It’s more than just exercise

Aerial arts classes are about slowly gearing your body up to pull off the spectacular moves you might see in a circus, which can take weeks or even months to master. Weight loss is not the goal here; it’s more of an art form than exercise. That said, you will start to replace fat with muscle as you become leaner, stronger and fitter. People who have tried gym memberships without success stick with aerial classes, because they don’t feel like a workout.

It’s democratic

The form is open to people of all genders and sizes; it’s not solely for lithe, athletic people – the focus is on what your body can do. It’s good for your mental health, too: the complex movements exercise your brain, while developing co-ordination.

You don’t need to start strong

Hoop and silks require upper body strength, but you gain that while learning the moves. After half a dozen classes, you will be able to achieve things you thought were out of reach in your first lesson.

• Kat Clark is an aerialist and coach at Cloud Aerial Arts, Manchester.

As told to India-Mae Alby