Yasss! You’ve done the thing and decided to give aerial class a go, you’ve booked your class and now what? Rest assured, it’s totally normal to feel nervous, after all, it’s a completely new experience and if we’ve never done anything like this before, it’s hard to know what to expect.
You won’t be required to perform crazy feats at 5 metres off the floor and you won’t need a fancy costume either. The reality of aerial class is a buzzing atmosphere with people of all ages, shapes and sizes getting to grips with dangling upside down (and the right way up!).

There is a lot of sweat, sore muscles, sometimes the odd grunt, quite often no pointed toes, lots of cheers of support from teachers and fellow aerialists and the most beautiful part of it all: we all start where and when we start. There is not a single prerequisite, all you need is yourself and the desire to master a new art of working out. People of all ages, shapes, sizes and backgrounds come to aerial class. Everyone injects their training with their own style of movement. Everyone is on their own journey and there is no right or wrong way. Some of us are naturally drawn to the strong tricks, whereas others enjoy the flexy side of things. You do you!

You’ll build strength and skill naturally, gradually and at your own pace. There’s plenty of struggle, sweat and ungracefulness going on, even in those who have been coming to class for ages. It’s just the nature of aerial arts! Classes come with a lot of laughter and new friendships, and damn is it rewarding to nail and learn new tricks! Everyone in class is friendly, helpful and welcoming and here for the same things, to learn cool new stuff and forget about the stresses of daily life for an hour or two.

When you first get going, the focus is on getting you acquainted with your equipment, i.e. the hoop or fabric. You will learn how to hold yourself, how to climb, use your shoulders correctly and go through a range of fun conditioning drills, all with the support of your instructors and the safety of a cozy mat underneath you. All equipment is professional, aerial rigging standard and LOLER tested on a regular basis. Everything we use is designed to withstand significant forces of up to several tons, so no, you won’t pull the hoop down, regardless of how heavy you think you are!

That being said, here are our top tips for coming to your first class as ready as can be:

•Make sure you’re wearing tight fitting clothing that you feel comfy in and can move freely in, i.e. leggings, sports bra and a light top. Comfort and room to move is everything! Tight fitting because we want to prevent your clothes from getting wrapped or stuck which might mean it can rip, but also to avoid fabric burns and minimise bruising as your skin gets used to aerial training. We do everything in bare feet or socks. You’re welcome to bring trainers for the warm up but the rest of the class is sans footwear :). Our studios can feel a bit chilly in the colder months, so layering up is a good shout.

•Please ensure you don’t have any zips on your training clothes or long sharp nails. These may get caught on the equipment, or rip our fabrics.

•Please remove all jewellery, especially rings, bracelets, necklaces and watches before class to prevent equipment from being scratched/torn and to preserve your precious belongings.

•Please don’t chew gum, imagine having something in your mouth when you’re upside down and want to let out a little yelp of excitement 😉

•All classes start with a warm up which includes a pulse raiser and mobility, followed by the equipment focussed element of the class which comprises of on and off the equipment conditioning and aerial tricks, movement, flow and combos, and finish with a cool down which includes gentle stretching. The exercises given by your teacher will include progressions and variations to ensure everyone can make individual choices to support you at your level and choose the intensity of the session.

An aerial lesson can be a strenuous workout, so make sure to bring some water, a towel or small cloth to wipe sweaty palms with.

There are a variety of grip aids available to help you stick and grip to the equipment and fabric better. We provide rosin for our fabric classes but you’re welcome and encouraged to bring your own from a few classes in.

You will be sore the next day, because even though you had heaps of fun, you actually did a pretty hardcore workout! Winning!

We have a range of flexible membership options at the studio. We always recommend booking your first class drop in so you can check out the studio, the vibe and whether aerial training is for you. We’ll email you the day after your first class with our offers and you can book straight from there, amazing!

If there’s anything that hasn’t been answered here, please get in touch and let us know how we can help! Please be aware that the minimum age for participation in any of our classes is 16 years, with those aged 16 and 17 years old requiring a letter of parental consent to be presented on arrival before your first class.

See you in class soon!

Anna x