So the studio is closed, you want to work out at home, but what if you don’t have an apparatus? Just sit on the couch until January 2^nd, right? Wrong! There are tons of great workouts at home without silks, a pole, or a lyra.

My first thought for a non-apparatus workout is that I always need more cardio. While aerial does offer some cardio, we frequently get more strength training than true heart rate elevation, so adding cardio into your routine is a great idea year round regardless. But we can’t all be marathoners like some Lotus members (lookin’ at you, Steven). What to do if you can’t run, don’t have a pool, and Latin pole class is out of session?

Instructor Brittany advised that a good, long walk actually provides fair cardiovascular exercise. I’ve started taking my dogs out on three mile strolls, and I usually work up a good sweat and stay in the moderate heart rate throughout. For something a bit more intense, I have recently become an addict of cardio dance class videos on YouTube. You can find entire, hour-long classes for free in all different styles including Zumba. It’s obviously no comparison to the amazing in person hip-hop or choreography classes at Lotus, but it gets my heart rate up to a nice intense level for a full hour without killing my knees. Or, there’s always still freestyle dancing. Even without aerial, you can get a great workout with floorwork, or why not improvise a sexy chair dance like in Mischa’s Friday night classes?

Yoga is also a great home workout with little or no equipment required. While Asatta’s class is obviously preferable not only because of the ambiance but also because of her amazing guidance, there are tons of yoga videos on Netflix and YouTube for an awesome home workout. Just be aware of how hard you are pushing and try to get as close to perfect form as you can muster.

As aerialists, though, two things are always on the top of our wish lists: strength and flexibility. Flexibility is definitely something you can work on at home with little more than a yoga mat. Just be sure to warm up a ton before starting any stretches. And don’t just think jumping jacks and burpees. Try to get into those deep muscles with slow, super engaged lunges, arm rotations, and back sit ups (lie on your belly and lift your chest off the ground). If you take Brittany’s Flex class on Wednesdays or Heather’s Saturday stretching class, try to mimic the kinds of exercises they incorporate.

For strength, there’s always weights if you got ‘em, but that can get boring. Remember that sexy chair dance from earlier? Like Allison advised us last winter, a chair gives all kinds of great strength training options. Try some tricep dips, seated hip thrusts, or chair planks. Dig those resistance bands out from the back of your closet and get after some shoulders and biceps, or even just grab a couple of cans of paint or a shopping bag with a few books in it. Anything that will add resistance to your movements can help you stay strong and toned at home. And don’t forget about that great online video option for more ideas!

We will be back to our regular schedule before long. We hope you have an awesome break and a fantastic New Year, and we will see you in the air in 2019!