5 Exercises to Get Your Body Ready for Circus!

Hello everyone and happy Sunday!

When you stop exercising, even if it’s for a week, you are telling your body that you don’t need to use certain muscles anymore. Even just taking two weeks off can be detrimental to your strength. And guess what? Akrosphere is still on it’s end of summer break! That means that everyone is taking at least two weeks off regular training, if not more! We know circus work takes a lot of strength, but FEAR NOT! You can work your muscles at home to get your body ready to get back into your circus training! Before you start your strength training, do some cardio for 5 minutes. That can be jumping jacks, running, or even dancing! Once you’re warm, you can get started with the following exercises:

  1. Plank – A huge component of circus training is core strength, and what better way to work on that than the mighty plank? (I took that title from Angelica—we miss you!) There are so many benefits to holding a plank! They strengthen your core, help give you better posture, reduce back pain, and give you better movement and coordination. All from just one exercise! You see why it’s considered one of the best exercises you could do for your body! How to: Rise to the top of a push up position. Keep your chest and abdominals strong, your thighs activated, and avoid sagging or hiking up the hips. Basically, keep a straight line all the way from your head to your heels. Hold for at least 30 seconds. 
  2. Circus Push Ups – If you’ve ever tried climbing a silk, or a rope, or even just holing on to a trapeze, you know that a lot of upper body strength is required. Push ups are great for building your chest, biceps, triceps, and core. So many muscles are benefitting from a simple push up! Now, you notice I’m calling them “circus” push ups. All that means is that instead of having your elbows go out to the sides, you want to keep them close to your body to really focus on those triceps. How to: Start in that plank position from above; see, you’re already halfway there! Lower your body and then push it back up! Sounds easy, but make sure you maintain your plank position the ENTIRE time! You can always go on your knees or put your hands on a raised surface to make it a little easier. Don’t forget to keep those elbows in! Do 10.
  3. Squats – You think circus and aerial, and you automatically think about strong arms and core, but to be a great performer, you need a well rounded body! And did you know that squats don’t just help strengthen your legs? Yes, you feel it in your legs, but they are such an intense exercise, that they help release hormones that can help your other muscles continue to work and grow! How to: Start by standing up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Put your arms out in front of your body to help with balance. Start lowering your body by not just bending your knees, but by pushing your knees out to the sides. Keep your chest up throughout the whole exercise, and push your hips back to make sure that most of your weight is on your heels. Once you’ve gotten to your lowest point, push back up, again making sure your chest is staying up. Do 10.
  4. Burpee – Now we’re putting it all together! Most people don’t particularly love them *points finger at self,* but burpees are amazing for the body! Not only do they make you stronger, by working on so many different muscles, but they work your cardiovascular endurance, too! It’s an all-in-one, full body exercise! Who doesn’t want that? How to: Start by standing up straight. Then, lower into a squat and place your hands on the floor. Jump your feet back into plank position, and you know what comes next: circus push up! Remember to squeeze everything! Return your feet to squat position and immediately jump in the air as high as you can! To make it more fun, do them with a partner and give each other a high 10 every time you jump! For any kids reading this, I’m sure your parents would love to do some burpees with you! Do 10.
  5. STRETCHING! – You probably thought that this would all be about strength, but you also lose flexibility when you don’t train it in a while, which makes it just as important to practice. Stretching keeps your muscles flexible, strong, and healthy. Flexible muscles allow you to maintain range of motion in the joints. Without it, your muscles can shorten and become tight, which could lead to injury, and we do not want that! How to: Make sure you are warm! Cold muscles do not want to stretch! Hold each position for at least 30 seconds; it takes some time for tissues to lengthen safely. Make sure you hold and not bounce. You want to feel the stretch. If you feel pain, you’ve gone too far, so go back to the point where you are feeling the stretch. Finally, relax and breathe! Stretching is not always pleasurable, but breathe through it and when you’re done, you’ll feel amazing!

Try to do all of this at least once a day! If you have time, do it twice or even three times! The great thing is that you don’t need any equipment, so you can do it at your house, any friend or family member’s house, the playground, the beach, ANYWHERE! So no excuses!

Catch you next week!

Mar