Unless you live somewhere warm or tropical this time of year can make training more challenging for some of us. When it's cold out I know I want to hibernate with my fuzzy socks, laptop and a cappuccino. When I finally get up the motivation to train it takes me much longer to warm-up, even here in Los Angeles (yep, I'm a cold weather wimp!). Many aerial studios are in tall, drafty, warehouse-type buildings that rarely are warm and toasty. If a cold studio is your reality for the next couple of months ...

Here are our top 7 tips to stay warm and avoid injury in a chilly studio setting:
1. Layers, layers, layers.
Bring on the beanies, vests, sweatshirts, back-warmers and sweatpants that can be removed as you warm up. We recommend the fleece lined back warmer from our friends at Haramichi, it keeps your mid-section super warm & ready for those back bendy shapes!
2. Don’t forget your feet! Feet are the farthest body part from the heart, so they get cold faster than the rest of the body. Make sure to give them some extra love! We love these grippy socks that work well on fabric - Shashi Socks.
3. Make it spicy, and don’t skip the caffeine! We asked a nutrition expert and fellow aerialist what to eat to stay warm:
"Eating something spicy, or drinking coffee or green tea an hour or so before training can help you feel warm. The capsaicin in chili peppers, caffeine in coffee, and polyphenols in green tea all have a modest “thermogenic” effect on the body, meaning they slightly increase internal heat. Add some hot sauce or crushed red pepper to your avocado toast while sipping coffee or tea in the morning to get that bonus heat!"
- Ayten Salahi, MS, RDN Candidate | @planetaryhealthrd, www.planetaryhealthrd.com
4. Include a dynamic warm-up followed by active flexibility (not just passive). Don’t push flexibility shapes unless you are truly warmed-up, it’s a recipe for injury! Try to save the static stretching for the end of your training session and avoid skills that you know your body isn't warmed up enough to do.
5. Don’t skip your core warm-up. Heat is generated from the core of the body, which sends heat to the extremities. To make the most out of your training, aim to get warmed-up from the inside out. In-CORE-porating Pilates-based exercises is the way to go. If you need some ideas check out our Aerial Physique FIT book! Want it emailed to you instantly? Here's a link to our digital version.
6. Keep moving! Between turns on the apparatus, make sure to keep your body moving so that your muscles stay warm.
7. Swap out cold water for hot water to stay hydrated during training. Drinking cold water will send all of your body heat to your digestive system to warm it up. Mitigate this effect by opting for hot water with some lemon, or even some herbal tea to stay hydrated. Holding a thermos with hot water is also a great way to keep your hands warm.