At-Home Equipment for Aerialists
What you need (and what you don’t!)
Every beginner aerial silks student asks it. “Where can I buy aerial silks to put in my house?” they ask. And we coaches always answer the same way. “Don’t do it.”
The same goes for lyra. And trapeze. And most of the other circus apparatuses out there. There are a million reasons for not having aerial silks (or any circus apparatus) in your home. The possibility of slipping and breaking your neck is real. Professional riggers are expensive; many people don’t have a pro install the apparatus and attempt to set it up themselves. (Would you believe one woman I chatted with had purchased spandex from Hobby Lobby and tied it to their indoor upstairs bannister for their daughter to “work” on?) And don’t even get me started on learning from YouTube or from your friends. Long story short, there’s no one who knows what they’re doing at your house with you to make sure you are practicing safe techniques and spotting you if something goes wrong.
However; there are items that ARE safe to have at your home that might help you EVEN MORE than having your own personal lyra, trapeze, silks, or any other circus apparatus. (Plus, these won’t break the bank!)
#1. Hands down, the absolute BEST at home equipment for a beginner aerial silks (or other aerial apparatus) student to have in their home is THE PULL-UP BAR! Yes, this handy little device is the clear winner in “at home equipment” to become a better aerialist faster. My personal favorite is this one from Amazon for about $25. Pull-up bars cost anywhere between $10-$30 for a decent one, and many don’t even need “installation”. Pull-ups are the aerialist’s best friend. If you can’t do a pull-up yet, ask your coaches about alternatives. Bonus: you can also to “Toes-to-Bar” on a pull-up bar! Hang from the bar, and slowly raise your straight legs up into pike position, then up higher until your toes barely touch the bar, then slowly release them down again. Too hard? Only bring them up to pike position. Or bend your knees into tuck position and back down. As with all exercises, baby steps are your best bet. ** Make sure your parents spot you if you can’t reach the pull-up bar by yourself!
#2. Ah, the humble EXERCISE BALL. There are tons of them, and they are all pretty much alike. The only thing you need is to get one the correct size for you. Normally averaging $8-$15 each, they range from 45cm to about 85cm. You should be able to sit on the ball and have your thighs parallel to or slightly sloping down to the ground. (On average, a 55cm ball is good for 4’11”-5’5″.) Exercise balls are good for core workouts, stability workouts, stretching, and more. Check with your coaches if you need help figuring out what to do.
#3. THERABANDS! True, Therabands won’t make you look like that straps guy in Cirque du Soleil”, but boy are they handy! Warm-ups and pre-habilitation exercises (lovingly called “prehab”) are key in becoming a healthy and safe aerialist. These bands are about $7 each, and come in a range of strengths from thin to super-heavy. (I like these therabands on Amazon, and I use Blue, Green, and Red the most.) Please ask your coaches for apparatus specific things to do with them.
#4. The glorious FOAM ROLLER! Oh, my love-hate relationship with this one goes back years! These are good for both stretching and muscle release. I prefer mine a little firm; I own this one from Amazon for about $10. Ask Coach Tawni about ways to use this…she knows her stuff! (Actually, those of you who take with her have probably already started using them in class!)
#5. Last but certainly not least, THE PEANUT! (Yes, you heard that correctly!) They are also known as the Double-Lacrosse Ball. I actually own three of these little guys that I got on Amazon for about $10 each…I keep one in my bedroom, one in my living room, and one in my gym bag. These strange doohickeys are AMAZING for muscle release during stretching! Coach Tawni and Coach Angelica are the “Gurus” for these peanuts; just ask and these lovely ladies will point you toward a million effective and safe ways to use your peanut.
So there’s your Christmas Gift List for every beginner aerial silks student in your family! (Actually, there will be a “Christmas Gift List for Circus Performers” blog post later this year!) Using even one of these items regularly at home will increase your circus gains hugely! And let’s face it: we all want to be amazing circus performers. Just remember that you only get out of it what you put into it!
Happy training, and as always, wear your “smart pants”!
— Jen; “Head Monkey Wrangler” at Akrosphere Aerial & Circus Arts