At a Glance:

Website: http://aeriformarts.com
Address: 5625 Lankershim Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 91601
Length: 60 minutes
Price: 1 class/$25, 10 classes/$200
Sweat scale: medium
Energy level: low

Until a few months ago, I didn’t even know aerial fitness was a thing. Now I’m working out suspended in the air at least once a week! 

Pre Sweat

There is a bunch of construction in the area so make sure to allot some time for parking. There are plenty of spots around the block but you’ll have to walk a little. If you’re coming from Burbank Blvd, I found it’s best to turn down Farmdale Ave and drive around the block because Lankershim is full of closures and no U turn signs. After I parked, I headed into the studio, signed the waiver, and met Lynnea, the instructor. I put my things away and grabbed a mat before we got started.

Sweat

We started with about 10 minutes of stretching and yoga to warm up our body. As we flowed through plank, warrior two, reverse warrior, push-ups, and downward facing dog I was eager to try out all of the circus-like contraptions around the room. We ended the mat portion with some core work including basic crunches and bicycles.

The majority of the aerial cirque class is spent conditioning and testing out tricks on the aerial hammocks, lyra (hula-hoop), and silks. Since there were only three of us, we rotated as a group. Lynnea explained a trick or exercise and we would have a few minutes to practice as she walked around helping us with the move.

On the hammock we practiced flipping upside-down and holding various poses. The silks were difficult because to do most of the tricks you had to know how to lock your foot. After mastering the foot lock, we practiced climbing up the silk which not only required an insane amount of upper body strength but also hurt my foot. Towards the end we learned how to lock both of our feet separately and break into the splits off of the ground.

The lyra was particularly intense because we had to use our arm muscles to hoist our body up onto the hula-hoop. Or in my case, use my muscle along with the help of Lynnea’s. One of the girls was able to do this without any help and even flip both of her legs behind her while holding onto the hoop. My jaw actually dropped in awe. We ended with some stretching and a few pictures.

Post Sweat

While this area doesn’t have much to write home about, I ventured five minutes away to the Iliad Bookstore for the first time and it was amazing. If you’re into books, this place is a must, as you’ll find shelves and shelves of gently used books at very reasonable costs.

Tricks of the Trade

• This is a no frills studio but the instructors are kind and helpful.
• While this was a combo class, the studio also offers classes that focus on aerial yoga, cube, silks, hammock, trapeze, lyra, and pole.