Suspensus: aerial pilates that defines the body and improves posture –

A new modality has been gaining space in pilates studios: the suspendus. Created in Brazil, it uses five aerial platforms to make the exercises even more challenging – or to aid the recovery of those who have suffered an injury. “We mix the principles of pilates, circus, ballet, physiotherapy and functional to reach the deepest musculature and, at the same time, align the body”, explains Vanessa Alves, physiotherapist and creator of the methodology.

As all movements can be adapted, the suspensory is free for anyone – children, pregnant women and the elderly. “If the goal is to lose weight, you can also do a more intense circuit that speeds up your heart rate and burns more calories,” says Vanessa. She knows, below, the devices (three of them, exclusive to the modality) used during the class and their benefits.

read more: 3 pilates exercises that relieve back pain – you can do it at home!

air mat

On a square platform, sit-ups and squats get a lot harder. “Even without doing a specific core exercise, you need to recruit it all the time to maintain balance.” Can’t steal!

Student doing lower abs on the Air Mat (Disclosure/Suspension)

Columpio

The fabric created by Buddhist monks centuries ago has become the darling of the students (mainly because of the inversions, which make for great photos). “It can serve as a support for you to correct the execution of an exercise that you cannot do alone, such as a symmetrical lunge”, explains Vanessa. For the most advanced ones, instability becomes a major challenge. “Some students even say that, after class, they are feeling muscles that were, until then, unknown. [risos].” The fear of heights is also overcome in a very playful way [abaixo, nossa editora de fitness, Daniela Bernardi, conta como foi sua experiência].

On the left, a student in the Columpio fabric. In the center, the circus lyre. On the right, the PowerBalance platform (Disclosure/Suspension)

Lira

The circus hula hoop ceases to be an acrobatic accessory and takes on a more pilates-like function, with the aim of strengthening and improving posture. “It starts moving as soon as you sit on it, which turns small movements into big challenges.”

PowerBalance

It sounds like child’s play, but it’s not. Exercises done on top of the swing (or below, when it’s used like a circus trapeze) require a lot of muscular endurance.

See too: Ballet pilates burns 600 calories and leaves your abs hard

Power Cord

The suspended tape (also known as TRX) gained a new difficulty status: attached to two pulleys, it is more unstable, which forces you to use more strength to perform the movements – such as a plank or a row – in a well-balanced way. controlled.

Practitioner doing plank on PowerCord (Disclosure/Suspension)

tested

“Two years ago, I did pilates when I injured my shoulder. I confess that, despite having solved my pain, I didn’t identify so much with the modality, which is more peaceful than the intense functional training I’m used to. I thought the suspension would be the same thing. No way! Vanessa put together a very powerful one-hour circuit that, in addition to speeding up my heart rate, demanded every muscle in my body (even the deepest!).

I, who do twenty burpees in a row, couldn’t do some of the exercises – and I struggled with so many others. It’s as if I had to activate areas that weren’t connected with my brain: I didn’t have the strength, for example, to stabilize the switchblade abdominal on top of the swing. But you know what’s really cool? You can clearly see your evolution during the class – what seemed unattainable at first, turns out to be possible after a few attempts. And, just like with pilates, Vanessa constantly corrected my posture (which is great for a journalist who spends eight hours or more in front of the computer). We still closed with a flourish: we did some inversions on the colored fabric, which was a lot of fun.” Daniela Bernardi, fitness editor

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