Conditioning exercises for aerial?

[Fleuried]

Took a beginners aerial class today. I knew I'd find it tough but it was a disaster. I couldn't do anything: no strength, no flexibility, no coordination.

It didn't help that in a class of 5 (including me), 2 people had been pole dancing for years and one was a dancer. The 4th lady didn't seem to struggle much either.

The instructor was lovely but having to have her constantly lifting me up and off the hoop in particular was embarrassing and a bit upsetting if I'm honest.

I really don't want to go back but I'm going to make myself finish the course (another 4 weeks).

I asked the instructor what type of stuff I need to be do at home but she just reassured me that it would improve. I can't see that happening with just one 45min class a week given how rubbish I was (not being modest).

So, oh wise ones what does someone with zero fitness in anyway do to improve this. Ideally at home stuff although I do have access to a basic gym.

If I can get myself on and off a hoop in 5 weeks I will be delighted.

I'm off to bath in epsom salts!

Yoga for strength and flexibility, dance routines for coordination? All free and if you don't exercise at all then you should see results fairly quickly.

Look for HITT sessions / body weight exercises on YouTube. For example squats, burpees, lunges & jog on the spot. Do 1min of each set a timer on your phone - you can download a interval timer app. Rest 30secs between each min and repeat 3-4xs then do it few days a week.

And plank

I did an aerial taster a couple of months ago because my sister has been going for a couple of years and is now starting to coach. I could get onto the bar for the trapeze (just) by really crunching at the waist - I'm not very bendy or particularly thin (BMI is about 27). I had to hold onto it and think "tuck!" to myself to crunch into a ball and get my legs over my head and under the bar. So I would say do core exercises like crunches. I couldn't get onto the hoop at all because it was bloody painful to hold onto - it was much thinner than the trapeze bar and I took the skin off my palm trying to hang onto it. DSis said the hoop is just much harder, so don't worry about that! I also couldn't get off the ground with the silks. DSis said it is really common to have beginners who can't get onto anything and have to be helped onto the equipment, so don't worry about that!

So yes - try core exercises!

Hi,

Been doing aerials for about a year now. It is tough to start with. I started with zero upper body strength and really struggled with the most basic things BUT it does get better.

You can do core exercises at home as previously mentioned Yoga is great for strength, flexability and core. There are loads of you tube vids on aerial conditioning but the best thing is a pull up bar. Once you strengthen your shoulders arms and back muscles inverts and getting up and down the apparatus gets much easier.

You are not alone in feeling daunted at the begining I was totally rubbish, the heaviest and the oldest in my silks classes but I carried on because I totally loved it. I am just coming up to a year this month and am only just starting to get my inverts and have been doing hoop since Jan and still struggling with my straddle. It does come but the strength takes time to build.

Best bit of advice I had when I was close to quitting was if you enjoy it DO IT, dont compare yourself to others just go and enjoy the things you can do. It isnt a competition or a race.

I have found the aerial community to be the most supportive bunch of people ever and I look forward to every class :)

Best of luck with your aerial journey :)