Navigate the Aerial Journey with Ania: Road to Recovery
Ania, a Badass Belle and a graduate from the University of Toronto with a master’s in physical therapy, is holding her very own Body Map Conditioning Clinic. Here, students evaluate form, muscle activation and movement limitations to learn how to better communicate with their body through the nervous system.
“I have gone to [Ania] with three old injuries and her methods have been so incredibly effective and efficient,” says Michaela, a fellow Belle. “I feel stronger and more aware of my posture not just when working out but also in my daily activities. I have seen various other physiotherapists in the past, but they focused on the injury, the pain and not the cause.”
Why is this important? Imagine this: you’re just about to nail that sequence or finally get that move. You think, “I know I’ll get it in the next class.” But then an unexpected injury happens or some kind of pain that wasn’t there before suddenly arises. So what happens when an injury disrupts you aerial journey? How do we navigate the path back to the silks, the hoop, and the pole that once felt like home? Returning to aerial fitness after an injury is not just a physical endeavour, it’s a time to let our bodies’ capacity to heal flourish.
Embrace Rebuilding
Physical activity can result in injuries, and aerial fitness is no exception. Whether it’s a bruise, a strained muscle or a more serious setback, the road to recovery can feel long and discouraging at times.
Showcase hoop soloist, Amanda, has been working 1-on-1 with Ania on shoulder mobility and persistent back issues that have been impacting her ability to do aerial. “It’s frustrating,” Amanda says on how to stay motivated while recovering and not being able to perform at the desired level. “I set smaller goals for myself. If you’re able to do that one [thing] as your body recovers, I find that you’ll get there quickly. It may take a little longer than you expect, but if you set the small goals then you’re not setting yourself up for failure.”
Celebrate The Progress
We always tell our students, “Listen to your body.” And we mean it. When we listen our bodies, we honour their needs and limitations with compassion and understanding. The aerial journey is not linear and every achievement, big or small, is something to be proud of and celebrated.
Destiny, showcase manager and performer, recently attended Ania’s Body Map: Core Activation workshop. Struggling with tucking, especially when it comes to inverts, Ania helped her feel “more aligned, relaxed, and deeply connected” with herself. “Ania’s hands-on approach and use of positive affirmations allowed me to fully engage (both physically and mentally) with the techniques she demonstrated,” Destiny explains. “The workshop focused on ‘finding’ your core/core awareness which incorporated numerous tucking and alignment exercises… Ania’s methods of breaking down step by step on how to find the movements has helped me TREMENDOUSLY.”
Soar to Victory
With Ania’s expertise, students are able to rebuild their bodies from the toes up, restoring muscles for optimal movement. It’s about finding the muscles to make workouts satisfying instead of choosing between fun or pain.
Returning to aerial fitness while on the road to recovery is not just about getting back to living life upside down, it’s knowing when to make time for healing and resilience.
“Ania’s been great,” says Amanda. “I can get frustrated sometimes when I don’t see the progress, but she’s good at taking a step back and trying to help figure out what works for your body because everybody’s body is different.”
Ready to learn how to better communicate with your body? Ania is holding three more Body Map Conditioning Clinic sessions:
Core Part 2 – increasing postural support using the core: Wednesday, June 5th, 2024
Shoulders and Upper Extremity Part 1: Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024
Shoulders and Upper Extremity Part 2: Wednesday, August 7th, 2024
Click here to reserve a spot!
