Your Step-by-Step Guide to Starting Aerial Arts with Health Challenges

Essential Questions to Ask:

About Their Experience:

1. "Have you worked with students who have [your specific condition]?"
   • If yes: "What modifications did you use? How did they progress?"
   • If no: "Are you comfortable researching and learning about my condition?"
   • A good answer includes honesty and willingness to learn, not just "we can handle anything"
2. "What is your instructor training background, and how do you approach modifications?"
   • Look for: Injury and sports health knowledge, first aid training, willingness to consult with medical professionals
   • At Eternal Aerial Arts, our instructors receive regular training where we discuss health conditions and practice various modifications

About Class Structure:

3. "What does a typical beginner class look like?"
   • At Eternal Aerial Arts: Classes start with floor warm-up (where instructors assess students and ask questions), conditioning on the specific apparatus, skills work at the class level, and stretching/cool down
   • Look for: Warm-up time, opportunities for questions, cool-down periods
4. "What is your maximum class size for beginners?"
   • Smaller classes (4-6 students) mean more individual attention
   • At Eternal Aerial Arts, our beginner classes max out at 6 students
5. "Do you offer private or semi-private sessions?"
   • This can be valuable initially if you need more individualized attention
   • At Eternal Aerial Arts, we offer private, semi-private, and group private options

About Safety and Modifications:

6. "What apparatus do you recommend for beginners with [your specific concerns]?"
   • At Eternal Aerial Arts, we offer silks, bungee, sling, and lyra for beginners, with conditioning and calisthenics classes as a great starting point for those not ready to jump into apparatus work
   • Low-level work where feet can touch the ground is ideal initially
7. "Can you give me examples of modifications you've made for students with limited grip strength / joint issues / balance concerns?"
   • At Eternal Aerial Arts, examples include: lowering apparatus, teaching skills on the floor first, using two hands instead of one, adding extra wraps for support, rolling into wraps instead of inverting unsupported while standing
   • For knee issues: Keeping things tight and close to your body, not overextending range of motion
   • For limited grip strength: Floor work, partial body weight exercises
   • Specific examples indicate experience; vague reassurances they don't
8. "What happens during the warm-up? Will I have a chance to discuss my needs with the instructor?"
   • At Eternal Aerial Arts, instructors take mental notes and ask questions during warm-up to frame the boundaries of the lesson
   • This initial assessment is crucial for your safety
9. "How do you encourage students to communicate about pain or limitations?"
   • At Eternal Aerial Arts, communication is built through conversations from the moment you walk through the door until you leave, and continues between classes
   • Look for: A culture of open communication, family-like atmosphere
10. "Do you require or recommend medical clearance for students with health conditions?"
    • At Eternal Aerial Arts, students with injuries that prevent them from doing aerial must provide medical information and clearance to return. New students are expected to discuss participation with their doctors, and we're willing to talk with physicians if they need more information
    • This shows the studio takes health seriously

About Practical Matters:

11. "What are your trial options and pricing?"
    • Look for: Intro classes, trial packages, drop-in options
    • At Eternal Aerial Arts, we offer class packages and memberships with drop-in flexibility
12. "Is your studio accessible? (ground level, places to rest, climate controlled)"
    • At Eternal Aerial Arts: Ground level with zero-entry access, comfortable chairs and mats for resting, climate controlled, pulley system to adjust apparatus height easily

Red Flags to Watch For:

• Dismissive responses about your health concerns
• No experience with modifications or unwillingness to adapt
• Pressure to sign long-term contracts before trying a class
• Large class sizes with no mention of individual attention
• Focus only on advanced, performance-oriented training

Green Flags That Indicate a Good Fit:

• Specific questions about your health concerns
• Willingness to consult with your medical providers if needed
• Examples of past modifications and adaptations
• Smaller beginner class sizes
• Welcoming, non-judgmental tone
• Flexible class options and scheduling

Step 2: Prepare for Your First Class

You've found a studio, scheduled your first class—now what?

