Aerial Hoop

What it is: Acrobatics around and on a suspended hoop. Great for: Upper-body strength conditioning and exibility. One hour

“If you’ve seen Cirque du Soleil, you’ll understand my apprehension about trying an aerial hoop class. For the uninitiated, the class involves performing a choreographed routine on, and around, a hoop suspended from the ceiling – a beautiful and aweinspiring thing to observe.

I warmed up with simple exercises like hip rotations, oor stretches, and crunches. Then I started with the basics, like learning how to mount the hoop and distribute my weight evenly. I’m proud to say that I managed to complete four basic poses by the end of the lesson, including Man in the Moon and the Stag (pictured below).

Expect to wake up the next day with sore muscles. My shoulders, arms and lower back ached the most, and I had bruises and abrasions on my legs. Great class if you’re looking to increase your upper-body strength and improve your exibility, though you will need a decent level of tness.” – Charmaine Lee, beauty writer` Classes are taught by Acro Polates at Gymkraft, 100 Guillemard Road. One course consists of eight weekly classes and is priced at $205. Private lessons are also available at Acro Polates’ studio at #02-29 Waterloo Centre (tel: 6334-2382). try the Webarre Fundamentals class, where ballet terms are simplied and you move at a slower pace.” – Aretha Loh, features writer Available at Webarre, Level 3, 86B Tanjong Pagar Road (tel: 6221-5539). Prices start from $49 for a seven-day pass (one-time purchase only) and $330 for a 10-class pack (valid for four months).