How Difficult Is Pole Dancing? (And Is It a Good Workout?)

If you have heard your friends, sisters and colleague talking about their pole fitness classes you may be wondering how difficult is pole dancing?

The good news is that pole dancing, is probably not as hard as you might think.

Learning anything new is hard at first, it can seem strange and alien. But like with everything, if you start at the beginning and take baby steps you will be flinging yourself around like a pro in no time at all.

Each new move will probably seem difficult at first, but once you’ve had a few goes, or in my case a few tens of goes for some moves, you will nail it, and it will be a piece of cake. You can then move onto the next move.

If you take lessons the instructors will teach you moves in a logical order so you learn the basics and build some strength up first.

As your strength and body aweness builds you will begin to learn more advanced moves.

Learning the Basics isn’t Hard

Whether you go to a studio or take online lessons the classes will be structured so you learn simple spins, climbs and moves around the base of the pole. These beginner moves don’t a require a lot of strength.

Many of the into moves are used, so that you can figure out how to hold the pole, how to move around it and about you getting comfortable with using the dance pole.

Once you have the basics, you might learn to climb one step up the pole or do a simple spin. No one is going to expect you to do a crazy upside down advanced flip in your first classes.

Trying advanced moves before you are ready is a sure way to injure yourself. So no proffesionally trained instructor will teach you one before you’re ready.

You Don’t Need To Be Fit To Start

Many people say they are not strong or fit enough to start pole dancing. The beauty of pole is that you get fit and strong whilst you do it. You can start today with your current fitness level. Many girls and boys that come to pole dancing are not gym bunnies, they don’t go for a 5-mile jog every day, they are your average bod.

Of course, you will get some fitness freaks, some that have done gymnastics or have been dancers in another life (or the same life). These girls may progress quicker. but one thing is for sure at any pole dance class everyone will encourage everyone else on.

Its a really supportive and safe place to get fit and learn a new thing.

Why Pole is a Good Workout!

Anyone you ask will tell you that pole dancing is a full-body workout.

It’s a form of body-weight training — using only your body weight for resistance. It’s an effective type of strength training.

When lessons are planned correctly you will strengthen the opposing muscles, such as the chest and back muscles. As we strive for muscle balance we need to train both sides – left and right. Most just train the strong arm, but we need to train the dork side, so it’s not as dorkish 🙂

Climbing a pole, holding your body weight in mid-air and inverting takes a lot of strength. 

When you link moves together or dance around the pole you get a cardio workout as well. iYou get an increase in your heart rate. Cardio exercises are beneficial because they can help you reach or maintain a moderate weight. 

Cardio workouts have been shown to increase your sense of well-being, decrease psychological distress, decrease perceived stress and people become less emotionally exhausted. 

It’s no wonder that anyone you ask will tell you that pole is a great workout!

Pole dancers look and feel amazing!

I Love The Challenge of Pole Dancing

One of the reasons many students keep going repeatedly to classes is that they love the challenge of learning a new move. Very few people get a move the very first time it’s introduced. Most take three or four goes at the very minimum to get. Once you’ve perfected one move, there’s another one to do.

Then when you think you’ve mastered two or three really cool moves you get to try and link them all together in an awesome combo.

Years later, girls are still mastering and perfecting moves. New ones are created. There are new combo’s to create. New entries and exits from a move.

No one has ever learned every move possible.

If you like a challenge, get yourself a pole dancing pole and some lessons.