Get Fit, Have Fun

Imagine yourself suspended in the air by two long lengths of coloured fabric hanging from the ceiling. Climb them, wrap yourself in them, pose, stretch, swing, spin and tumble down as you surprise yourself with your strength, flexibility and creativity. It’s like a gravity-defying dance in the sky flowing with elegance, freedom and power.

You’re bouncing down the mat: backflipping once, twice, three times, then you twist and take it back the other way. It’s fast, it’s furious, but you’re totally in control. You land it perfectly and it’s all over. You’ve smashed it.

Explore the possibilities of your incredible body. Own it. Stretch it. Bend it. Break free from the restrictions of static modern life and reset your own natural range of motion to move in the way that nature intended. This is what freedom feels like. Let your body show you how far you can go as you become more and more flexible, open and in tune. Release. Relax. Repeat.

The word Calisthenics comes from the greek words "kalos" and "sthenos" meaning "beauty" and "strength" respectively. It is a popular form of functional bodyweight training, which mainly uses your own body weight for resitance and requires minimal equipment (the sreet workout version of it is known as urban calisthenics). Almost all exercises in calisthenics come from gymnastics starting from basic push-ups and pull-ups to more advanced levers, planches and handstands.

Simply sitting in the aerial hoop feels iconic, elegant and exciting. You’re suspended in mid- air, preparing for your next move – will it be the mermaid, man-in-the-moon or the gazelle? You’re in control and it feels exhilarating.

What goes up must come down. You’ve expertly climbed high up the rope, you’re wrapped head down in a pose and now it’s time for the drop. You wait a beat, then take it down, spinning as you sink elegantly to the floor. It’s the stuff childhood dreams are made of. And here you are, making it happen on a standard Tuesday night.

All eyes are on you. You’re on fire, tensing everything, holding your crucifix pose with the straps firmly wrapped around your wrists. This is what you came for. Hold, hold, hold and then release, flip and fly down to the floor. Aerial straps are a seriously demanding discipline, but determination pays off. And it feels incredible.

Hands gripping tight. Heart a-thumping. You close your eyes and the crowd is below, admiring, expectant. It’s time to shine. You start to spin 360 as you skin-the-cat, once, twice, three times. You elegantly drape your body into the gazelle, feeling the adulation from below. For a magical moment you taste the glitz and glamour of the circus, before coming back to reality. Here you’re the star of your own journey… and it feels even better.

The world is upside down, yet things have never felt so clear. You’re balanced in a headstand for the very first time, supported by a sling hanging from the ceiling that wraps around your pelvis, legs and feet. You feel light, free and in tune.

You’re on a small platform high above the world, toes touching the edge. It’s time. You take the trapeze in both hands and leap into the unknown. You’re flying! Free as a bird you swing through the air on an adrenaline high. Riding the rush you swing upside down from your knees, then take it back to your hands before backflipping down to earth. What. A. Feeling.

You’re high on a 9-metre vertical pole, gripping it only with your legs as you hold a precision pose, the rest of your body firm and strong. Next you’re flipping, sliding down and free running back up. Drawing on a circus tradition of power, strength and acrobatics, yet now starting to blend dance and movement from pole dancing, this is an exciting time to explore the Chinese pole.

You feel happy and you know it. This is your playtime, your time to fly and forget the real world outside. One minute you’re floating elegantly above your partner in a front angel, totally in tune with each other. The next you’re laughing in a heap when the routine goes belly up. This is what fun, friendship and focus looks like. Together you’re stronger.

“When a man is tired of London, he’s tired of life.” Eighteenth-century Samuel Johnson had a good point. It’s old, new, arty, leafy, green, grey, high-rise, low-rise, busy, edgy, diverse, creative and so much more.

One of the most celebrated cities in the world, we all love a bite of the Big Apple. Star of so many movies, everywhere you look it’s iconic – from the bright lights of Times Square to the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty and Central Park.

Home to Hollywood and the epicentre of the entertainment industry, La La Land is the sun-soaked city of dreams nestled in the Hollywood Hills.

Considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Chicago combines awesome architecture with a rich cultural heritage – all on the sandy shores of the massive freshwater Lake Michigan.

Set against a dramatic backdrop of an extinct volcano and rocky crags rising from the Lothians, Edinburgh is steeped in history, culture and cosmopolitanism. Explore ancient castles, cobbled streets and gourmet eats… and then there’s the festival.

Welcome to Scotland’s city of cool. Once written off as too gritty, edgy and urban, Glasgow has grown up, blending style and sophistication with lively authenticity.

“This is Manchester. We do things differently here.” The famous words of Factory Records co-founder Tony Hall ring truer today then ever on the streets of Manchester.

Once a run-down mill town, Leeds is now a vision of urban architectural chic with glitzy malls and expertly repurposed industrial buildings lining its canals.