Aerial silks is such a beautiful art. The wraps and the movement just look so graceful and elegant! Even the most simple moves can look stunning. It wasn't difficult for me to find 5 moves that I think are beautiful, though it was difficult to narrow it down!

The Shapes

I have picked moves from beginner through to advanced level (not in order). These shapes would look great in any photoshoot setting! As always, the full, in-depth tutorials for all of these moves, including common mistakes and linked pre-requisites are on Unique Aerialists Academy. Here are 5 aerial silks moves I think are beautiful:

• Rainbow Marchenko
• Wristlock Thread The Needle
• Back Sail
• Catchers Wrapped Straight Leg
• Eiffel Tower

If you want to try move gorgeous silks moves, check out these Belay Shapes.

Be unique,
Robyn xx

Working out and stretching at home is a convenient, hassle free way of maintaining or building strength and flexibility, either while you can't get to a studio or between your lessons.

One of the best benefits of working out at home is that you need minimal equipment. You don't even need any equipment at all! But having a few key pieces will make your workouts, stretching and recovery sessions much easier and more effective.

My absolute essentials are:

Yoga Mat

A yoga mat is great for providing your body with some cushioning and protection from standing or laying on a hard wooden floor or carpet. A good yoga mat will also not become slippery when you sweat, which will protect your flooring and prevent you from sliding! If you're outside, using a yoga mat means you don't need to worry about getting dirty by laying directly on the ground. A few months ago I upgraded my nearly 10 year old yoga mat to a Liforme mat and I adore it! There are so many yoga mats on the market though to suit any budget.

Resistance Band

I use a resistance band for everything! I use them at home, at the gym, as an aid for teaching aerial, in pilates classes, while I'm at my desk writing this blog post etc. They are such a versatile, useful and inexpensive piece of kit, and they take up barely any space! A resistance band adds resistance to your movement, making it more intense. Resistance bands are available as either a single length, a short loop or a long loop, and they come in various degrees of strength. They all work well for different things, if you don't want to buy different styles, the best one to purchase is a single length, as you can tie it into a loop if you need. I have included links to the resistance bands that I personally use, but there are so many on the market! Below is a grip strength exercise and a toe point exercise you can do using a resistance band.

Wrist Trainer

This handy piece of equipment is a sure fire way to improving your grip strength! Good grip strength is so important for aerial arts! Most movements we make while on the aerial apparatus involve gripping with our hands. Grip strength is vital from a safety aspect, as we need enough strength to be able to exit moves and descend to the floor, even after a tiring combo! Good grip strength will enable you to hold for longer, meaning progression will be easier.
Using a wrist trainer is a great way to maintain strength while you're away from the studio and unable to practise for a while. If you only have the opportunity to train in the air once a week or so, adding additional grip strength exercises into your routine will improve your grip strength, which will make your training/lessons easier. You'll feel stronger and more stable on the apparatus, so you can focus on progressing! Improving grip strength gradually by using a wrist trainer at home will help prevent injury, as muscles and tendons won't suddenly be overworked. It can also help rehabilitate injuries as it is 100% non-impact, it drives blood flow throughout the limb which promotes faster recovery when compared with leaving the limb completely sedentary.
The Powerball Sports Gyro 250hz Wrist Exerciser works by creating dynamic force as you make rotations of your wrist. It sounds easy but once you get the hang of it, it will start to burn after seconds! When you buy this from Firetoys, you can use my discount code uniqueaerialists to save 10%.

Stability Ball

A stability ball is a great piece of equipment for core workouts, balance work and practising handstands! The below is an old Stability Ball Workout I filmed a few years ago, I cringe so much watching these old videos but the workout is really effective and I'm currently 8 months pregnant so can't refilm it! I have linked to the stability ball that I use but you can buy them from any sports shop!

Yoga Block

Yoga blocks are fantastic stretching aids. You can use yoga blocks to hold some of your weight to build strength for more stable flexibility and improve alignment. Or you can use them to add elevation to get deeper into stretches. You can also use yoga blocks in this hip flexor workout!

Massage Peanut

There are so many benefits of massage between or after training sessions. Massage promotes circulation which reduces inflammation and muscle soreness. This in turn aids flexibility. And it just feels amazing! A Massage Peanut is a great massage tool to have at home. It sits either side of your spine to relieve tension down your back and increase thoracic mobility. Due to it's unique shape, a Massage Peanut is even effective in relieving neck tension and headaches! You can also use it to roll out your forearms, shoulders, triceps and feet, to help release sore points. It's shape makes it easier to control than a ball!
The Massage Peanut I use from Firetoys is made from cork, which is the perfect level of grippiness and bounce. Cork is one of the most renewable materials out there, which is a massive plus!
If you buy a Firetoys or Prodigy aerial hoop or aerial silks, you can add this Massage Peanut to your order to receive it for free!

Foam Roller

As above, there are so many benefits of massage between or after training sessions. Massage promotes circulation which reduces inflammation and muscle soreness. This in turn aids flexibility. And it just feels amazing! A foam roller is a great massage tool to have at home. It is more suitable to use on your big muscles eg legs and back, whereas the massage peanut is more effective on your smaller muscles or targeting specific areas. There are loads of ways to roll out your muscles using a foam roller and loads of different foam rollers available! I prefer to use a bumpy foam roller.

