THERE are so many ways to get fit now that gym classes are constantly developing and evolving.
If you're a dancer, there is everything from Zumba to Barre fitness and lifting weights and Crossfit classes are now just as popular with women as they are with men.
However, one of the more unusual fitness trends to gain popularity in the last few years is circus agility and aerial classes.
Aerial silks and hoops have become popular among men and women who have a little more flexibility, and aerial yoga is the latest trend to take the yoga world by storm.
Circus skills are not for the faint-hearted though and a fear of heights is usually a no-no when it comes to hanging upside down from a hoop in the air.
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If you're interested in the more classic kinds of circus entertainment like juggling and fire breathing then there are also beginners' classes to learn the basics.
Somebody who knows all about circus performing and extreme skills is this year's Barrow pantomime star Adam Kelly, who plays Mr Schmee in the production of Peter Pan, which is now running at The Forum until December 30.
Adam is excited about this year's pantomime because, not only is it the funniest script he has ever learned, it also has some fantastic special effects.
They might be a little bit different to the classes that have sprung up in London and America but the skills Adam learns take a lot of stamina and he has been learning them since he was a child.
During the performance of Peter Pan this December Adam will ride a special type of unicycle called a giraffe unicycle, which will elevate him 5ft off the ground, and zoom around on an electric unicycle which takes quite a lot of balancing ability.
Adam said: "In this year's panto we have some amazing aerial flying scenes between Oliver Bower, who plays Peter, and Sophie Towns, who plays Wendy.
"I also have quite a few daring tricks which include the unicycle tricks and also some juggling with knives."
Adam taught himself to juggle when he was a young boy and has continued to increase his repertoire by adding more danger to his routines.
He said: "When I taught myself fire eating and fire breathing my mum was quite worried but I was fine. It's actually not very healthy though so I don't do fire eating very often.
"I have also now branched out into special effects and with my Mr Marvel business in London I am able to turn myself into a cartoon character with the aid of technology and using my shadow behind a screen."
When I visited Adam and his fellow cast members the week before the start of the panto, I tried out some of his stunts and they are definitely not as easy as he makes them look.
When it comes to riding a unicycle, even an electric one, you need a lot of core strength. As for juggling with knives, you need nerves of steel just to watch, let alone give it a go.
Adam revealed during the pre-panto interview that he will be selecting a lucky lady during the shows to use during his "walk of death" knife juggling trick.
Barrow women can feel safe in the knowledge that Adam has now practised this trick more than three times, with a successful attempt walking over myself. You can watch the hair-raising video on our website at www.nwemail.co.uk.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
2017 is the year for yogis to embrace the circus trend
There are two brand new types of yoga sweeping the fitness world at the moment and they are only set to get more popular in 2017. They are:
1. AcroYoga - This combines acrobatics, yoga, and healing arts. Acroyoga is more vigorous than many traditional yoga practices and includes poses such as hangle dangle, whale, blackbird, front bird, star and floating paschi.
2. Aerial yoga - This draws from the alignment and techniques of yoga, using a low hanging, wide aerial sling to aid in moving through traditional yoga postures. By supporting your body weight on the aerial sling, it helps to access these postures and deep stretches in a more relaxed way.
The "weightless" aspect of these classes assist in allowing you to access a wider range of movement, moving through poses that would otherwise be restricted.
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