At Air Fit Bungee in Burbank, fitness looks a little different. Strapped into bungee harnesses, people fly, bounce, dance, and laugh, turning mundane workouts into a fun and joyful experience.
For owner Cassandra Bellantoni, that joy is personal. Bellantoni is not only a Burbank business owner and fitness studio founder, but also a breast cancer survivor who has continued to build her business while navigating chronic pain, autoimmune disease, cancer recurrence, and most recently, a hip replacement this May. Through it all, she has kept showing up for her clients, her instructors, and the community she now calls home.
Bellantoni moved to Burbank in 2010, after spending 50 years in the San Jose and Silicon Valley area. At the time, she was looking for a fresh start after breast cancer treatment and major personal life changes. She originally thought she wanted to move closer to the beach, but while staying with a friend in Burbank, something about the city changed her plans. “It was the beautiful weather, the mountain views and the Jacaranda trees of July that hooked me,” Bellantoni shared. “Now it’s home.”
That sense of home eventually became the foundation for Air Fit Bungee, located at 414 North Moss Street in Burbank. The studio is open seven days a week and offers bungee fitness, FitSprings Pilates, aerial yoga, Zumba, line dancing, boot camp classes, kids classes, family sessions, and private group events.
Bellantoni’s love of movement started long before bungee fitness. She always loved to dance as a child and through her adult years she studied ballet, modern dance, belly dance, and jazz. But it was during the pandemic, scrolling though Instagram, when bungee fitness caught her eye.
At 65 years old, Bellantoni knew she was not ready to retire. Since there were not many bungee fitness options in Los Angeles at the time, she traveled to Oklahoma to try it first hand and took to it immediately. “I did things in the bungee I could no longer do without it,” said Bellantoni. From burpees to handstands, the bungee gave her the freedom to do the things she use to be able to do. After that she went on to become certified and decided to bring her new found passion to the people of Burbank.
Bringing that experience to Burbank, however, was not easy. Bellantoni spent a year and a half searching for the right location that had a high enough ceiling to allow for the truss structure that holds the bungee apparatus. Once she found the right location, Air Fit Bungee began taking shape. Before the opening, Bellantoni was fortunate to bring togethera team of instructors she is proud of, many of whom are aerial performers, and they all became trained and certified bungee instructors.
The studio’s offerings reflect Bellantoni’s belief that movement should be accessible, supportive, and fun, but beneath the fun and flying is a deeper story of resilience. Bellantoni’s health journey has been long and complicated. After chemotherapy, radiation, and multiple surgeries in her early 40s, she was later diagnosed with Sjögren’s Syndrome and fibromyalgia, both of which contribute to chronic pain.
In 2015, doctors suspected a recurrence of breast cancer, and after a lumpectomy, she contracted a serious post-operative infection that led to necrosis and ultimately required a complete mastectomy reconstruction. The cancer result was negative at that time, but the experience was physically and emotionally difficult.
Then, last year, doctors found an actual recurrence in her left breast. Thankfully, it was caught early and removed with clean margins. Still, the recovery and treatment process triggered her autoimmune issues, leading to additional health challenges, illnesses and pain.
Her work at Air Fit Bungee is physically demanding. Running the studio can mean climbing ladders, adjusting equipment, helping clients, and staying active all day. Even after a hip surgery this May she still continues to push forward.
“The hardest part is the time it requires to deal with the medical issues that I could be dedicating to my 1-year-old business if I was healthy,” she shared. “At the end of the day, I am very strong and I do push through the pain.”
Bellantoni said laughter has been one of her best medicines, and Air Fit Bungee gives her that daily. She loves seeing clients laugh, smile, and discover what their bodies can do in a supportive environment. “You will have FUN with us,” Bellantoni said. “We have a very inclusive and fun vibe at our studio. Everybody is welcome.”
That inclusivity is part of what makes the studio meaningful to her. Bellantoni said clients range from children to seniors, with participants from age 8 to 85. The bungee removes a portion of a person’s body weight, allowing for more freedom of movement and making exercise feel possible for people who may feel intimidated by traditional fitness spaces. One client has even lost 100 pounds since coming to Air Fit Bungee and credits the studio with helping her love moving her body again. “That is everything to me,” Bellantoni said.
At a time when many fitness spaces can feel competitive or intimidating, Air Fit Bungee offers something different. It is a place where people can work hard and play at the same time. A place where kids can fly like superheroes, adults can try something new, families can laugh together, and people who may have felt disconnected from fitness can find their way back to movement.
For Bellantoni, the studio is more than a business. It is a reflection of her own story: surviving, rebuilding, adapting, and choosing joy again and again. Learn more about Air Fit Bungee here!
