Air Sports PCB offers a unique spin on fitness

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - We know Florida as a melting pot and for an aerial studio owner, part of her American dream is helping Panama City Beach flex some strong muscles.

If life has got you feeling a little bent out of shape, like you’re standing on your head, or stuck spinning in a circle, Air Sports PCB, inside Fitness Junky on Front Beach Road offers a few ways to have some fun.

That includes classes in silks, acrobats and pole fitness for children and adults... and more!

“I offer adult stretching classes, and I also do personal flexibility trainer training,” said Studio Owner, Natalia Ryan.

She made the U.S. her home in her early twenties with a passion for her art.

“For my parents, career and dancing was not very serious. So, I had to take a different path in education. So, I have an RN license and I worked here in Gulf Coast Hospital for eight years, but my heart always belonged to dancing in athletics. I always kept on my body and spirit to do so, and at some point, I just realized this is time to do it now or never,” Natalia explains.

Rangling up children to learn a very disciplined art or teaching people with little experience a unique talent might not sound like fun for a lot of people, but the Russia native says she loves it!

“I’ve been working with children for 15 years. I’ve been teaching gymnastics here and I was learning how different education is in the United States. I could not understand certain things. I definitely question, but I tried to adapt, and I decided to create my own studio where I combined the best of what Soviet Union education had with American approach,” Natalia added.

She says she wanted to bring sports full- circle to Panama City Beach.

“Once a year I do summer camp and I bring to the town professional athlete and give people a variety of education. So, for example, if you’re doing cheerleading or gymnastics or stunting, this is camp that you’re going to be looking for. You can have education of world level right in Panama City,” said Natalia.

Something she loves showing her students is that they can do challenging things.

“It’s also fun because if you break any move for people down to very basics to when you’re walking and explain that this is going to take time to build up, it’s not really that hard,” Natalia encourages.

That’s something Pole Fitness Student, Anastasia Dmytremko knows firsthand.

“Pole requires a lot of strength and flexibility and whenever I started, it was bad. Like, I couldn’t even climb the pole, but with the help of Natalia, my coach, I did a big progress. I’m happy about it,” said Anastasia.

She says it’s worth the work you put into learning it.

“Makes me feel stronger and more confident,” Anastasia describes.

Natalia wants to clear up some misconceptions about pole fitness that sometimes get confused with the adult entertainment industry.

She wants to you to know the two are polar opposites.

“If you go to Cirque du Soleil and there is other shows you can see athletes, acrobats, performing art on the pole and it’s absolutely beautiful, challenging art. So, in my studio, I teach only athletic pole. There’s no ladies’ dances, so it’s strictly strength and flexibility training required for it,” Natalia proclaims.

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