Do you have any other pieces of equipment you love to use when you workout or stretch at home? xx

Adding a spin to moves, combinations and routines can make even the most simple shapes look stunning! It adds a certain flair and creates dynamic movement.

To Spin, Or Not To Spin

Being able to spin whilst in the hoop or silks is an important skill if you're performing or competing. It means you can hold a beautiful move and the audience or judges (or instagram!) can see every angle, this can be the difference between seeing a gorgeous shape and staring at someones crotch! You can tailor the speed of your spin to your music to emphasise points in the music and help add to the mood of your performance. You can use a lovely, slow spin with a flowy piece of music, or a quick, dynamic spin with more dramatic music. Having your apparatus on a spin means you will be able to hold a move for longer, rather than feeling like you need to jump from one move to another to keep the audience engaged.

If you're not performing or competing, learning to create and control a spin is a really useful skill to have. Filming yourself during your practise will help you see exactly what your body is doing, this is handy if you're learning new moves and something doesn't feel quite right, and it's so much easier when you're on a slow spin! The same principle applies for if you want to look in the mirror to check your lines while you're in a move, when you're in a slow spin you can just wait until you're at the right angle rather than trying to twist round to see the mirror or waiting for an instructor to turn you! If you're on your own and want to get pictures of a move, you can create a slow spin to get a screenshot of every angle, this technique is also useful for working out the best angle for photoshoot pictures!

Swivel

A smooth spin starts with a good swivel! A swivel is attached between two carabiners and will enable the hoop or silks to spin.
The best swivels for aerial are lightweight, so it doesn't add too much weight to your rigging. It should be small so it doesn't add too much length to your rigging. It obviously needs to be strong so it won't break while you're up in the air! Your rigging is only as strong as the weakest point, your swivel should be as safe as the rest of your equipment. And it should be well made so it has a smooth spin and won't start juddering or sticking while you're spinning.  
The new Prodigy Aerial Swivel from Firetoys is one of the best and won't break the bank! It is small, only adding 7cm to your rigging, lightweight at only 74g and super strong with an MBS of 30kN! The two parts of the body are machined aluminium and the core section and ball bearings are stainless steel, perfect for a smooth spin!
It's important that any aerial equipment you buy is from a reputable, trusted company that is recommended by other aerialists. When you're upside down and relatively high, good quality equipment and poor quality equipment could literally be the difference between life and death! This swivel (and all my other aerial equipment) is from Firetoys, you can use my discount code uniqueaerialists for 10% discount!

Creating a Spin On The Hoop

To create a spin on the hoop, start by standing directly underneath your rigging point. If you start by standing slightly to the side then your hoop will swing from side to side or around in a big circle, instead of spinning under one point. You can hold the hoop with either one hand in the middle of the top bar or both hands equal distance from the middle of the top bar. Keep one foot underneath you and move your other foot out to the side, or move both feet out to the side (shown in the below tutorial). Wherever you place your feet, you need a straight line from your rigging point, through your hand(s), chest and hips.
Lift up onto the balls of your feet, as this will be easier to pivot than standing on flat feet. Engage your shoulders and core to start to bring your weight off of your feet and into your arms.
Pivot on one foot, on the spot, so your body stays directly underneath your rigging point. Gradually lift the weight off of your foot and bring more weight into your arms until you can lift your foot off the floor. Really focus on lifting, not jumping! If you need to push off your foot to lift it off the floor then you will jerk the hoop which will make the spin much less smooth or could stop the spin completely.
If you would like to invert after creating the spin, continue into an invert from this position. Note, you need a strong invert to invert on a spin as you're not able to push off the floor.  
To create a spin on the silks from the floor, you need to follow the same steps.

Controlling a Spin

Once you have perfected creating a beautiful, smooth spin on the hoop or silks, you need to learn how to control it. It will probably feel like the apparatus is spinning you when you first attempt spinning, but with practise you will be in control of the apparatus!

The biggest tip I have is to start slooow. Slow spins often look more elegant than fast spins and it is the best way to build your confidence with spinning and gain knowledge and body awareness around how to control the spin.

Another really important tip that's so easy to forget, is to keep your body engaged. You won't be able to control the apparatus if you're not able to control your own body! Engage your core, shoulders and legs to grip the hoop and maintain the position of your body throughout the spin. Make your movements deliberate so you're not caught off guard and accidentally speed the spin up or make the apparatus swing from side to side.

When you're spinning, the bigger your shape the slower you will go. If you are spinning too quickly, make your shape bigger by leaning out or extending an arm or a leg to slow down your spin. When you make a small shape, you will spin quicker. This is really useful knowledge, it's so natural to turn into a koala when you don't feel in control of the spin, but this is the worse thing you can do as as soon as you cling onto the apparatus and become smaller, you will suddenly pick up more speed! This is good to keep in mind when you're putting together combinations and routines. You can put the moves in an order that enables you to slow down after a quick spin so you can readjust your grip or position, or when you might be starting to feel dizzy! Before going back to a tight shape to speed up. If you are struggling with dizziness, read about why you feel dizzy and things you can do to help in this How To Deal With Dizziness blog post.

