Many aerialists in training are worried about getting injured if they fall from their apparatus. That’s a healthy fear to have… but it’s actually the least likely of all the injuries you may sustain.
Firstly, a good instructor won’t have you practice a skill that you cannot perform with minimal risk of falling. Second, our bodies are naturally averse to injury. You’d be amazed by how quickly your instincts kick in to when you’re about to slip.
Unfortunately, our ego overrides our natural defenses against accidents. That’s why most aerialist injuries result from overtraining — primarily when we overestimate our ability to perform a skill when weak or ill-prepared.
The key to avoiding injury while training is two-fold: never train when exhausted, sick, or mentally disengaged, and never push your body to the point of forced compliance.
What is Forced Compliance?
Over time, we gain the strength to perform certain maneuvers. Some skills, such as pullovers, simply can’t be done until we gain the requisite strength. However, we can “cheat” on others by using momentum or recruiting other muscles to execute the skill. That can be a risky approach as we’re effectively forcing our muscles to comply with our demand.
For example, a “skin the cat” (sorry, I hate that name) must be actively engaged to be safe. But many aerialists simply overextend their trieceps and relax into the pose, rather than maintaining the latissimus dorsi and trapezius support necessary to avoid hurting themselves. When those muscles are weak, the pose is not only impossible to escape but also more prone to injury.
Forced compliance can also happen when we perform a maneuver without adequate muscle support. Any drop on silks requires serious core engagement. Otherwise, gravity will hyperextend your abs and lumbar spine unless you actively avoid it.
And let’s not forget our splits. Our apparatus has a nasty habit of yanking our legs away from our central line whether or not we want it to. Skills that involve dropping into a split (e.g. penche) or pulling limbs apart (e.g. Rebecca split) pose a high risk of hyperextension. Never assume that your natural flexibility limit will prevent the apparatus from pulling you beyond your comfort level!
The Importance of a Good Warmup
Our muscles can only perform when they can fully contract and expand. That requires (a) a sufficient balance of sodium and electrolytes, (b) proper communication from motor neurons, and (c) sufficient range of motion.
In a nutshell, this means that we can only build strength and flexibility when our muscles are healthy and primed for movement.
That’s why you must warm up thoroughly for any aerial training session. First, below a certain heart rate (depending on your age), you’re less likely to build muscle. But most importantly, your muscles and ligaments should already be pliable and flush with electrolytes before you start putting strain on them. Remember, aerial training involves significant exertion against gravity!
An inadequate warmup could leave core muscles tight when you contract them beyond normal movement. For example, failing to activate your arm muscles doesn’t matter much if you’re preparing for a 5k — but for aerial, you’re setting yourself up for muscle or tendon tears upon your first pull-up.
Navigating Aerial Moves with Lower Risk of Training
I’m not bragging when I say that I’ve only fallen once during aerial training. In that instance, I disobeyed my intuition and attempted a move that my body was not prepared to accommodate. Still, over hundreds of hours of training, one fall is a great rate. And that’s because I never train a move without fully understanding its mechanics. Plus, I map my exit route every time. Always have a Plan B!
That said, I’ve definitely sustained injuries unrelated to falls. Severe bruising. Overextended arm and leg muscles. As I mentioned above, the more engaged and controlled I am in my movements, the less likely I am to sustain these injuries. Some bruising is inevitable. But I focus on the muscle engagement and pathways that will minimize my risk. For example, clock split on lyra is a recipe for overstretched hamstrings if you’re not careful. The key is to engage the sartorius muscle on the upward leg and arch the back rather than forcing the quadriceps into compliance.
Wrapping Up
Above all else, the key to avoiding injury during aerial training is to know your limit. There is no shame in conditioning basic skills or avoiding risky skills if your body doesn’t feel it. Our bodies are not passive or static machines for acrobatic maneuvers. There will be some days you feel like conquering the world and some that you feel like a marshmallow.
As an aerialist recovering from a torn distal triceps tendon and repetitive strain injury in both arms, I know better than most that some days are unforgiving. You cannot force your body to perform what it realistically cannot. It is no reflection on you as an aerialist. To avoid injury, set aside your ego and honor your body. It’s what enables you to pursue your incredible talent.
0 Comments