So I just finished taking my very first pole class tonight to find out that it’s a great workout as well as a ton of fun! I got sweaty and felt sexy.
We began walking around the pole – taking four steps to get me all the way around the pole and into some cute booty wiggles and hip dips. My instructor explained that during our very first pole dancing class we won’t be doing any crazy spins or tricks (thank goodness!). I did get a routine and a workout, however.
Another great intro-to-pole preparation technique that I followed was reading Nine Necessary Things for Your Pole Dance Bag. The workout towel and water came in particularly helpful! And although this specific beginning pole class didn’t use music until the very end when we had our “performance,” I could see where having music makes a huge difference.
Something that people, including myself, might not understand before walking into their very first pole dancing class is that you don’t have to be sexy or have ripped muscles to feel good on the pole and get a workout.
The thing that helped me the most during my first class was turning off my brain. My instructor even told me to do this right at the beginning but I didn’t listen to her until I was tripping all over myself and placing the wrong hand on the pole. When you think about the “steps” too much or even about something else entirely, it really messes you up! You have to trust that your body knows what to do after the third or fourth or even fifth repetition, and just go with it.
Even though I’m not a novice when it comes to taking fitness classes, I find that my mind still wanders all over the place if I let it. I can tell that this is a big no-no in pole dancing; if you’re not present, then you’ll get all jumbled up.
This turns out to be really cool! Yoga and Pilates classes are always trying to keep us in the moment, but without even trying, my pole class did.
I’m definitely a new fan of the pole. It takes great concentration and poise that makes me feel accomplished, strong and sexy at the end of class. Yes, we wore our 6-inch heels (one girl even had 7-inchers on), but the instructor said that some studios don’t require that and if the student is very adamant about not wearing shoes, she’ll let them go barefoot. [Side note about apparel: According to pole dance instructors, unless you’re planning on “tricking” you don’t need to wear booty shorts and a sports bra. For your very first pole dancing class, yoga pants or capris with a snug top works great.]
So all of this said, I had a very positive experience coming out of my first pole dancing class. I will certainly be going back for more, taking with me a workout towel, water, hair ties and my newly-found in-the-moment mindset, and leaving behind all of my inhibitions, self-conscious thoughts and preconceived notions.