If you started the spin too slow and you want to speed up or maintain the speed of your spin. Move your body and/or your arms and legs in the direction of the spin, when you transition between moves. If you move against the direction of the spin, this will slow the spin slightly. For example, in the hoop when you transition from Sitting to Man In The Moon, you can turn either way. If you turn in the same direction that you're spinning then you will maintain or slightly speed up the speed, if you turn against the direction you're spinning then you will slightly slow down the spin.

What moves are your favourite to do on a spin? xx

Practising skills you have learnt in lessons, building strength with conditioning exercises and following online tutorials/classes are all things you can do when you have your own equipment.

No Studio, No Problem

There are soo many reasons as to why you may want your own aerial equipment. If you're lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend lessons at a good aerial studio, perfecting lower level moves and completing conditioning exercises between lessons can hugely help your progress! If you're performing you will need your own equipment to perform on and may find that studio lessons don't quite work for you to practise your performances. Or you may find that there just aren't any suitable studios near you. With so much uncertainty around when studios will reopen, if they will need to close again and what lessons will look like going forward, more and more people are choosing alternative places to train. These can include at home, taking a rig to a park, hiring a space or hiring a rigging point in a studio.  

Whether you're choosing to train away from a studio temporarily, occasionally or permanently. And if you're training at home, taking your rig to a park or hiring a space to train, you need certain pieces of equipment.

Quality, Always

As you're going to be off the ground, upside down and relatively high, the most important requirement for any and all equipment you use is that it needs to be safe! This equipment could quite literally be the difference between life and death, or at least unnecessary injury. Buying cheap from Amazon can be great for some things (I can't be the only one receiving way too many surprise/forgotten about deliveries at the moment!) but aerial equipment that is going to keep you alive is not one of those things. Your rigging is only as strong as the weakest point.

The best place to buy from to guarantee you're buying high quality equipment that is competitively priced, is from a brand that is reputable, trusted and recommended by other aerialists. When I first bought my aerial equipment, my instructor recommended I buy from Firetoys. I have now bought all of my equipment from Firetoys for years and I'm always impressed by the quality of the equipment, the variety of choice, customer service, competitive pricing and speedy shipping!

This is a list of the basic, essential equipment you will need to train aerial hoop and aerial silks away from a studio. I have attached links to the pieces that I personally use and recommend. If you decide to buy from Firetoys, my discount code uniqueaerialists will give you 10% discount!

Hoop

Getting the correct size and type of hoop for you is important. An aerial hoop is made from metal, usually steel and they come in a variety of sizes. The easiest way to know the correct size is to sit on a chair, measure from the chair to the top of your head and add 10cm. Some people do prefer smaller or bigger hoops than their correct size so if you have a hoop at your aerial school that you really like then it’s a good idea to get the same size. I personally prefer a slightly smaller hoop, mine is 90cm.
You can get different types of hoop, the most common are one point, two point or tabless. Again, the hoop you have lessons on will probably determine which you prefer. The two point hoops are more stable so are generally better for beginners. The one point hoops rotate more so beginners can feel less secure in them. This is very personal though, I learnt on a two point hoop but much prefer a one point hoop so that's usually what I teach my students of all levels on! You can do different moves using the strops on both. A tabless hoop is the most versatile as you can use it either with one strop or two strops.
BONUS when you buy a Firetoys or Prodigy brand aerial hoop from Firetoys, you can receive a free Cork Massage Peanut, simply add it to your order! The Cork Massage Peanut feels so good to use between training sessions! Massage has so many benefits including promoting circulation, aiding flexibility, reducing inflammation and soothing muscle soreness. The peanut shape is perfect for self massage as it sits nicely either side of your spine and the shape makes it easy to control.

Silks

The length of silk you need will be double the height of your rigging plus 2 metres, this will give you enough fabric for the rigging and leave some silk on the ground, which is essential for wraps. For example, if your rigging point is 4 metres, you will need 10 metres of silk.
Aerial silks come in varying degrees of stretchiness. High stretch provides more give and bounce when doing drops, but due to the extra stretch it can be difficult to climb so a high stretch silk is suited to more advanced aerialists. Low stretch silks don't have much give in them, which means drops aren't quite as fun but they're easier to climb, low stretch silks are more suited to beginner aerialists. Medium stretch silks are in the middle, they will have some bounce but still be climbable for more beginner aerialists. Again the type of silks you like is personal preference and will depend on what you're used to training on, I train and teach on medium stretch silks.
Silks are also available in different widths and textures. Silks that are wider are less painful when wrapped around feet and other body parts, so are good for beginners first getting used to the feeling of the silks, they can be more difficult for people with smaller hands to hold. Silks that are of shiny material look amazing under stage lights and make slack drops smoother, but they can be more difficult to grip with both hands and in the backs of knees so high sheen silks are generally suitable for more advanced aerialists.  
BONUS when you buy a Firetoys or Prodigy brand aerial silk from Firetoys, you can receive a free Cork Massage Peanut, simply add it to your order! The Cork Massage Peanut feels so good to use between training sessions! Massage has so many benefits including promoting circulation, aiding flexibility, reducing inflammation and soothing muscle soreness. The peanut shape is perfect for self massage as it sits nicely either side of your spine and the shape makes it easy to control.

Figure 8

A figure 8 is used to hang your silks, which you will then attach to a carabiner.

