Float Fitness - a space to nurture your physical and mental health at The Mount

What do you do when you need time for yourself? Some people go for a walk, others pull out their favourite bath salts and aroma candles. Mount Maunganui locals have a different self-care recipe – they book a session at Float Fitness, a one-stop-health-hub with a luxury boutique studio environment offering AntiGravity® fitness and yoga classes. We sat down with Louise Kirkham, Float founder and AntiGravity® ambassador in New Zealand, to discuss the benefits of aerial exercises for your body and mental health.

With a strong focus on the mind-body connection, Float offers so much more than just a workout. How was this mission born?

Originally, my goal was to create a friendly space for people to hang out. But with the situation in the world at the moment, we started noticing this shift in everything we do towards supporting our clients’ mental health. And people these days are more aware of the mind-body connection and how important it is to not just work out but to nurture your mental health at the same time. Take our Restorative classes, for example, where we talk about breath, being present and spending an hour on yourself. It’s so peaceful and relaxing! And it’s our most popular class at the moment, there is even a waiting list!

We also work with people who struggle with anxiety and stress – I’m grateful we can offer a safe space for everyone to just come, relax and feel nurtured. It was an interesting journey for myself too – I come from an athletic background (dancing and rhythmic gymnastics), so I was always all about keeping fit, attending high-energy classes and that’s what I brought to Float. But it’s slowly evolved into a more complex, all-encompassing approach.

There is probably a scientific base to that as well? Everyone knows that workouts make you happier. Is it the same with this?

Absolutely! Hanging upside down in a hammock releases a whole cocktail of happy hormones – endorphins, serotonin, oxytocin. If you had a really bad day and just want to let it go, there is nothing better than hanging upside down! We often see people rushing in, dropping their bags and just straight away doing that. They always leave elated.

Are the classes mostly slow and relaxing? Or are there more dynamic workouts as well?

With the aerial technique, there are over a thousand exercises you can do! In suspension fitness, for example, we do flips and tricks and press ups and pull ups,. Basically, we use the hammock for a full-body workout. It’s a really high energy class that will make you sweat.

AntiGravity® looks amazing but it might also appear quite intimidating for newbies. I imagine people thinking ‘what if I’m not flexible enough?’, ‘what if I’m too old for this?’. Are there any limitations?

Those fears are probably the biggest barrier for us as a business. Aerial exercises are very accessible! The hammock is supportive in many ways, so things that are usually challenging in floor practice can be much easier with the hammock supporting you and holding you up. Our oldest member is 75 and she comes six times per week! We also offer classes for kids from 6 years old. It’s for everyone.

The fears might also come from AntiGravity® not being so well known in New Zealand yet?

When I opened Float six years ago, I was the first AGF aerial yoga studio on the North Island! There was another one in Christchurch but that’s it. It’s been a big journey for me. At first, I went to Sydney for training. My first day of training to become an AntiGravity® teacher was literally my first time trying it! After the training, I came back with this idea to open my own studio but I had no background in business, no skills in this area… And after my first year as a studio owner, AntiGravity® contacted me, offering me a position as a master trainer and brand ambassador in New Zealand. I was overwhelmed! Accepting this opportunity meant basically starting a second business and I was already juggling Float with two young children. It was my husband who reminded me that if I declined it now, they would offer it to someone else and the opportunity would be gone forever. The opportunity to do something special, to be at the centre of this beautiful big movement meant I had to travel to Australia again, do a lot of extra training – it was quite intense. But now I can train Kiwis who want to teach AntiGravity® right here!

What was the biggest challenge for you as a business owner?

Learning to manage people! I’m a creative person, so creating this space was easy, but having to take on staff, managing so many different personalities – this was really challenging. I currently have over 10 people working here for me – instructors, front desk management, etc. We all have similar values and goals – support people and create a safe space for them. It wasn’t always easy but we’ve all grown and become stronger for it.

What are some other aspects of business you’re working on now? What do you want to improve?

We’re really focused on getting more guys into AntiGravity® but also into being more connected with their mental health. Last October, we launched a ‘BYO Boy’ campaign where, for a whole month, you could bring your man along for free. It was really fun! We had lots of guys coming and it was amazing to have this new, totally different energy. A few of them stayed on with us and are now coming regularly as clients. It will probably be a ration of one guy to 20 girls for a while still but it’s nice to see them making an effort and spending more time re-connecting with themselves on this level.