Spins Got you Dizzy in Aerial Arts? What to do and why Spinning Slower Can Make it Worse

Spinning in aerial class got you dizzy and nauseous? Let's talk about why, how to prevent it, and when to talk to your doctor.

Spinning Itself is Not a Cause of Dizziness in Aerial Arts

Dizziness from spinning typically happens when there is a mismatch between what your eyes see, what your body feels, what your inner ear experiences, and how your brain puts it all together.

1. Sensory conflict

Your brain integrates information from:

• the vestibular system (inner ear)

• vision

• proprioception (body position and pressure)
  

When these systems give conflicting information, because you don't feel what you expect to feel, the brain struggles to form a stable interpretation of reality. This is why someone can drive windy roads no problem but become nauseous when they are a passenger. Steering and looking helps put all the information together correctly.

2. Ambiguous vestibular input

The vestibular system doesn’t care about speed in the way we think about it. It responds primarily to changes in motion (angular acceleration).

When rotational input is:

• weak - your spin is slow

• inconsistent - you are randomly slowing down or speeding up

• noisy - your spin is not clean and centered, but wobbling and/or orbiting

the brain keeps re-checking what’s happening:

Are we still spinning? Did it change? Is it stopping? Where am I?

This is hard work for your brain, and give you time to look around and move your head around, which adds complicated sensory input. Plus, your vestibular system needs a certain amount of input to register that something coherent is happening. A slow, week, wobbly spin? Not convincing. The vestibular system cares about clarity, not speed

The inner ear doesn’t care about speed. It responds primarily to changes in motion, especially angular acceleration (slowing down and speeding up). So contrary to common belief, spinning slower is rarely the answer to dizziness.

3. Poor exits and lack of grounding

If the nervous system doesn’t get a clear signal that the spin has ended, symptoms linger.

Clean exits, stillness, visual orientation, and grounding cues all help the brain “close the loop.”

Without them, dizziness can persist even after mild spins.

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4. Threat and loss of sense of control

Fear, panic, or feeling trapped dramatically increase dizziness.

When someone doesn’t feel in control, even at low speeds, the nervous system signals the alarm which can trigger or exacerbate dizziness.

Despite what you’ll commonly hear from your coach or online, slowing spins down is not a universal solution for dizziness and often makes it worse.

What Actually Helps Avoid Dizziness in Aerial Arts Warm-ups matter

Warm-ups give the nervous system a chance to prepare for what's coming.

For spinning, the brain needs:

• adequate blood flow - supported by getting blood pressure & heart rate up

• appropriate arousal - engaged but not overactivated

• prepared vestibular system

• time to organize incoming information
  

When those conditions aren’t met, even mild spins can feel destabilizing.

Effective warm-ups:

• Get the heart pumping

• Include inverted positions, tilts, spirals

• Include balance challenges so the system can practice prediction and recovery

Don't "Spot" - Look at what's moving

In dance, spotting works because it keeps the head out of the primary rotation the body is doing. On an apparatus, you can't do that. You're rotating from head to toe and there's no getting out of it. Because we want what we see to match what we feel, the best option is to look at what's moving - NOT at what's still. Don't fix your yes rigidly - let them relax and look where you need to look to safely move through your sequence.

Hydration, fueling, & rest

Hydration and blood sugar are directly linked to function of the inner ear and sensory processing. Being dehydrated and spinning on an empty stomach can significantly increase the chances of dizziness. Fatigue and being under-rested also impair sensory processing, increasing the likelihood of delay and inaccuracy in the information chain.

Hormones Affect Dizziness

Hormonal shifts during pregnancy and menstruation can temporarily alter balance regulation, blood pressure, and sensory integration, increasing sensitivity to dizziness.

What spin tolerance actually means

Spin tolerance is your ability to:

• Interpret rotational input clearly - body, brain, eyes work together

• Predict what will happen next

• Recover efficiently after spinning
  

This is how we begin to adapt to spinning. We develop this through clear, intentional spin sessions preceded by a thorough warmup.

What effective spin tolerance training looks like

1. Clarity over gentleness

A clean axis and decisive initiation matter more than moving slowly.

2. Clean spin

Repeating the same entry and direction builds prediction. Variation comes later.

3. Recovery as part of training

Give yourself time to adapt and recover after each spin session

What to do if you get dizzy/nauseous in aerial class:

• Stop spinning

• Spin a little in the other direction (for dizziness) to help cancel out the signal

• Ground - stand/sit on a stable surface

• Simplify visual input - don't watch others spinning

• Small sips of water

• Bites of salty snack (salt works wonders for stabilizing the nervous system)

• Ginger candy

• Return to training when you feel grounded and steady - consider avoiding more spins for now

If you have severe dizziness or dizziness that does not improve, it is recommended to consult with a physician as there may be an underlying cause. Want to learn to teach without perpetuating myths? The BLOOM Aerial Teacher Training teaches critical thinking and common-sense questioning, prioritizing accuracy over assumption.