Strops

You'll need strops to hang an aerial hoop. For a one point hoop you will need one strop, for a two point hoop you will need two strops. You can either choke the strop directly onto the hoop, or attach a carabiner to the tab on the hoop then attach the strop to the carabiner. I choke the strop(s) directly to the hoop as this is more comfortable when doing strop or some top of hoop moves.
These vary in lengths, ideally it’s best if the strop is long enough that you can do moves on the strop and also moves hanging under the hoop. Depending on your ceiling height this is not always possible so pick what moves you prefer to practise to decide the length you need the strop to be.
You can also use a strop around your rigging point to hang the hoop or silks from.

Carabiners

Carabiners can be used to link the hoop or figure 8 to the strop, or the strop to the rigging point, or the strop to a swivel. A strong carabiner is an aerialists best friend and you can never have too many, I find them everywhere!

Swivel

A swivel is one of my absolute must haves! A swivel is attached between two carabiners and enables to hoop or silks to spin. Being able to spin means you can hold a beautiful move and the audience (or instagram!) can see every angle, this can be the difference between seeing a gorgeous shape and staring at someones crotch! You can play with your music to help create a certain mood and use a lovely slow, flowy spin, or a quick dynamic spin. Using a swivel is really handy when you're trying to get pictures, as someone can turn you to face the right direction, or if you're on your own you can create a slow spin to get a screenshot of every angle. It's also great being able to look in the mirror as you're training!
The best swivels for aerial are lightweight, so it doesn't add too much weight to your rigging. It should be small so it doesn't add too much length to your rigging. It obviously needs to be strong so it won't break while you're up in the air! And it should be well made so it has a smooth spin and won't start juddering or sticking while you're spinning.  
The new Prodigy Aerial Swivel is one of the best and won't break the bank! It is small, only adding 7cm to your rigging, lightweight at only 74g and super strong with an MBS of 30kN! The two parts of the body are machined aluminium and the core section and ball bearings are stainless steel, perfect for a smooth spin!

Crash Mat

A big, thick crash mat is super important. We often forget that aerial arts can be quite high risk. It only takes a tiny slip of concentration to fall so having a mat underneath you could save you from a broken arm or worse! A 20cm deep crash mat is about the right thickness. A thin pole or yoga mat definitely won’t save your head if you fall. Even with all the safety precautions, accidents can still happen so it’s a good idea to minimise the risk as much a possible.

Tape

As aerial hoops are made from metal, it’s very common to tape/wrap the hoop using adhesive tape. This enables you to wear leggings and long sleeved tops when you use the hoop and still be able to grip. Tape provides the hoop with some protection from being scratched. It also comes in all colours so you can have any colour to suit you! Below is a video on how to wrap your aerial hoop. The downside of tape is that it can stick to clothes and can give you lovely friction burns!

Rigging

I won’t go too much into rigging as there are so many things to consider when rigging safely. If you are hanging your equipment in your house/garage or you're hiring a space, you need to hire a professional to install and weight test whatever you are hanging it from. Alternatively A-frames made specifically for aerial are available. These are great for outdoor training or if you have nowhere to hang the equipment from.
This great guide provides more in depth information on rigging Installing Aerial Equipment At Home

How is your training going at the moment? xx

My students tend to groan when I say we're working on elbow hangs. To be honest, I somewhat share their opinion! I smile on the outside but they make me cry a little on the inside. I prefer non painful moves like Gazelles! I know elbow hangs do get less painful the more we train them, and they definitely don't hurt me as much as they used to. I put off filming this video for months but I'm pleased I finally did it as I'd forgotten how many shapes you can make!

The Elbow Hangs

There are some beautiful shapes you can make using elbow hangs, both on the top bar, on the bottom bar, using one elbow or both elbows. Here are my favourite 10! As always, the step by step tutorials for all of these moves can be found on Unique Aerialists Academy.

• Double Elbow Hang
• Single Elbow Hang
• Elbow Hang Straddle Hold
• Elbow Split
• Twisted Straddle
• Twisted Split
• Elbow Ball On Top
• Single Elbow Straddle On Top
• Elbow Stag On Top
• Single Elbow Hang On The Strop

Which elbow hang is your favourite? xx

With most of us being unable to train properly at the moment, now is the perfect time to work on improving flexibility. It's often the smallest changes in routine that can make the biggest differences in your progress!

Little and Often

Our bodies respond best to consistency, stretching for 15 minutes 5 times a week will give you much better results than stretching for an hour once a week! This will build up your muscle strength and flexibility.

Baby, it's Cold Outside

No matter what the temperature of your room, a good warm up is so important! Stretching cold muscles is a fast track to injury. If it's a beautiful day and you already feel warm, you will need less of a warm up than if you feel cold, but you still need to gradually warm up the specific muscles you're stretching. A warm up will increase blood flow to your muscles, making them more pliable. It also allows you time to get in tune with your body, making you less likely to push yourself too far. A jog or simple aerobic warm up are great for gradually warming up your muscles and both are simple to do. Or a yoga session (there are loads of flows available on YouTube) will get you into the perfect head space, while warming up your muscles at the same time.

