise. Generally, it uses your body weight and basic equipment such as kettlebells, ropes, and weights. As workouts turn away from traditional equipment, functional fitness gyms are now opening to provide more spaces for these types of exercises and allow for people to do this training whether alone or in a class. Instead of treadmills and bikes, functional gyms may have bars on the walls and roof, resistance bands from the floor, and swings.

Locations:

Sydney: Primal Fit
Melbourne – Livestrong Primal Fitness
Brisbane – Caveman Training
Perth – Boom Fitness

Picture: Supplied

PILOXING

Proving the dance exercise craze is still in full swing, Piloxing has taken off across the United States and is one the latest dance based classes to be introduced into Australia. Piloxing weaves dance into the power and strength building moves of Pilates and boxing. Weighted gloves are used to build arm definition in routines that are set to popular dance tracks. The fast cardio routines also work core muscles to strengthen posture and improve flexibility.

Where to do it

Piloxing can currently only be found in Melbourne at selected Fernwood Fitness centres (Bulleen, Preston and Carlton) or with Piloxing Melbourne in Narre Warren and Rowville.

Picture: Dansschool

BARRE WORKOUTS

Think the gracefulness of ballet with the toning of Pilates and the stretching of yoga. Combined these concepts aim to provide a complete, balancing workout in what is known as Barre. There are a range of approaches at various intensities that are taking off across the country such as Xtend Barre and Barre Body. Barre3 is one of the most recent variations to be launched in Australia that comes from Sadie Lincoln, a personal trainer of Madonna. This low impact exercise class aims to align the body while improving balance, posture and strength.

Where to do it

Sydney – Hard Candy Fitness
Melbourne – Xtend Barre Melbourne; Barre Body Melbourne
Adelaide – Xtend Barre Southside
Brisbane – Fine Lines Pilates (Xtend Barre)
Perth – Xtend Barre Perth
Canberra – Pilates Canberra (Booty Barre)
Hobart – Barrecode