Working out has never been my thing. No matter what gym or home exercise routine has been advertised to me, I’ve never had an interest.
But when I saw that Launchpad Fitness, a gym located in the Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia, was offering cirque-style fitness classes, it sounded so strange that I had to try it. While Cirque-It happens twice a week, there are also other classes like Handstand Prep and Fit to Fly.
Cirque-style fitness is described by the gym as “circuit-style training infused with circus arts. This fun, fast-paced class uses aerial apparatuses and groundwork to build strength.” Launchpad’s website markets itself as “accessible to all fitness levels. No prior aerial experience is required.”
As someone who has no aerial experience and doesn’t even work out, I obviously took this as a challenge. Normally, the class is $18 per session or $75 per month for a membership, but I only paid $5 as a first-time class attendee.
When I later asked if this class was really accessible to all fitness levels, Mika Niwa, the instructor of the class and professional flying trapeze artist, immediately confirmed that it was.
“Oh, yeah, absolutely. You don’t need any background. You can hang right on in,” Niwa assured me.
Finding the gym was the least difficult part of the next 45 minutes, despite the entrance to the gym being in an alleyway through a nondescript door. The workout room seemed just like any other fitness class space, besides the two sets of aerial silks hanging at either side of the room. My friend, Julia Federico ’24— who had only come with the promise of food afterward — and I were almost immediately cheerfully greeted by Niwa.
Niwa, who didn’t start any type of trapeze work until college, has toured both nationally and internationally with her skills, only settling into Philadelphia recently with her family.
“I just started flying trapeze at university in London. And then I loved it and I was like, ‘I’m not doing science stuff, I’m gonna join the circus,’” Niwa said.
Aerial-style fitness, which is a major component of cirque-style fitness, originated in the late 1950s at a circus in France. Others argue that it originated from Cirque du Soleil in 1987 by Andre Simard. Either way, it has persisted as a form of fitness for decades.
The entire class consisted of Niwa, two regulars, my friend and myself. Caitlin Sherman, one of the regulars, has been attending the class for about a year and was introduced to it by the gym owner, Kelly Maguire.
“I moved to this neighborhood and needed to do some moving my body, so I signed up for this class,” said Sherman. “I’ve been doing it for about a year now. I try to come twice a week, and it definitely kicks my butt.”
Adam Weller, another regular, has been attending the class for over a year after a friend’s recommendation, despite not usually working out regularly.
“I’ve never been good at working out consistently. I usually go three months and I just stop for a year,” Weller said.
In the class I attended, there were six stations, ranging from traditional exercises, like planking and squatting, to the more elaborate, like holding up your body using aerial silk or hanging upside down, which was my favorite part. Even though there was pressure on my abdomen, hanging like a bat almost felt like a break in between everything else.
It was easy to follow Niwa’s instructions as she gracefully walked us through each station and gave examples of alternatives we could do if they became too difficult. She stressed that correct form, especially when it came to hand placement on the silks, was more important than anything.
The first cycle through the stations was easy, each exercise stretching my core to new bounds. By the second cycle, I had definitely slowed down, but I was motivated by both Niwa’s encouragement and the upbeat pop music blasting in the background. During the third, I think I spent more time taking breaks than actually exercising. My limbs felt like they were made of jelly.
Conversation in the class flowed easily, as both Sherman and Weller knew Niwa well from class. The small, individually focused classes definitely seemed to help build relationships between attendees and the instructors. Even while not being fully involved in the conversation, I came back from the class knowing a lot more about each person than I expected.
“I like that it’s the same two or three instructors, so everybody just knows each other and we’re all friendly,” Sherman said.
Getting dinner in Manayunk as both a reward for surviving and bribery to my friend, I felt refreshed, but also like moving would be a challenge for the upcoming days.
It was. Later that night, I felt like all of my organs were going to come out of my body.
For someone who has worked out before and is in shape, this small class is a great way to have fun and try new exercises you haven’t done before. For a person who doesn’t work out, this class is still fun but also excruciatingly painful, even with a warmup and cooldown. While it was doable for a beginner, I wouldn’t say it was built for one.
I’m just not cut out for the circus.