Slowly Does It

Once you have warmed up your muscles and got them ready for stretching, start your practice with easier stretches. Then gradually build up to the more intense stretches. This will help to prevent injury by gradually increasing the range the muscle tissue is being asked to stretch. Whilst it's not necessary to sit in a stretch for an hour, holding it for long enough is important for increasing flexibility. Holding a stretch for 30 seconds to 1 minute will be great for achieving flexibility goals.

Massage Doesn't Just Feel Good  

Getting regular massages aren't just about pampering ourselves, though that's important too sometimes! They promote circulation, reduce inflammation after an intense exercise or stretching session and promote muscle recovery. All of which help to improve flexibility when combined with regular stretching. Foam rolling can also be effective as a form of self massage.

And Breathe

While you're holding a stretch, breathe deeply! It's tempting to hold your breath while in an uncomfortable position, but this will cause your muscles to tense. Taking shallow breaths prevent the oxygen from reaching the muscles. Muscles need to be relaxed and have a good flow of oxygen to stretch effectively and safely. Take a deep breath in, to send oxygen to your muscles, then deepen the stretch as you exhale.

The Bigger Picture

Spend time stretching the opposing muscles. For example if you're working on improving your split, the primary muscles that require flexibility are the hamstrings and hip flexors, so you of course need to stretch those, but make sure you also stretch your quads. Stretching the opposing muscles as well will create more balance within your body and your muscles. This will improve overall functionality and reduce the risk of injury.

Active Flexibility

Being able to sit in a split with your weight pushing down into the floor is one thing, being able to do a hold a split using no external force is on a whole other level of flexibility! Passive stretching is when you use an external force to push yourself into the stretch eg using your hand to pull your leg closer to your body. Active stretching is when you use your muscles to lift and hold the stretch, eg lifting one leg into a split shape while in a downward dog position. Incorporating active flexibility drills into your stretching routine will strengthen the muscles needed to hold the stretch and increase your mobility. Increasing your range of active flexibility will reduce the risk of injury, as your muscles are stronger and more stable. It is also the type of flexibility you need to perform many of the bendy shapes on the aerial apparatus, meaning upside down splits will look amazing!

Rest is Best

Rest days are just as important as your practise sessions. Incorporating days of not stretching into your routine will allow your muscles the time they need to recover. It will also reduce your risk of injury, which in itself will speed up your progress! That being said, as with anything, the more time and effort you put in, the more you will achieve. The more we stretch, the more flexible we will become, so stretching for an hour a day (with rest days every week and listening to your body!) will provide better results than stretching for 10 minutes.

Invest in a Coach

If you can, investing in some stretching lessons with a good, knowledgeable coach will be the best thing you can do! They will be able to look at your form and correct any mistakes you're making. They will talk you through the techniques of stretching each specific muscle and will be able to listen to your goals and provide a training plan tailored to you!

Let me know if you put any of these tips into practise! xx

I'm so excited to finally be able to share with you the news that I'm pregnant! I'm currently 14 weeks pregnant, baby Sainty is due September 2020!

I thought I would chat about my experiences through the trimesters, starting with the first trimester!

Back Story

I still find it weird to talk about this! So, myself and Chris wanted to start a family within the next year or two. I had diagnosis surgery for endometriosis in June last year and was advised that if I wanted children I should start trying sooner rather than later, as it can affect fertility and the length of time it can take to fall pregnant. I also did my own research and found the chances of falling pregnant each month are statistically fairly low, even if both of you are healthy! So we decided to stop being careful about 9 months or so before we ideally wanted to become pregnant, thinking there would then be no pressure and we wouldn't be worrying about it if it didn't happen. Our bodies had other ideas and I fell pregnant straight away! It was a bit of a shock as I was so convinced that I wouldn't become pregnant for at least six months or so, but we obviously knew it could potentially happen sooner! And we're so incredibly happy!

First Signs

The first signs I had were very, very sore boobs! And cramps which felt like period cramps. After I had these for a couple of days without my period coming I knew I was pregnant. I can't explain how I was so convinced, something in me just knew! I took the test (or 3!) on Monday 6th January which confirmed I'm growing a baby!

Keeping a Secret!

I'm convinced Alfie and Bella (our cat and dog) know something is going on, they are both my little shadows and will not leave me alone! We decided to keep it quiet until the first scan! Luckily we live about an hour away from both of our families so it wasn't too difficult to keep it quiet, if we saw them more regularly we might have told them sooner!

Physical Symptoms

I have continued to have sore boobs throughout the first trimester and boy have they grown! I can usually take or leave wearing a bra, my little boobies definitely don't normally need one! Not anymore! I'm also much more worried about falling out when I go upside down, I need to go bra shopping soon!
The other main symptom had been nausea. Some days are worse than others, some days I just feel a little nauseous in the morning and the evening, other days I feel nauseous all day. Luckily I have only actually been sick a few times!
A few other little changes I have noticed are my hair is growing like crazy which is great! My skin has become very dry and my make up just doesn't sit right at the moment, which isn't so great! I've also had a slight cough and sniffly nose for pretty much the whole first trimester! I'm not really showing yet but I have put on a couple of pounds, all of my clothes still fit but my waist is feeling thicker! I feel like I have just started to look visibly different, which to be honest I feel quite self conscious about because I very much don't look pregnant yet, just like I've had a few too many biscuits! Check out the video at the bottom of this blog post and see if you think I look different!

