Aerial Workouts for Conditioning: Improve Strength, Flexibility, and Form (2026)
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Aerial workouts are a great form of full body conditioning that combines artistic expression and joyful play to an athletic workout. It provides a wide variety of benefits, from raw strength, to stability, flexibility and even body awareness.
What Is an Aerial Workout?
An aerial workout is any workout that uses an aerial apparatus as a part of the exercise. It can be as simple as doing specific exercises to target specific areas of the body, or as complicated as a routine or sequence.
Defining Aerial Fitness
Aerial workouts use suspended equipment — such as silks, hammocks, or hoops — to engage multiple muscle groups at once. This form of exercise blends movement, dance, and strength training, offering a creative way to build endurance and coordination.
Benefits of Aerial Conditioning
Aerial naturally targets upper body strength and core stability, but it provides more than just that. The unstable nature of fabric helps develop the smaller stabilizing muscles that help keep us safe, as well as a mindfulness on our posture and body in general. The types of movement we do help develop mobility, both through flexibility and strengthening. No movement or exercise is just one thing, it requires a concert of our body that helps keep our development even, and intentional.
Aerial Equipment and Techniques
There are multiple different types of apparatuses, and each of them have different strengths when it comes to aerial exercises.
Aerial Silks
The most popular tool for aerial workouts, silks help develop grip strength, endurance, and coordination. Movements like Straddle Overs and Jack Knifes strengthen the core and prepare you for aerial silks tricks. They are considered a vertical apparatus, and are excellent at developing climbing strength through your upper body and core.
Aerial Hammocks
Hammocks are perfect for aerial yoga and conditioning. They provide more support for your body than silks will, but still provide a great tool for stretching. You can use them closed or open for a wide variety of exercises to safely explore inversions, or deepen stretches while safely supported by the soft fabric.
Other Apparatus Options
Hoops, trapeze bars, swings, ropes, and other unique apparatuses offer alternative ways to train. The shape and material of the apparatus changes how you can interact with exercises to adjust what muscles are targeted, or enable new options entirely.
Regardless of the apparatus, there are always a myriad of ways to improve your balance, flexibility, strength, and body control.
The Best Aerial Workouts for Conditioning
We’ve talked about the benefits of working out, but how do you actually get started?
Below we have a list of some foundational exercises that will hit the majority of muscle groups. Between the full list, it should improve strength, flexibility, and form for both the beginner and experienced aerialist. You do not have to do all of them every time, but consider adding a few of them into your regular aerial warmups, and rotate through different ones to ensure you are giving yourself a fresh experience.
Spine Roll Ups
Goal: To warm up the spine and core.
Laying on the floor with feet standing hip width apart, push feet against the floor, rolling up one vertebra at a time. Breathe at the top, then roll down, one vertebra at a time. The more slowly this is done, the better. Next, roll up and tip one hip to the side then the other. Finally, roll up and lift one leg off the floor, pointing the toe as if it is being pulled from across the room. Try not to let the hips shift when lifting the leg. Hold briefly and then roll down and do the other leg.
Toe Dips
Goal: To warm up the core muscles not to have the toe reach the floor.
Laying on the back lift both legs up at 90 degrees, dip one toe down then the other, and your pelvis should remain stationary.
Arm Arc
Goal: To warm up the spine.
Laying on your side, knees at 90 degrees. Stacked on each other move the arms forward, then over your head, tracing the fingers on the floor, keeping the knees together. The goal is to have all parts of your spine participate as you twist to the side. Try to keep your hand on the floor. If you are extremely flexible, you can lay on a raised surface and do the same movement, tracing your hand on the floor and keeping your knees stacked on each other.
The Plank
Goal: To engage the core.
With body in a push-up position, resting on the elbows not hands, keep body straight like a plank, holding for a count of 10 and then drop the knees to rest. The hips should be in line with the shoulders, not higher or lower. Do five repetitions if possible. Then in the plank position, isolate the shoulder movement, holding the rest of the body as still as possible, bring the shoulder blades together and then move them apart. Drop the knees to rest, then go into the plank position and tip the hips back and forth.
Mermaids
Goal: To engage the core.
In a seated position, leaning back on the elbows, with core engaged, draw feet up towards the ceiling. Make sure the pelvis does not tip, forward or back as the legs are raised. Point the toes. Body should be in a “V” position. Lower legs to the floor, just as far as the pelvis does not tip. Then reverse the movement and start with the legs up to the ceiling and lower them down towards the floor, go just as far as the pelvis does not tip. Do at least three repetitions in each direction. This movement helps the body understand how to keep the core engaged in an unstable environment like the fabric.
