When it comes to aerial silks, it’s easy to scroll through Instagram and assume it’s a world that doesn’t quite belong to you.
But when you peel back the layers of glossy content and start to see them for what they really are, aerial silks are surprisingly simple: just two long stretches of fabric hanging gracefully from the ceiling. They’re the tools for a dance-like form of movement that combines climbing, wrapping, and balancing.
For beginners, it’s less about somersaults and drops and more about learning how to grip the fabric, how to wrap it securely around your limbs, and perhaps most importantly, how to surrender to the process. It’s wrestling with gravity, but also partnering with it—letting the pull of the earth guide your motion rather than limit it.
The Truth About Being a Beginner
Here’s the thing about starting aerial silks: it’s not glamorous. It’s not the theater-ready spins and rolls you’ve seen in videos that went viral. It’s knots of fabric digging into the skin behind your knees. It’s the sting of sore hands.
For every climb, there’s a sweaty pause halfway up where you wonder if it’s even worth it. For every elegant pose, there’s a minute spent on the ground trying to decode your instructor’s explanation. Nothing about aerial silks basics is effortless, and if anyone tells you otherwise, they’re sugarcoating or selling you something.
But here’s the part that matters: those struggles aren’t signs of failure. They’re proof that you’re showing up, stepping into the unknown, and giving yourself permission to learn—messy moments and all.
What You’ll Learn First
Aerial silks basics start with foundations. Forget flipping and dramatic tumbles; your first victories will feel smaller, more grounded.
- The Knot Grip: The initial challenge is deceptively simple. It’s learning how to hold on. Your hands, calves, and core will get acquainted with the art of supporting your own weight. Expect to spend time gripping the silks with slightly shaky arms and figuring out how your feet can secure you when climbing.
- Basic Wraps: The silks are wrapped around your body to create friction and stability. In beginner classes, you’ll often work on a basic foot lock—a foundational skill that lets you trust the fabric to support you without feeling like you’re slipping into the void.
- Strength Over Style: Forget perfection; almost everything about silks in the early stages revolves around building functional strength. Yes, there’s beauty and fluidity, but first comes the hard-earned grit of making mistakes, failing, and trying again.
A Few Beginner Tips to Get You Started
Here are a few practical tips to make your silks journey smooth and enjoyable:
- Wear the Right Outfit: Stick to fitted clothing that covers your legs and arms. Loose shirts can get tangled in the fabric, and exposed skin may leave you with a few uncomfortable scrapes.
- Don’t Skip the Warm-Up: The warm-up isn’t just a time-filler; it’s a chance to prepare your muscles for new movements, making you less sore and more stable.
- Go Easy on the Grip: Aerial silks demand a lot from your hands, but gripping too hard too early can leave your forearms screaming. Think of gripping like holding a delicate cup of coffee—firm but not crushing!
- Practice Patience: Progress in silks happens over time, not overnight. Celebrate every small win, whether it’s a slightly higher climb, a more sophisticated pose, or just making it through a class without giving up.
What Makes Aerial Silks Different
This isn’t your average workout, and thank goodness for that. It throws the whole “results-driven” fitness mentality out the window and replaces it with something slower, something more soulful.
Forget step counters and calorie trackers—your progress isn’t measured by numbers here. It’s in the way the fabric wraps around you, the way you climb a little higher, hold yourself a little steadier, or feel just a bit braver than you did the last time.
And guess what? There’s no rush to master it. The silks don’t demand perfection; instead, they gently nudge you to let go of always striving and just focus on the process. It’s all about those small, satisfying wins: gripping the fabric longer before your arms give out, trusting your legs to carry you through, or catching your breath in that sweet little pause before your next move.
Many beginners leave their first silks class feeling humbled but strangely triumphant. It’s not a space for instant gratification, and there are no trophies handed out. But there’s this quiet satisfaction. You’ve done something hard without trying to impress anyone. You’ve simply moved.
The Takeaway
Aerial silks may seem intimidating at first glance, but the basics are all about learning to trust—trust in the fabric, trust in your body, and trust in the slow but steady process of growth. No one starts out perfect, and that’s kind of the beauty of it.
If you’ve been looking for a workout that feels more exciting than treadmill runs and way more fun than generic gym routines, aerial silks might just surprise you.
Aerial silks can be whatever you want them to be, especially when you’re just starting out: a workout, a mindfulness practice, an experiment in trust.
