Yes!! Silks are an amazing workout! You get toned and lean, while getting stronger and more flexible by basically playing. It can hardly can be considered “working”, it is so fun you don’t want to stop until your body basically tells you that it can’t anymore.

Aerial Silks is an all body workout, with a huge focus on upper body and core. If you never knew that it was possible for you to do a chin up, prepare to be pleasantly surprised (it is a side effect of training Silks).

Not in the beginning. But it is one of our main goals in training. Flexibility is just another type of fitness and can be improved with proper training and routine. In Silks we concentrate on dynamic warm ups before training and active flexibility drills improve flexibility in the hips, back and shoulders. Our flexibility goals are straight legs, pointed feet, beautiful splits and bendy back bends.

Being heavy will make your experience challenging, BUT each person comes with a different difficulty (not just “heavy set” individuals). Students can also struggle with difficulty understanding technique, lack of flexibility or strength, low self-confidence as well as weight issues. Hardly anyone is perfect and that is OK. The journey of learning Aerial Silks focuses on enjoying where we shine, and working on where we need improving.

You would think that you need to start as a child to be an aerialist right? NO! That was my misconception, until I met Christy Thothe, an amazing 23 year old aerialist who had only started a year before. Then I met people trying for their first time and rocking it in their 30s, 40s, 50s and YES even in their 60s! Don’t let age let you think that you can’t! With proper steps suited to your fitness and mobility, you can start no matter how old you are.

You may be asking yourself is it suitable for someone with no experience?

Of course! 90% of our students arrive with no background at all and with guided steps begin to develop in this diverse realm of strength, flexibility, dance and theater!
Beginners start low to the floor ALWAYS above safety mats, learning all the basic knots and poses, while developing strength and understanding along the way. But don’t worry, YES the goal is to get you performing in the air, once you have developed a strong basic foundation of skill and strength.

How fast you progress depends on which strengths you already have when you begin.

I tell everyone that in order to be good at aerial silks you need to concentrate on  excelling in 4 categories – strength, flexibility, understanding and trust.

Strength: If you begin silks already in shape with athletic abilities, you will be at an advantage. BUT if you aren’t so strong yet, don’t worry! We get strong while learning the basics (and get ready for BEAST MODE once we start climbing!).

Flexibility: If you already can do a full splits and an amazing backbends, you will be at an advantage. But 90% of my students (including myself in the beginning) aren’t flexible from day one. Not to fear! This will improve with just the warm up! And as much as it looks great, we have tons of ticks that don’t require flexibility that still look awesome!

Understanding: Some students need to be shown a skill only one time, and then they can just grab the silks and do it right away. Those lucky geniuses. Most of us need some more explaining and demonstrating, even reminding which hand is right and left! It is OK! This skill is not to be improved, instead try understanding which method of learning works best for you. for example, auditory learner, visual learner, or kinesthetic (doing) learner.

Trust: If you like jumping off of high dive boards, and consider yourself a bit on an adrenaline junky, then this is your strength. BUT, if you don’t like heights, or flipping upside down, or have your doubts about how strong that fabric really is, NOT TO FEAR! With the right aerialist coach and safety standards, you can do each “scary” trick in a baby-step version until you feel ready enough to try the big thing. No RUSH, you will get there (with all your parts intact!)

You will most likely start with some strength in 1 area, and YOU WILL improve everything else while you continue to learn and train.
How fast you can improve in each category will define how fast you will progress in aerial silks. Improvement comes with knowledge, training and practice. So get some tights on, NO EXCUSES and LET’S GO!

It is MOST COMFORTABLE to start with long tights (Cotton blends are my favorite), and either a shirt that covers your stomach and can be tucked in OR a bodysuit. Friction is the enemy. It is caused between the silks and skin more when you are learning, and to avoid fabric burns on your legs and waist cover them up.

It is BEST TO AVOID  socks, slippery synthetic tights, crop tops or heavy /  loose clothing. These items will just make your learning experience more challenging.

Yes and No.

Not dangerous – if you are taking a silks class, with a coach, safety mattresses and equipment provided. Expect a warm up, safety rules and tricks that fit your level.

A responsible and professional silks class should have these 4 safety standards:

1. Professional coaching
2. Certified rigging
3. Height training guidelines
4. Safety equipment

In THIS case aerial silks are considered low risk.

Yes dangerous – IF you are training on your own at home or outside hanging from a tree, you are probably missing one or more of the safety standards mentioned above and greatly increase your chances of risk or injury.

Did you start walking the minute you were born? probably not. (sorry for the sass) Well, most people don’t start silks already knowing how to do silks. Starting a silks class if you are a couch potato isn’t recommended. It is enough that you are active in general to be able to start and then work on your skills of strength and flexibility in the learning process. You really only need a little bit of 1 of the 4 skills to excel at silks to begin: strength, flexibility, coordination or trust.( link to list of 4 skills to excel)

Obviously the more active you are before Starting silks the better. But here are list of examples activities that you can be doing regularly (min 2X a week)that can help before you start a silks class:

• Walks or hikes
• Yoga or Pilates
• Crossfit
• Swimming
• Dancing

But to be honest just regularly being active and loving to move will help, for example:

• playing ping pong
• Playing sports with your kids
• biking to work
• jumping on the trampoline

 hey if you're down okay here's a really good question how active do you need to be before you start a civics class now I can bear really nerdy and be like it's best to start a free sample if you do yoga or Pilates if you do CrossFit if you do handstands if you do dancing or swimming all these would help but I also want to add that if you're just in general Lee active and love to move things like playing ping pong and dancing with your kids throwing the ball around kicking soccer jumping on the trampoline all of this will help am I missing any activities that you think help make you stronger before joining the 6 class let me know in the comments below okay here's a really good question how active do you need to be before you start a silks class now I can be really me like it's best to start with a little bit of Fitness for example if you do things like playing ping pong and dancing with your kids throwing the ball around kicking soccer jumping on the trampoline all of this will help am I missing any activities that you think I'll make you stronger before Journey really good question for y'all how active you need to be before you join a sex class

Yes! I myself have two kids (1 regular birth and 1 C-Section), plus I have many Mothers who are also students. In the beginning Mothers come with the misconception that their abs have been ruined and they won't be able to do certain tricks. I'm happy to say that I continue to prove them wrong!

With that positive outlook in mind, mothers should only join a silks class if they are  currently active and not injured from the pregnancy. This means  that if there is a separation in the abdominal wall (Diastasis Recti) or pelvic floor problems, I recommend getting a physiotherapist’s approval before starting. (I had all of the above problems… and still made it happen! Grab onto your passion ladies and don’t let becoming a mother define what your body will look like and how you can still enjoy being strong!)

in progress….