In the world of aerial sports, there are many different apparatus to work with. Dance pole, flying pole, aerial silks, lyra hoop and more. Each of these apparatus can be your gateway to the world of aerial arts. One of the most common transition is from Pole Fitness to Lyra or Aerial Hoop Fitness.

You may have the experience dancing on the pole and more specifically the spinning pole. Then the transition to hoop dancing would be quite simple for you. Below are some reasons you would be interested in taking up aerial hoop if you are a pole dancer;

Use The Same Space At Home

Do you already have a portable pole or stage pole set up at home? This means you have been blessed with a space dedicated for training. If you have a stage pole, installing the lollipop lyra is really straightforward if you want to switch between pole and hoop.

If your pole type is portable and removable, make sure your ceiling type and space can accommodate a hoop installation. In case its yes, you can remove your pole on days you train hoop. For this reason I tend to choose dance poles than can be installed and removed easily. Installing and removing the lyra hoop is easy for me as I just unlock the little carabiners that hook onto my ceiling mount.

 Lesson Learnt: Attempting to install the aerial hoop yourself at home. Unless it is a stage lollipop installation that is easy to install, doing a DIY aerial installation on the ceiling is not advisable as you want to be sure the ceiling, hoop and accessories can handle your weight and movements. Get a skilled handyman or structural engineer to inspect and assist you with the installation.

Apparatus Similarity

Whilst shaped very differently, both apparatuses are made of tubes of steel. This means, there are similar grips, pushing and pulling motions you are already familiar with.

If you’ve been pole dancing already, you’re also used to bruises and sometimes feeling pain on new grip points. You will also know though, it’s not all that bad. On the contrary, it is a sign you’ve had the opportunity to learn a new skill or use a new contact point on your body!

Game Changer Tips: You can give your hoop a better grip by wrapping it with a lyra tape. A suitable tape will prevent your hands and contact points from slipping. To prevent burns, wear clothes and on days your hands are hurting, grippy gloves can be a lifesaver!

Benefit From Cross Training

Cross training pole dancing with another aerial sport. Such as aerial hoop will help to improve your overall fitness capacity, flexibility and mobility. Constantly training just pole dancing might lead to your skills and fitness level plateauing without improvement. Especially since you are just repeating similar movements using the same apparatus.

Mixing it up with a different fitness sport that also share some basic similarities will work as a powerful supplement to pole dancing. It will not only increase your level of fitness. But it reduces your chance of overuse leading to injury while keeping your fitness levels high.

Train Your “Other” Side

The dance pole moves and lyra hoop moves both engages similar muscle groups. And both are mainly focused on the upper body, arms and shoulders. This means if you have been working on your upper body and core muscles during pole dancing. Then switching to Lyra hoop would be pretty easy and smooth for you.

What I really like about aerial hoop is that I am getting a more balanced use of both my left and right side. With pole dancing I tend to use my dominant side more. Like a lot of other pole dancers. So far in my beginner aerial hoop journey, I have had plenty of chances to use my less dominant side more. And finally gaining some engagement and strengtening that I couldn’t get from just pole dancing.

Train In Colder Weather

Pole dancing in winter can be tough. Warming yourself up, warming your pole, difficulty getting a grip on the pole. Don’t lose the motivation and instead find other things you can do to maintain the consistency of your training.

I noticed using the aerial hoop is great way to cross-train in colder weather because you can work out and dance fully clothed. This is only possible if you tape your hoop for that sticky grippy finish that will give you plenty of grip even with clothes on. This makes it a perfect choice for training in the cold!