Pole and aerial are sports in their infancy, but have movement patterns related to mature sports such as gymnastics and dance. Yet the injuries and imbalances of pole and aerial are still collectively undocumented. Around the studio most of us know from observation that there are common injuries and imbalances amongst polers and aerialists. One of the principal issues is overdeveloped muscle groups versus underdeveloped muscle groups. This usually appears from improper techni

Continuing our journey down the path of strength, flexibility and health for shoulders in the world of aerial arts and pole, here is part two of our series on the Thrower's Ten. Check Out Part 1 The Thrower's Ten is a series of Physical Therapy Exercises that were designed to help with shoulder girdle strength and movement. As Polers and aerialists the entire series is a excellent set of additional exercises to train with outside of the studio. However, if you are training a

This is the fifth and final post (for the time being) on tight hip flexors and how to help strengthen, stretch and alleviate this issue. Please check out the other posts in this series. Tight Hip Flexors Tight Hip Flexors (Basic Stretching) Tight Hip Flexors (Myofascial Release) Tight Hip Flexors (Facilitated Stretching) The last piece of the hip flexor puzzle can be tied to the gluteus complex and a weak non-dominant hip flexor. It is easy to have both of these issues happen

Let's discuss Facilitated Stretching and how it can help open tight hip flexors. Here is a post on the basics of Facilitated Stretching. You really should read this to understand PNF. Posts in this Series on Hip Flexors Tight Hip Flexors Tight Hip Flexors (Basic Stretching) Tight Hip Flexors (Myofascial Release) Tight Hip Flexors (Facilitated Stretching) Tight Hip Flexors ( Weak Glutes and Hip Flexors) Here is a past post on other Auxillary Hip Flexor Stretches. Facilitated s

This little discussion on tight dominant hip flexors has ended up becoming five posts. It's a very complicated issue as the hip flexors are major players in the body and in aerial arts. Take at look at the two previous posts. Tight Hip Flexors Part 1 Tight Hip Flexors Part 2 (Stretching) Also Auxillary Stretches for Hip Flexors We have dicussed how the hip flexors work and why they work. Flexion, my friends! So you can lift up into a perfect straddle back inverison or chopper

Before you continue read part one of our series on Tight Hip Flexors. This post explains the anatomy of the hip flexors and how to check for tight hip flexors. Stretching The Tight Hip Flexor. First I recommend seeing a superstar physical therapist. I went to three PTs, a chiropractor, a physician, two massage therapists and an acupuncturist and they helped but we never got to the root of the problem. I think there are two reasons, first people still don't understand the musc

We wanted to take a few posts and explore the Thrower’s Ten, a series of PT strengthening and stretching exercises that focus on the shoulder girdle. For aerialists, strength and balance in the shoulder is crucial not only for performing movement but for long-term health of the shoulder. The rotator cuff and shoulder musculature, in general, are an area that has a high risk of injury when performing aerial arts and pole. What is the Thrower’s Ten? The Thrower’s Ten in a 10-pa

Hip Flexors and Lack of Flexibility Tight hip flexors are one of the hottest topics in our classes. So we are putting together a blog series on hip flexors. It’s no surprise that tightness in your hip flexors may be from lack of flexibility. Tight hip flexors can also be a weak core and lack of spinal stability or underdeveloped hamstrings and glutes. Today we are just going to focus on lack of flexibility in the hip flexors. Here is a cool chart of the muscles involved in th