Proper rigging requires technical training. This includes understanding dynamic forces, selecting appropriate hardware, installing equipment correctly, and maintaining it over time. Beginners typically do not yet have the experience needed to assess these risks accurately.

Aerial work places significantly more force on a rigging point than your static body weight. Even gentle movements create dynamic loads that repeatedly exceed your weight.

A simple example: when stepping onto a scale, the needle briefly spikes above your actual weight before settling. That same effect happens every time you move on an apparatus—except the force transfers directly into the structure supporting you. Over time, repeated loading can loosen or weaken unsafe installations.

Door frames and molding are not designed to support suspended loads. They are typically decorative and attached with small nails, which can easily fail under dynamic force. Additionally, doorways do not provide sufficient height or space for safe aerial movement.

Mounting equipment to a ceiling should only be considered after consultation with a structural engineer and professional rigger.

• Residential ceilings are designed to carry weight above them, not loads hanging below.

• Drilling into beams can weaken their structural integrity.

• Exposed beams are often decorative and not load-bearing.

• Most homes do not have adequate ceiling height for safe aerial practice.

Attaching rigging points to walls is dangerous without professional guidance:

• Screw-in bolts can tear out of materials like brick, masonry, or concrete.

• Walls are designed to bear vertical loads, not outward or suspended forces.

• Hollow concrete blocks and similar materials are not strong enough for aerial use.

• Only solid poured concrete may be suitable, and only with properly installed, professional-grade fasteners.

Even if professionals are involved, most homeowner or renter insurance policies do not cover aerial activity or structural modifications for suspension training. Renters are especially unlikely to have coverage for such changes.

Many products sold online or at hardware stores are not rated for human suspension. Counterfeit and untested equipment is common.

Aerial equipment must be load-rated, meaning it has been tested and certified to withstand forces far beyond body weight. Industry standards typically require hardware to be rated at 10 times the working load.

For example:

• A person weighing 100 kg (220 lbs) should use equipment rated for 1,000 kg (2,200 lbs) or higher.

• Many professional carabiners and swivels are rated to 22 kN or more.

Regardless of style, gravity behaves the same way. Hanging the body—even briefly—creates dynamic force.

While aerial yoga and circus aerial arts come from different traditions, both require respect for physics and safety. Over-the-door rigs and non-rated ceiling mounts are unsafe for any form of suspension training.

One experienced rigger summarized it well:

“Until you can confidently execute everything without instructor guidance, you’re not ready to train solo. With aerial work, the consequences of failure can be catastrophic.”