What to Wear and Bring:

Wear:

• Fitted leggings or athletic pants (fabric can catch on loose clothing)
• Fitted shirt that covers your stomach (fabric can cause friction burns on bare skin)
• No jewelry that could catch (remove rings, bracelets, and earrings)
• Hair tied back and secure
• Bare feet or grip socks
• No lotion or oils on hands or legs (affects grip)

Bring:

• Water bottle
• Small towel
• Any assistive devices you use
• List of medications/conditions if you haven't shared this yet

Physical Preparation:

The Day Of:

• Eat a light meal 1-2 hours before class
• Hydrate well but not excessively right before
• Take any regular medications as prescribed
• Arrive 5 to 10 minutes early
• Use the bathroom before class

Mental Preparation:

Set Realistic Expectations:

• You won't master anything on day one
• You will probably feel awkward—everyone does
• You might not be able to do everything shown—that's normal especially if there are more experienced students in your class
• You will discover muscles you didn't know existed
• Progress happens over weeks and months, not minutes

Research shows that enjoyment and realistic expectations are crucial for exercise adherence.

Communication Preparation:

Before class starts, plan to share with your instructor:

• Your primary health concerns
• Any specific movements or positions you need to avoid
• How to recognize when you're struggling
• Your goals and what you hope to achieve

Step 3: Navigate Your First Class

During Warm-Up:

This is assessment time. The instructor is watching how you move and mentally adjusting their lesson plan.

Do:

• Participate to your comfort level
• Speak up if something hurts, feels wrong, or starts to get too difficult with continuous repetitions
• Ask for modifications if needed
• Listen to your body (sharp pain = stop; muscle fatigue = normal; cramping= normal)

Don't:

• Push through sharp pain to "keep up"
• Compare yourself to others
• Hide injuries or limitations

During Conditioning:

This builds the strength you need for skills.

Expect:

• Muscle fatigue (shaky muscles are normal)
• Grip challenges, use grip spray until you don't need it anymore
• Core engagement
• Modifications offered (take them if you need them)

Remember:

• At Eternal Aerial Arts, we build strength progressively: floor work first, partial body weight, then full body weight over time

During Skills Work:

This is where you learn aerial movements.

Key Principles:

• Start low (apparatus can be adjusted to different heights)
• Learn on the floor first
• Use modifications (two hands instead of one, extra wraps for support)
• Progress at your own pace

During Cool-Down:

Do:

• Participate in stretching
• Ask questions
• Share how the class felt
• Drink water

Step 4: Post-Class Care and Reflection

Immediate Post-Class:

Physical Care:

• Hydrate well
• Eat a balanced meal with protein and carbs to fuel immediate and longer term needs
• Ice any areas that feel inflamed (not just sore, but painful)
• Gentle movement helps reduce stiffness

Journal:

• What you accomplished
• What felt good vs. challenging
• What hurt vs. what was difficult
• Questions for your instructor

The Next 24-48 Hours:

Expect Soreness:

• DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) peaks 24-48 hours after new exercise
• You'll discover muscles you didn't know existed
• This is normal and will decrease as your body adapts

Soreness vs. Injury:

Normal soreness:

• Dull, widespread muscle ache
• Improves with gentle movement
• Affects both sides equally
• Gradually decreases over 3-5 days

Concerning pain:

• Sharp, localized pain
• Worsens with movement
• Doesn't improve after several days
• Contact your instructor and consider seeing your doctor

Step 5: Give It Six Classes

One class isn't enough to judge. At Eternal Aerial Arts, I recommend six classes before deciding. Here's why:

Class 1: Everything is new and overwhelming.

Class 2: You recognize some movements and you're slightly less terrified.

Class 3: Something clicks. This is often when people start to see possibility.

Class 4-5: Your body begins adapting. Your grip is stronger. You're thinking about sequences during the week.

Class 6: You can assess whether this is something you want to continue.

Questions to Ask After Six Classes:

Physical Assessment:

• Am I getting stronger, even slightly?
• Are movements that were impossible becoming merely challenging?
• Is my body adapting (better grip, less dizziness, more stability)?
• Am I experiencing pain reduction or increased pain?

Mental/Emotional Assessment:

• Do I look forward to classes or dread them?
• Do I think about aerial between classes?
• Do I feel accomplished, even with small progress?