Exercise

Before becoming pregnant, I had been doing aerial (either teaching, filming or training) around 4-5 times per week, a 5k run 2-3 times per week, weighted legs gym workout 2-3 times per week and walking for about an hour per day. As my pregnancy is low risk I'm able to continue to exercise, I have just made some modifications. I'm training aerial around 2 times per week, I'm not doing anything that has a wrap around my belly, or a wrap that could slip to be on my belly. I'm not doing anything that presses too hard on my sides or could bash into my sides/belly. I'm also not doing anything too bendy! I'm only doing moves that I feel very confident with. It's starting to feel harder! I want to continue training for as long as I can and I'll continue to modify the moves I do as my bump gets bigger!
I am running around twice a week, the only modification I have made is when I feel out of breath I slow down to walk instead of pushing through!
I am going to the gym doing weighted leg workouts around twice a week. I have dropped my weights down so I can do 10-12 reps, my aim is to maintain the strength I have as much as I can, not to increase my strength. I also take breaks when I start to feel out of breath!
I'm now only stretching at the end of my exercise sessions, I'm not doing any flexibility training as I have relaxin in my body so I'm much more prone to overstretching!
I'm still walking Bella for around an hour everyday, which I will continue to do!
I'm also doing pelvic floor exercises everyday! I was doing these a few times a week, when I remembered, prior to pregnancy, but now I'm doing them religiously everyday! I don't want to start weeing while I'm running!
I'm just listening to my body and I'm not pushing myself or doing anything that doesn't feel right.

Food and Supplements

I've been struggling a lot with food, I love eating fruit and vegetables and I generally have a healthy diet, I love how it makes me feel! For the past couple of months, the only foods that don't make me feel sick are beige, bland foods like toast and chips. I have been struggling mentally with no longer enjoying the foods I love and the foods that I know are good for both myself and now baby. I have been making sure I'm having some kind of fruit and vegetables everyday no matter how much I don't feel like it! (preview - at the time of writing this I'm in the second trimester and feeling so much better, like myself again! It's all just a phase.) The supplements I'm taking are folic acid, which I started taking as soon as we started trying, this supplement also contains vitamin D. I'm taking vitamin B12, as I eat a mostly plant based diet. I'm also taking a plant based Omega 3. I was taking B12 and omega 3 sporadically prior to pregnancy, now I take them every day.

We are so, so happy! I'm finding that growing a little human is so amazing and I'm looking forward to seeing how my body changes over the next few months!

I'm so pleased you all finally know! Now I can go back to posting on social media without worrying about giving anything away! xx

What Is Unique Aerialists Academy?

Unique Aerialists Academy is a place of learning for anyone who wants to enhance their aerial hoop and aerial silks skills, and for anyone who wants to gain access to at home workouts and flexibility routines designed specifically for aerialists. Whether you want to supplement your aerial lessons, or you're teaching or performing and would like some extra guidance and some fresh ideas.

I receive so many messages from people from all around the world asking for hints, tips and tutorials. It’s those messages that inspired me to create Unique Aerialists Academy. And it's those wonderful people who motivated me to grow Unique Aerialists Academy into the biggest library of aerial hoop tutorials in the world! Now with silks tutorials, the academy is better than ever and still growing! I add brand new videos EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK!

Why Aerial?

Aerial hoop and aerial silks are such amazing exercises for both your body and your mind. You become stronger, feel more empowered and they're really good fun! During the time you are training, you can focus completely on yourself and what your body is doing. They're so addictive they often don't feel like you're exercising! You can use the aerial apparatus to have a really hard, sweaty workout, or you put on some beautiful music and let your creative side take over (or both!)

What Does The Academy Offer?

We have the biggest library of aerial hoop tutorials in the world! I'm so excited that we have just added hundreds of aerial silks tutorials!

The tutorials are to suit every level, from beginner up to advanced.
As well as tutorials for individual moves, we also have of combinations for every level.
All of the tutorials have audio and written instruction, slow motion shots and close up shots of the awkward bits, so you can see exactly what you need to do!
Common mistakes and how to avoid them are explained and pre-requisite moves are listed and linked under every tutorial.
You can also ask questions under the videos, if you're not sure about something.

It’s not just aerial hoop and silks tutorials, we also have multiple upper body and core workouts, strength exercises, exercises to improve your grip strength and flexibility routines. These are all things that you can do at home to become a stronger, more flexible aerialist, and to improve your general fitness.

I know how important it is to bounce off other aerialists and be involved in a supportive community! Once you're a member, you can gain access to our Facebook group where you can share your successes, take part in challenges and interact with other members.

What Do I Get When I Subscribe?

By subscribing you get:

• Access to 100’s of videos.
• New videos added every single week.
• Tutorials for all levels, beginner through to advanced, including combinations.
• Aerial hoop, aerial silks, at home workouts and flexibility routines.
• Audio and written instruction.
• Slow motion and close up shots.
• Common mistakes and how to avoid them.
• Linked pre-requisites.
• Ask questions about each video.
• Access to all of the videos 24/7, anywhere in the world.
• Access the academy from your computer, tablet and mobile.
• Access the members only Facebook group.

