1. *FLEXIBILITY:
   

    Just cant get that split you want? Does that foot feel like it’s a million miles away?

Flexibility is not like riding a bike, once you get it, you have it for life. No... flexibility takes WORK. Then; more bad news; if you stop stretching for a short period of time, your right back to the tight, painful beginning. uuuggh!! The injustice!!! But, the light at the end of the tunnel, the glory of the end result; with great flexibility comes a whole new chapter of cool aerial tricks. Great splits make for fantastic pieces and even better photos.

There are thousands of blogs, videos, tutorials and sites about increasing your flexibility. There are sooo many exercises to do that help get that great split and that ‘bendy’ back. But it all comes down to a few simple rules to live by:

1. 1.Stretch EVERY DAY. Every. Single. Day.
   

2. 2.Don’t stretch before your class or workout. Stretch afterwards, when your muscles are warm. This prevents injury and increases the chances of you obtaining that beautiful split.
   

3. 3.Just because you don’t have an instructor at your house, pushing you, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t push yourself. Don’t push to the point of actual pain. However, stretch to a bit of discomfort. Otherwise, your never gonna move forward.
   

1. *POINTED FEET:
   

    I wish I had a dollar for every time I have been the yeller or the recipient of  “point your toes!!!!” . The best aerial act, with the most awesome of tricks can look shabby because of non-pointed feet. Additionally, and I know you AB students have heard this before, we point our toes for more than aesthetics. Remember?? It increase the grip behind your knee; Yaaay! for safety!!

Here are some things we don’t want:

1. 1.Sickle foot. This is the phenomenon of pointed toes, but then the whole foot is turned inward. Not pretty. Not safe. Totally avoidable.
   

2. 2.Flexed foot but pointed, scrunched up toes. At AB, We have lovingly dubbed this “zombie feet”.  Don’t ask.
   

3. 3.Just the opposite of  #2 above is, pointed feet but ‘lazy’, non pointed toes. You might as well be pushing on the gas pedal. Again, Not pretty. Totally avoidable.
   

1. *STRAIGHT LEGGED INVERSIONS:
   

This requires overcoming 2 things:

1. 1.Strength. We all know that inversions in and of themselves come easy for some, not so easy for others. For some, the ever eluding inversion took what seemed like a lifetime. Now you want to make it harder by having straight legs?!!? Yes!!! OK, so it does take a bit more core strength to do a straight legged inversion. But that just means you get to be more buff than you already are!
   

2. 2.Breaking a bad habit. If , when they were hard for you; you learned inversions by frog legging up then tilting backwards, you probably developed the habit of “frogging” those legs. Time to break that habit!! Its a mental illness that can be overcome. I promise.
   

1. *BRAVERY:
   

If Santa can bring flexibility, strength and pointed toes, surely he can bring a batch of bravery too, right??

Unfortunately, the reality is that as an aerial student (and we are ALL students, no matter how ‘professional’ you become), things like toe pointing, flexibility and strength can be taught and practiced, leading to improvement. Here comes the down side:

I cant teach Bravery. But, with practice, comes confidence, and with confidence comes security. If you are confident in your strength and ability and if you are secure in your placement and body awareness on the apparatus, then you will be ready to do the things that seem so scary and intimidating to you right now. Do not confuse confidence with cockiness. Do not confuse security with complacency. Everyone should have a healthy respect for the danger that is involved with aerial acrobatics. Cockiness and complacency will get you hurt or killed. But confidence and security? GLORIOUS!!

So, if on December 25th, you don’t magically have a straight legged inversion with perfect pointed toes, leading to a crazy awesome drop that ends with a magnificent split...Don’t blame Santa. Get your butt to class.