Circus instructors Ben Bryant, Kristina Dzelmanis, Robbie Curtis, Corrie Hurry and Sharon Neill.
Climbing ropes, swinging on the trapeze and somersaulting across crash mats is a lot of fun. It's also a great way to get fit.
Anyone who has seen a Circus Monoxide show will know how fit the performers need to be. Their aerial artistry, tumbling tricks, juggling and clowning around require high levels of aerobic fitness, strength, flexibility and co-ordination.
The acting director of Monoxide's Half High Circus School, Kristina Dzelmanis, says that when she was at circus school in New Zealand her exercise science coach treated the students as elite athletes.
ADULT CLASSES: For beginners to professionals
"In terms of the dependence on our body's strength and fitness that we have and how we maintain our bodies, she was of the opinion that it was of elite athlete standard," she says.
Since July, Fairy Meadow's Circus Monoxide has been offering a "Circus Fit" class for adults, as well as a number of more specialised classes.
Circus Fit was designed to improve the fitness and skill levels of people who wanted to do more advanced aerial and tumbling classes, but also appeals to people who see the class as an end in itself.
"They like that it's a bit different from going to a gym, that it's with a trainer who's generally a bit left-of-centre and a bit more fun than your average gym instructor," Dzelmanis says.
"It's a real mixed bag of people - some are really fit while others haven't done anything in years."
As well as improving core strength, the Circus Fit classes teach participants how to use the different apparatus.
"One of the most important things we have to get people used to is going upside down on the equipment," Dzelmanis says.
"A lot of people haven't been upside down since they were kids and it can be quite frightening.
"People in that position tend not to trust their arms and not trust that they can do it, so it is about overcoming that fear and knowing they can hold themselves and that they are going to be OK.
"Circus Fit works on upper body strength, but also on holding your body when you're on the ground and in the air, so that you learn what the strong positions are.
"For aerial it's getting used to holding yourself by your hands in the air. It takes a little while because grip strength is neurological - it's not actually a physical thing."
As students improve their fitness and skills, Dzelmanis says they gain other benefits as well.
"In an unconscious way it works on their self-esteem and the way they see themselves."
Circus Monoxide's Circus Fit classes are held on Mondays from 7-8.30pm and on Saturday from 8-9.30am.