Shoulder Rolls
Goal: To warm up the shoulders, neck, arms, and hands.
Roll shoulders back and forward together and one at a time. Then swing arms backwards as if swimming in the crawl stroke, then forwards adding both arms together and then swim both backwards. Roll head around to relax neck stretch hands pressing each hand back and then bend towards chest twisting the hand.
Breathing
Goal: To re-oxygenate the blood.
Breathing out more than in is important. Keep the jaw relaxed. Breathe in and hold the breath for a count of five, five times.
Seesaw Breathing
Breathe into the upper part of the chest then into the belly. While holding the breath, move the air between the upper chest and the belly, as if it is an elevator for as many times as possible. Then let the air out. This will allow the body to fully rest.
Jack Knife
Goal: To increase back mobility and core strength.
Laying on your back on the floor or mat, raise hips up off the floor with the toes pointed to the ceiling. Arms can be over-head, not pushing off the floor. Lower back down to floor, one vertebrae at a time, do this movement several times. This position is necessary for many tricks in Level 2 so practicing it is helpful.
Taffy Stretch
Goal: To stretch the sides, stomach and back.
Holding the fabric in front of the face, reach around from the outside as if hugging it and then bring hands through the center. Hands are above the head. Wrap hands one more time around for a secure grip. With the shoulders down, lean forward rotate around to stretch stomach side and back pivoting around in a circle, feet remain in the same place.
Taffy Stretch Second Part
Reach through the center and around the outside. With hands down, hold the fabric. Shoulders down and back with arms straight and wrists straight. Lift feet off the floor and hold in position.
Pull Ups
Goal: To hold to a count of 10.
Raise hands above head, wrap the same as the Taffy Stretch, around the outside and into the middle of the fabrics, then wrap hands one more time. With shoulders down, lat muscles engaged, core engaged, pull up and hold counting out loud to make sure to be breathing. It is important to learn how many counts can be held before working up high on the fabric.
If you cannot do the pull up, take weight off legs and hold position.
Side Hang
Goal: To determine dominant side.
Fabric is on the side of the body. Reach above head, grab the fabric, it does not matter which hand is on top bring feet off floor and hold weight briefly, shoulders down, core engaged. Do both sides. One side will be stronger than the other; this will be the dominant side.
The Egg
Goal: To engage core and lat muscles.
Climb once with the body in between the fabrics. Bring the knees to the chest,then roll up and back like doing a back roll. Then roll forward and back again. Keep the legs together and bent. Do three each practice session.
Straddle Overs
Goal: To build core strength
Climb once, holding the fabric to one side of the body. Start with the dominant side. Bring body into an egg position,then straddle legs, lifting them up so hips are at the height of the hands. Bend the arms when coming down to do multiple straddle-overs. Try to do these with straight legs and do three linked together. Quality over quantity.
Straddle Overs Alternating Sides
Goal: To Increase core abdominal strength
Do the Straddle-over on each side without coming down between sides. It is important to do them cleanly, versus doing multiple straddle-overs in a row. Keep legs straight and toes pointed. Do one at a time at first and build up to doing multiple repetitions.
Side Crunches
Goal: To increase transverse abdominal strength.
From the inverted arabesque position, hooking the knee or the foot, reach arm over head and do two thigh wraps. Keep the tail of the fabric over the shoulder to keep from sliding. With arms behind head, do side crunches. Start with five repetitions. Then switch and do the same thing on the opposite side.
Building Strength and Flexibility
While we could just lift heavy weight, and do basic exercises, there are some unique advantages to training using aerial conditioning. And not just that doing aerial is the best way to get better at aerial.
Strength Through Aerial Training
Aerial workout uses a much larger array of muscles than a traditional workout. Since the apparatus moves through the air, we subconsciously recruit various stabilizer muscles to keep us safe. There’s an additional component of balance that forces us to use our core, and make micro adjustments as we move through the exercise.
Inversions change how we flow through our muscles to target oppositional groups, and change the orientation of the exercise. And since we can transition between orientations it gives us a much wider range of a workout. Things like pull-ups, planks, and hangs are perfect examples of exercises that target strength.
