What is aerial hoop? “Aerial Hoop” or “Lyra” is a hoop suspended on a rope made of very strong material (usually steel or aluminum) and can be hollow or solid inside. Aerial acrobatics on a hoop combines strength, elegance and flexibility. Aerial hoop strengthens the whole body, especially the upper and middle parts, improves balance, range and grace of movement. Selecting an Aerial Hoop our measurements are taken from the inner diameter instead of outer, which enables you to have the correct distance you need from your head to the upper bar. Properly sizing an aerial hoop or Lyra comes down to personal preference, and what you are comfortable with. A method of selecting an aerial hoop is to sit in a chair, measure from the seat of the chair to the top of the head, and add 2 inches. The number of points your aerial hoop has will depend on how you are going to use it, what effect you are after and what you are comfortable with. The following is a list of just a few things you might want to take into account when choosing your aerial hoop: Double point hoops allow less overall movement, they also allow for an extra range of poses to be performed on the top bar. However, due to the method of rigging they do take up more vertical space. Single point hoops tend to rotate a lot more, however they allow for you to rig in smaller spaced areas. Double point hoops allow you to perform moves that tip forward and back with a smaller amount of lateral movement. Single point allows the hoop to rotate so additional moves can be performed.