A Grange-over-sands resident is bringing a different form of gymnastics to South Lakeland.

At the age of 54 aerial hoop instructor, Debora Field, has been inspired to bring aerial hoop classes to Kendal. Aerial hoop is a form of gymnastics, a type of exercise that you do using a large steel hoop suspended by a cord in mid-air.

Until 2017, Debora was working for Oxford University doing research into Computational Linguistics, a branch of Artificial Intelligence, when she decided to leave her academic career path and become an aerial hoop instructor.

"I started doing aerial hoop because a close friend of mine died suddenly and it moved me to get on with doing the important things, including rediscovering my love of my childhood trapeze." She said.

Debora started doing aerial hoop just before her 50th birthday and immediately fell in love with the hoop. "My love of hanging upside down started in my childhood garden where I spent many happy hours on a trapeze and gymnastic rings." she said.

The aerial hoop instructor believes that anyone can do this type of acrobatics. "It not only develops muscular strength, flexibility, core stability, and spatial skills." She says. "But it also makes you feel powerful, positive, confident and happy.

You don't have to be an acrobat to start hoop. You don't even have to be strong, young, female or slim. It really is for everybody."

If you would like to try aerial hoop classes, Debora can be reached through her website ootheblue.com or Facebook @ootheblue.