You Do You

You can tailor your subscription to your needs, you can choose from:

• Hoop only (including warm up and cool down, at home workouts and flexibility routines)
• Silks only (including warm up and cool down, at home workouts and flexibility routines)
• Hoop and Silks (including warm up and cool down, at home workouts and flexibility routines)

Easy Come, Easy Go

I'm confident that you're going to love what the academy offers! That's why I'm passionate about the academy being completely transparent, you can look through the whole website and see exactly what and how many videos you will get access to, before you buy a membership! You can also cancel anytime, if you cancel you will still have access to the tutorials until the end of the month/year you have paid for, you then won't be charged again. You will be more than welcome to resubscribe anytime!

How Do I Subscribe?!

Subscribing is super quick and simple. Just go to Unique Aerialists Academy and you can be started in minutes. I’m so excited to share this with you! If you have any questions, please feel free to email me robyn@uniqueaerialists.com xx

The front balance is a great move to include in combinations and routines. It's versatile, not too difficult and looks pretty!

It's so easy to get stuck in a rut when putting combinations together, I know I always automatically go to the same moves! Exploring different pathways into a move and exits out of the move is so useful for getting variety into your training, and it's fun! There are so many ways into and out of the front balance, in the below video I'll show you my 16 favourite exits! As always, tutorials for all of these combinations are on Unique Aerialists Academy

The Moves

The moves shown in this video are:

• Forward Dismount
• Side Dismount
• Closed Delilah
• Open Delilah
• Gazelle (9 Gazelle Variations blog post)
• Mermaid
• Angel
• Arm Hang
• Armpit Amazon (Aerial Hoop Amazons blog post)
• Neck Amazon (Aerial Hoop Amazons blog post)
• Fishhook
• Flyer
• Peter Pan
• Hip Hold (8 Aerial Hoop Hip Hold Variations blog post)
• Wineglass
• Seat

What is your favourite exit?

Be unique
Robyn xx

I have created a private facebook group, exclusively for my incredible academy members!

Connect

It's been something that's been on my list of things to do for months now and I'm so pleased that I've finally got round to doing it!

I know that so many of my fabulous members train alone or can't regularly have access to a studio and other aerialists. This was one of the reasons I started Unique Aerialists Academy, and is the reason I've created this group, I'm in the same boat!

Being able to connect to other, like-minded aerialists is so helpful! We can motivate each other, post videos and pictures to both give and receive advice, or you can simply show off your progress and share with fellow members when you've achieved something you're really proud of! It'll also be easier for me to interact directly with you! I'm thinking of doing a regular live q&a in the group so just let me know if that's something you'd like to see.

Challenge

I have put together a 30 Day Ab Challenge, exclusively for my academy members. I will post it in the facebook group for us to do together in the group throughout September. I will also leave the document in the group for you to keep and work through whenever you like.  I'm really looking forward to us building a supportive, fun community together!

Join

To join the Unique Aerialists Academy members only group, click here.
To join Unique Aerialists Academy, click here.

Be unique
Robyn xx

I always find a belay is one of those really frustrating wraps that looks so much easier than it is! To be honest, I've never really gotten on with the belay, no matter where I have the silks it always seems to feel like they're crushing my organs! But the shapes you can make from a belay can be so beautiful, so I've been including it in my training more than usual and actually really enjoying it!

Beautiful Shapes

Having two tails and a loop to play with means the belay is such a versatile move and there're an almost endless amount of shapes you can make. Here I have included my 12 favourites:

• Seat, silks on back
• Seat, silks under bum
• Dancer pose
• Coffin
• Split
• Hocks
• Single leg hang
• Inverted pike
• Inverted split
• Crucifix
• Star
• Wristlock split

If you want to try move gorgeous silks moves, check out these Double Footlock Moves.

Be unique,
Robyn xx

I've felt very overwhelmed this week. Nothing in particular has happened, which I think sometimes makes feeling like I'm struggling harder to deal with. I have lists and lists of work jobs to do, and while on one hand I'm tempted to spend every moment I can in the studio or on my laptop, I know that taking a step away for an hour won't affect my to do list that much but will be a massive benefit to my mental health.

And Breathe

Just like I do various things to keep my body healthy, such as exercising regularly, eating healthily and getting enough sleep, I also do a variety of things to keep my mind in a good, happy state. These include time away from my phone, regular therapy sessions, meditation (more sporadically than I'd like!) and the tool I absolutely swear by, spending time outside in nature.

For me, going for a walk just makes sense. I think the reason I put off meditating is because I feel like I should be doing something productive. Even though I know that meditating for 10 minutes will calm my mind which in turn will help me to be more productive, I'm not yet at a point where I can fully relax. Whereas because I have a dog, regardless of how busy I am, taking her for a walk is something that I'm forced to make time to do everyday.

Be Calm

If I'm feeling anxious, going for a walk physically helps. I'm getting my body moving and using up some nervous energy but I'm not raising my heart rate more than it already is! I rarely take my phone and try to focus on being in the moment. Listening to the birds singing, feeling the sun (or rain!) on my skin, noticing the colour of the sky and the trees swaying in the wind. I have seen this called Mindful Walking and Forest Bathing, and is becoming an increasingly popular wellness activity, for good reason! If you want to take it to the next level, a Digital Detox is also so amazing for improving mental health.  