Practical Assessment:

• Is the schedule sustainable?
• Is the cost manageable long-term?
• Do I feel comfortable with the instructor and studio culture?

Step 6: Building Long-Term Success

If you continue, these strategies will help you maintain your practice and maximize benefits.

Create Systems for Consistency

Research shows that consistency is more important than intensity for people with chronic conditions.

Your schedule might look like:

• Once weekly (building foundation)
• Twice weekly (seeing steady progress)
• Three+ times weekly (optimal for some conditions like EDS where more training prevents symptoms better than rest)

Practical Strategies:

• Book classes weekly at the same time
• Set calendar reminders
• Track your progress
• Celebrate small wins

Set Realistic Goals:

Instead of "I want to do an advanced drop by next month," try:

• "I want to hold this pose for five seconds longer"
• "I want to invert without using my foot to assist"
• "I want to reduce my joint pain"

Manage Setbacks

With chronic health conditions, setbacks are inevitable. They're part of the process.

When you miss classes due to health:

• Communicate with your instructor
• Don't abandon your practice entirely
• Return at a level appropriate for your time away
• Be patient with yourself

When progress stalls:

• Reassess your goals (are they realistic?)
• Talk to your instructor about plateaus
• Celebrate maintaining rather than only progress
• Remember that fitness isn't always linear

Monitor Your Health Improvements

Keep tracking:

• Pain levels
• Energy levels
• Sleep quality
• Functional improvements (daily activities that are easier)
• Cardiovascular changes

Review your progress regularly with both your instructor and your doctor.

The Research-Backed Benefits You're Working Toward

Remember why you started. Research and lived experience show aerial arts can:

• Reduce fall risk by 24% through balance training
• Build grip strength, a strong predictor of mortality and overall health
• Reduce inflammation through high-intensity interval training patterns
• Improve cardiovascular adaptation to position changes
• Enhance vestibular function with effects equivalent to 10 years of rejuvenation
• Activate both brain hemispheres through bilateral coordination
• Build muscle support for faulty connective tissue (in conditions like EDS)
• Improve proprioception and body awareness
• Increase overall strength, flexibility, and confidence

Final Thoughts: You're Worth the Effort

Starting aerial arts with health challenges requires courage, persistence, and self-advocacy. But my journey—from struggling to walk due to hip issues, unable to do a single pull-up, recovering from breast cancer, to feeling younger at 55 than at 35—shows what's possible.

At Eternal Aerial Arts, we've built our studio around supporting people in discovering what their bodies can do despite (and sometimes because of) their health challenges. Our students are family. We stay in touch between classes. We celebrate every victory, no matter how small.

Your body may have limitations, but it also has capabilities you haven't discovered yet. Those silks hanging from the ceiling aren't just fitness equipment—they're tools for discovering strength you didn't know you had, building cardiovascular resilience, sharpening your mind, and quite literally reversing some effects of aging and chronic conditions.

You're worth the effort. Your health is worth the investment. And that first uncomfortable, awkward, overwhelming class might just be the beginning of feeling younger, stronger, and more capable than you have in years.

We'll see you in the studio.

Peggy Ployhar
Owner, Eternal Aerial Arts
Who started at 48, reversed her EDS symptoms, and now at 55 feels younger than ever

Quick Reference Checklist

Questions for Studios:

• ☐ Experience with my condition
• ☐ Modification approach
• ☐ Class size and structure
• ☐ Safety protocols
• ☐ Communication culture
• ☐ Trial options

First Class Preparation:

• ☐ Fitted athletic clothing
• ☐ Hair tied back, no jewelry
• ☐ Water bottle
• ☐ Arrive 5-105 minutes early
• ☐ Open mind and sense of humor

Post-Class:

• ☐ Hydrate well
• ☐ Journal experience
• ☐ Plan next class

After Six Classes:

• ☐ Assess physical changes
• ☐ Evaluate enjoyment
• ☐ Review health impacts
• ☐ Decide on sustainable schedule

Remember: You don't have to be strong to start. You just have to start to get strong.

Disclaimer: This article reflects personal experience and general guidance. Consult with your healthcare provider before beginning any new exercise program, especially if you have chronic health conditions, injuries, or other medical concerns.