More than anything else I’ve ever been involved in, I feel like aerial arts has a huge social media presence. It’s how we stay up on the latest tricks, the coolest combos, and the most awe-inspiring performances from our aerial idols. But, as we all know, too much social media can have a huge negative impact on our mental health. In our last blog post, we talked about conditioning and how important it is, even though it may not make for great Instagram posts. Which got me thinking: how much of my training am I doing for “the good of the ‘gram?”

I am one of those guilty Social Media Sluts when it comes to pole and aerial. I record everything I do, from freestyles to floor flow to intro level silks combos. Mostly, I do this to critique myself, see what my lines are doing and where I need to tighten up my extensions or smooth out my transitions. Because as we all know, it’s hard to keep an eye on the mirror while you maintain proper form twelve feet in the air and spinning like a banshee. For many of us, video recording ourselves gives us an accurate gauge of how effectively we are executing the moves we learned in class that day.

However, not all of these videos are meant for my eyes only. After classes, many of us stay behind to run that day’s combo and hope to get a perfect video. This is not only great for extra practice and endurance training, but we feel awesome when we finally get that great clip we can proudly post. Sometimes, though, we may not have the time or the energy left to get that great clip. It’s important to remember that not every single training session has to leave you with a great Facebook post. And sometimes, people appreciate seeing the struggle bus in action! Several of my favorite posts from pole star Quan Bui, who is known for his amazing skill in heels, are videos of him actually falling off of his shoes, tripping, stumbling, and generally failing at life that day. These types of posts can be comedic relief and help remind people that this stuff ain’t easy!

Which brings me to another social media issue: when you browse through your feed, be sure you’re looking for inspiration and not comparison! One of our favorite things as aerialists when it comes to social media is that there is always some new move or stylistic flare from our favorite athletes which we can swipe and try to emulate. This is a great way to find new material to work on and keep things fresh. However, just be sure that you don’t fall into that trap of wondering why you don’t have flips like Heidi Coker, a gazelle like Waverly Jones, or death-defying drops like Erika Lemay. As my dad always says, “Hike your own hike!” We are all at different points in our aerial development. Celebrate your accomplishments and set goals, but don’t be disappointed if the hot new trick doesn’t happen for you the first time you try it. After all, it sometimes takes even Marlo Fisken several attempts before she gets a clip she feels good posting.

And definitely do not fall into the body envy trap! So many of the people I follow on social media are professional aerial athletes, full-time. They work out three hours a day or more, then teach multiple classes. They have backgrounds as ballerinas, gymnasts, fitness models, and oh my god their abs are amazing. It is so easy to nit-pick myself and start to feel really down that my belly skin will never fully snap back after having a kid. Make sure you refocus on your own amazing ASSets from time to time, and follow people with a variety of body types so you don’t get inundated with only one look that starts to feel like the norm, even though it probably isn’t.

There is nothing wrong with a healthy, active social media presence. One of my favorite things about training at Lotus is how much our students really celebrate each other in comments and feedback on social media. We all love to give love to our aerial family, and that is a great thing! Just remember, if you feel like social media is bringing you down, you can always take a break! See you in the air, and maybe even online!