Today's life is so fast paced, it can be so easy to go for days, weeks or even longer without spending time connecting to nature. Being outside has so many proven health benefits! I highly recommend finding a wood, field or a quiet park, away from the hustle and bustle to take a few moments to breathe and appreciate how beautiful our world is.

Doing rolls on the aerial hoop are so much fun! When done on spinning hoop they add a real flair and wow factor to a routine, and on static they are a great way of creating really dynamic looking movements.

Tell Me How?!

Hoop rolls are often less scary and dangerous than drops, due to being connected to the hoop throughout the movement. But they are technical and it's easy to get them wrong and slide out of the hoop or land slightly in the wrong place! Step by step tutorials for these rolls and loads more can be found on Unique Aerialists Academy.

The Rolls

The rolls in the below video are:

• Full Millwheel
• Front Balance Roll Around
• Crescent Moon Roll
• Seated Pike Roll
• Walking Man roll through to Walking Man

Which rolls are your favourites? xx

*my outfit in this video is from www.winkfitnesswear.com you can get 10% discount using the code aerialists10
*my hoop equipment is from www.firetoys.co.uk you can get 10% discount using my code uniqueaerialists

Simple yet important is exactly how I would describe these aerial silks inverts.

Choices, Choices

There are quite literally hundreds of creative wraps you can do on the silks. When I started planning this blog post and video, I had quite a long list of inverted shapes to include. But I wanted it to be a short list of the very basic invert wraps, so I narrowed it down to the ones I think are important. An inside leg hook (Catchers), and outside leg hook (Outside Leg Hang) and a crochet (Crucifix). These 3 wraps are probably the first inverted moves you will learn. They are also great for putting into combinations and routines as you can transition into so many moves from all of them!

The Inverts

In this video I will show you an example of the 3 basic aerial silks inverts.

• Catchers
• Outside Leg Hang
• Crucifix

What other inverts do you think are super important? xx

Due to various injuries and illness, I've only been able to train sporadically since February, and during that time I've had nearly 3 months of being unable to do any form of exercise. It's safe to say my strength has massively decreased! I'm now finally able to have consistent time in the air, yay! I'm excited to build my strength back up and I'm seeing it as an opportunity to improve my training sessions to get better than I used to be! I thought I'd share some of the things I'm really focusing on, to achieve great progress.

Basics are Beautiful

Spending time mastering the basics will make everything else feel so much easier! Doing beginner moves increases the strength and flexibility needed to do the harder moves. A lot of the time, the pathways used in difficult moves are also done in easier moves. By practising the easier moves so much that they become second nature, the more advanced moves will then in turn feel more comfortable.

Expecting Nothing Attracts Everything

I felt quite disheartened after my first training session by quite how hard everything felt, the top of the silks seemed a lot further away than I remembered. But I took a step back and reminded myself that what we do is hard! My body is amazing for being able to do just one climb, let alone being able to still get to the top, no matter how much my arms were shaking! Expecting too much too soon will put more pressure on your body, potentially setting you up for injury. It'll also cause stress and feelings of failure, not good. When we're surrounded by videos on social media of people doing crazy tricks and making it look easy, it's easy to forget that simply getting into the hoop or taking both feet off the floor on the silks is such an achievement and more than most people can do! After all, there's no such thing as a bad workout.

Like a Mirror

Most good aerial instructors will encourage you to practise on both sides, and for good reason! Training moves on both sides will prevent muscle and flexibility imbalances which in turn will help to prevent injury. It also makes learning combinations and routines easier as you don't need to worry about only being able to do the moves on one side. I definitely used to slack with training my bad side, my good side just feels so much more natural! But I'm now doing every move on both sides!

No Cheating

Entering and exiting a move properly often requires more strength than the move itself. I'm very guilty of clambering up into the hoop or struggling to do a high footlock from the floor because I can't be bothered to climb. Making the effort to keep the mount and dismount clean and controlled won't take anymore time but you'll be getting the most out of every second you have in your session.

Make me Strong!

Conditioning, everyone's least favourite part of the lesson! It might not be very fun but doing just a few minutes of conditioning either at the end of your session, or at home can make a huge difference to strength! I have conditioning exercises videos on my Youtube channel for silks, hoop and pole, I also have lots of hoop and silks conditioning exercises on Unique Aerialists Academy as well as at home workouts, or you can download my free eBook Become a Stronger Aerialist for exercises you can do at home to make you stronger in the air. I'm also hosting a July Plank Challenge on my Instagram where I'm doing a plank everyday in July and posting it on my stories to keep me accountable, you can join in too to help keep me motivated!

Ahh, Rest

It can sound counterproductive, but rest days really are so important for achieving progress. Aerial doesn't always feel like exercise so it's easy to get carried away and want to practise everyday. Rest days give your body time to repair itself, reduce soreness and keep you motivated and eager to train. To be honest, I've always been fairly good at taking time to rest, I usually have 2 aerial free days a week. Now that I'm returning from injury, I'm aiming to have a full week off every few months as well.

Enjoy the Journey

Aerial isn't going anywhere. I used to get so caught up trying (and failing) to get the latest instagram move that it often took the enjoyment out of aerial. Now that I've had time of not being able to do aerial at all, I fully plan on enjoying every minute of being in the air!

Be unique,
Robyn xx