Fitness review: aerial silks is beauty in the air

Here’s one to get your heart racing…aerial silks! Beauty, strength and heights all in one. But it’s a lot more achievable than you think, and a great workout for those who love a challenge.

As someone who took up ballet in their late 20s, I appreciate the beauty, strength and grace behind any workout that involves flexibility and control. When I found out a former work buddy had taken up aerial silks and was loving it (and killing it on Instagram with her awesome skills) I couldn’t wait to get her on the blog.

Meet, Lindsay. She’s a fitness enthusiast who loves being active and also doesn’t mind a slice of cake and a glass of wine. A busy marketing manager, Lindsay is a proud wife and fur parent to Indy and enjoys the water and working up a sweat with hubby at their local 12RNDs gym.

She fell in love with aerial silks after organizing a session as a fun hen’s night activity for her sister-in-law. Keen to keep it going post hens, Lindsay enrolled in an 8-week course in Brisbane, and 12 months later, has not looked back!

The details

Where: Aerial Movement at Albion (Campbell Street)
Duration: 8 week course, 1 hour a week with open practice available
Style: Group class based on your experience/level, maximum 4-5 people per class
Cost: $320 for 8 week course
Who’s there: Mostly women aged between 20 to 45
What to wear: Unitard/gym pants, crop top, and gym top. Bring water, towel and enthusiasm!

Ask That Fit Girl > What should someone expect?

Expect to have fun. Expect to hang upside down. Expect to amaze yourself. Expect to only nail one climb height. Expect to have sore hands, expect to have sore feet!

Aerial silks is all about movement and momentum with an air of grace. Each pose / hiplock / fall or wrap is strategic and the placement and positioning of the silk along your back or high in the underwear line can make the difference between a pinch or bruise or even a burn – ultimately it is uncomfortable but the sense of accomplishment is insane. Each class as you start out you build on “tricks”. You revise old ones. You get to pose for great photos as well as video yourself doing epic falls.

Each class begins with a warm up, climbing and strength training as well as practicing the basic hiplock and double invert to build your strength for future positions and to understand the motions. Your coach will then show you a complete move, and break it down. Then it is your turn. Your coach is always there to support you and walk you through each movement – to ensure you either don’t injure yourself or miss a wrap. Once you / and your class have nailed the pose/movement you either build on it or move onto some new.  Each class is finished off with more strength training.

Here’s some pointers for when you start out:

Don’t be scared – Just try it.  Life is all about the adventure. You only get one story so my motto is to make it a good story. I have lived far too long on the sideline.

Have trust in yourself – Doesn’t matter how often you have let go of the silk and fallen forward, you still freak out (well I do) each and every time. To overcome this, I breathe, close my eyes and trust in knowing my coach has ensured I have my arms, legs and knots/ties/wraps in the right place so I cannot come out and plummet to my death so to speak! Note: There are gym matts beneath us.

Conquer fear of heights – If you’re terrified of heights, this is probably not a workout for you…but in saying that you can always embrace the fear and do it anyway and keep your eyes closed, and hope for the best if you fall! 😊

Ask That Fit Girl > Would you recommend this workout to a friend?

Absolutely. It is an indescribable feeling, wrapping and tying yourself up, trusting you have done it correctly only to drop yourself and unwrap out of it and being safe in the knowledge that you won’t fall to the ground.

Ask That Fit Girl > What do you like about aerial silks?

The strength built and trust in myself to flip and spin and hold myself. The friends and support in the silks family. Having previously been a dancer virtually my whole childhood I was looking for something else…I wanted to head back to the dance studio but the thought of stepping back in having not danced in some years definitely brought another level of anxiety. I have loved every minute of this experience – the panic, family and fun!

Ask That Fit Girl > What don’t you like?

I really don’t like that I don’t find more time to practice. But that’s because I’m always super busy… and some days the flip forward and backwards cause me some serious panic. The disappointment when I don’t nail a move the first time round.

Ask That Fit Girl > What song do you have playing/what’s in your mind when you’re doing aerial silks?

Usually my mind is calm and blank but when I watch back and speed up my clips my favorite tune selection is Bang Bang Will.i.am.

Have you enjoyed Lindsay’s review? Let me know in the comments box below! If there’s a workout you’d like me to do, drop me a line. Let me know via Facebook, Instagram or email me at hello@askthatfitgirl.com

Until next time,
Maryanne K