Spinal Tap

Thanks to your sedentary lifestyle, you likely engage only three or four of the 33 vertebrae in your spine. But what all of you aging office hunchbacks probably don’t realize is that your longevity, and not just your posture, is linked to the health of your backbone. Circus freaks such as contortionists and acrobats simply live longer. So think of the curriculum at South Florida Circus Art School as a veritable fountain of youth, as well as a damn good time.
Learn to twist and bend your body into shapes that might be illegal in some states, practice contortion and flexibility, and master grips and core strength in the aerial fitness classes. Or combine body alignment and midair tricks at the school’s daily Flying Yoga class. All of the sessions are taught by master-level circus performers, and Laurie Allen, owner of SFCAS, says she’s had students as young as 6 and as old as 60.

Starts: May 17. Daily, 9 a.m., 2011