Flexibility and Mobility
Similar to the strength gains we get from aerial, there is a heavy flexibility and mobility component to the exercises. Flexibility flourishes when your body feels safe to move through a wider range of motion, strengthening the stabilizing muscles is a huge boon in developing that. Many of the exercises help work on your flexibility as well through a mix of strengthening and controlled stretching.
Regular aerial conditioning will naturally increase your hip and spine mobility, leading to deeper splits and back bends. Exercises such as the Taffy Stretch, and Mermaids are excellent places to start if your focus is on flexibility or mobility.
Breathing Techniques
We’ve all had to be reminded to breathe while we work out, and for good reason. Breathing gives our muscles the oxygen they need to push themselves.
While doing an exercise, exhale during the most difficult part of the repetition, and inhale during the reset. If it is a hold, make sure that you are continuously breathing and never holding your breath.
Between exercises, try seesaw breathing. Breathe into the upper part of the chest then into the belly. While holding the breath, move the air between the upper chest and the belly, as if it is an elevator for as many times as possible. Then let the air out. This will allow the body to fully rest.
Getting Started with Aerial Fitness
Preparing for Your First Aerial Class
While an aerial class is like most workouts, there are a couple of additional considerations to be aware of. You should wear snug, flexible clothing that won’t snag on the fabric, and will move with you as you workout. Wear clothes that cover your legs, core, and armpits as those are the most common areas that you may encounter friction, and clothing will help avoid fabric burns. Remove any jewelry, and secure your hair.
And of course, come with an open mind and be ready to have fun and challenge yourself.
Safety Considerations
While being warmed up is a standard workout consideration, there are a few more to think about when doing aerial conditioning. Always train with a certified instructor who can correct your form, and ensure that you are doing things safely. Never train alone as some moves can get you stuck, and it can be dangerous without someone to help you to the ground.
Ensure the rigging is installed by a qualified professional, and an instructor to do a visual spot check before each session to verify there are no safety problems. Ensure that you have crash mats underneath each point, and be mindful as you engage with the apparatus. Most accidents happen when we get over confident. Even the simplest of moves that we’ve done dozens of times can lead to injury when we rush. Be mindful, and stay safe.
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The proper gear ensures safety and comfort, whether you are training at home or in a studio. Just make sure that you are regularly doing spot checks for wear and tear, and replace the equipment before it fails. We want our equipment to be the least risky thing we have to worry about, and taking the time to ensure we have quality equipment is the best way to do that.
Aerial Workouts vs. Traditional Yoga
Both forms of workout are excellent ways to maintain health, and there is no right answer for which is better. It depends on the individual. Either can be more fun, and each have slightly different considerations for workout goals, and tailoring to body types and considerations.
Comparing Benefits
Aerial yoga uses fabric support to make some poses more accessible, and some more challenging by taking advantage of the inherent instability of fabric. The fabric can be grabbed onto, or positioned in a way that it eases the load on your body. This can be useful for easing into a new stretch, or trying to deepen an existing one.
As with many things, it comes down to the kind of experience you are looking for. In general, traditional yoga will be more consistently stable, but everything you do has to come from you. Aerial workouts will give you more options, and engage more of your body for a full body workout.
Complementary Practice
In general, a wider variety of exercises provides for a more comprehensive workout. Even the same kind of move will be slightly different between an aerial workout and traditional yoga. If you’ve been doing one for years, and you know that it works, you can still find a new challenge in trying the other.
Take Your Aerial Practice Higher
Your aerial journey can take you many places. It is more than just fitness, art, or dance. It is a combination that can be as fulfilling as you want it to be. Aerial communities are all over the world, and each of them is a positive space that helps encourage you to achieve your goals, no matter what they are.
Happy flying!
Disclaimer:
The aerial tutorials provided on this website are for educational purposes only. Aerial arts are physically demanding and can be dangerous without proper training and supervision. It is strongly recommended that you do not attempt any movements, exercises, or techniques shown in these videos without the guidance of a certified aerial instructor.
By engaging in any of the activities demonstrated in these tutorials, you acknowledge that you are doing so at your own risk. Aerial Fabric Acrobatics and its affiliates are not responsible for any injuries, accidents, or damages that may occur as a result of following these tutorials.
Please consult with your physician before beginning any new exercise program. Always use appropriate equipment, ensure it is rigged by a professional and designed by a structural engineer, and practice with another person available to help if needed.
