The Greasy Pole (Dance): 5 Reasons Why You Should Be Climbing It
For many of us, on hearing the two words ‘Pole’ and ‘Dancing’ being bought into one, seductive phrase depicting a very seductive form of dance, thoughts of a Miley Cyrus-like creature (perhaps slithering about a ‘Wrecking Pole’) in nothing but bare flesh may spring uninvitingly to mind. The image your mind conjures of your awkward attempts at the moves forcing your legs into positions and directions that clearly were not intended by Mother Nature are enough to ensure furious blushes without the event even escaping your imagination. To put it frankly, many believe that the art of the dance upon the iconic pole is for women of rather less dignified ways. Also, for women of a certain doll-like appearance. I beg to differ. Pole dancing, I have discovered, is what you make of it. As well as proving extremely beneficial physically, it can also benefit your psychological well-being. With the help of Sasha Channing, who has been teaching Pole Fitness at the university Sports Park for four years, allow me to do a bit of myth busting as I outline the five best ways Pole Dancing can severely enhance your lifestyle.
- Fabulous for Toning
And not just any old toning, in any old area; holistic, all-round and agile toning of your body, visible within mere weeks of attending regular sessions. ‘Definitely consider it if you are looking to tone, improve core control and stability, flexibility – it’s an all-round work-out for the whole body’, Sasha asserts. This is mainly due to the nature of pole dancing requiring dancers to make use of ankles, knees, shoulders, to rouse their whole body weight into gaining the right levels of momentum and spin – thus, rather than the muscular over-kill of one area such as the arms (we’re women, we do not aspire to be a Pop Eye), muscles are given thorough, rigorous exercise and taken through a variety of ranges of motion. Thus, the toning process is given a beautiful, big space – our whole bodies – to work with. The way in which the body is pushed and pulled up, down and around the pole also aids weight-loss as a cardio work-out whilst being less strenuous as something like jogging, and what’s more, has been seen to benefit the heart and lungs. Is there anything pole dancing can’t do (or tone)?!
2. Fabulous for a Student Budget
Although sessions tend to average at around £10 a go, which can get pricey if you wish to attend regularly (although these prices are subject to significant discount should you be a member of a university pole dance society), no special clothing or equipment is required; no special shoes, accessories or dodgy-looking wetsuits (I have a friend who does rowing…God help him…). All that is asked of you is to turn up, pay for your class, dance, be fabulous and leave feeling fabulous. A pair of shorts or basic leggings will do – even skinny jeans, for beginners. On top, a simple vest or t-shirt will be more than sufficient. The biggest shock of all: Platform heels are not a necessity! Amazing, isn’t it?
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3. (Physical) Confidence
It is deemed ‘Pole Fitness’ for a reason. Once you begin to see and feel your core muscles (focused around your upper body) and the many other areas of the body, namely the female ‘problem areas’ pole dancing diligently tackles start to feel and look better, you yourself will feel a change in your physical endurance, agility and flexibility. That morning walk to class up that unreasonable hill will suddenly start to feel a lot less harrowing – you will generally begin to feel lighter within yourself, and your core, and there is no better feeling than realising you have a soft glow of health about you (especially when others begin to notice it, too!).
4. (Psychological) Confidence
As the physical begins to visibly take shape, the psychological will inevitably follow suit. This, I think, is the main beauty of pole dancing; contrary to popular belief, there is nobody there throwing a pole at you and yelling, ‘BE SEXY!’, leaving you feeling anything but. Progress is achieved in your own time; as Sasha states, ‘Pole Dancing is a progressive type of fitness’, whereby learning takes place at your own pace, and as your confidence builds, you are completely free to incorporate your own moves. I always leave my classes feeling more confident than when I walked in, whether this is because I mastered a new move, or because of the fulfilment I felt in helping another girl with a position new to them that I have become confident in. Pole dancing is a lot more accessible than many of us are inclined to think, and once accessed, there is a certain pride in being able to flourish in something seen to be only reserved for a certain ‘type’ of girl – but as Sasha, asserts, ‘Attitudes are definitely changing towards the ‘slutty’ stereotype.’ Each time I attend a class, I am exposed to beautiful girls of all shapes and sizes, all unafraid to show the rest of us what they can do, unabashed, and embracing every aspect of their bodies. Coming to terms with your body, its perceived limits and overcoming these perceptions is something not a lot of women are able to do – pole dancing can prove invaluable in realising this.
5. Fabulous for Fun!
It’s rather rare to discover something so enjoyable that at the same time is so furiously good for you and your body. Whilst maintaining its status as a friend of the fitness fairy, it is still a form of dance – and who doesn’t like to dance? Practice perfecting your moves to your favourite tunes, whilst complimenting, advising and getting to know others from all walks of life, all ethnicities and backgrounds united through the way of the pole. ‘I sometimes see girls at the beginning, and how shy they are, and I wonder if they will be able to come to terms with the social nature of the classes’, says Sasha. ‘So it’s always great to see that by the end of the year, they have formed their own little circle and are off clubbing with everyone else!’
Particularly with exams just around the corner, it’s important to put your energies into a stress-relieving activity to give your mind and body a bit of a breather. So girls, let go of your inhibitions (and preconceived notions of Rihanna on a particularly trashy day), grab your nearest vertical object and get dancing.
Photo Credits: www.pinterest.com