If you are an Instagram junkie like myself then you have probably seen at least one pole dancing video
A video of someone gliding with the pole and doing acrobats like you have probably never seen before.
In this post I wanted to cover some of the 9 things you probably didnt know about pole dancing and how it has a great benefits on your health and fitness…
Just like any other form of exercise, pole dancing has its own merits, just like crossfit, going to the gym or doing fad exercises like Zumba.
You’ve probably tried a few of these different fads but have you tried pole dancing yet?
I tried pole dancing and this is what I found it to be like…
It consists of numerous physical, psychological, and emotional improvements you’ll get from practicing the craft are the main reasons pole dancing continue to gain popularity worldwide.
After a 6 week challenge:
- I lost weight
- Gained more self confidence in myself
- Gained muscle and strength that could probably put my boyfriend to shame
There is no doubt that pole dancing is a hard sport, but here are the 9 benefits that I think pole offers over many other regular exercise fads
1. Cardio
Continuously doing strenuous muscular activities like climbs, spins, and inversions, are definitely exhausting, not to mention you have to perform floor works too during transitions. Combining these routines throughout the performance duration which usually lasts an average of 5 minutes will surely have your heart racing.
Practicing your pole dancing routine regularly reinforces blood circulation which is helpful in preventing fat buildup, especially around the heart area.
2. Lose weight
Many women became interested with pole dancing because of its ability to burn fats. The intensive dance moves burn a considerable amount of calories during workout. An hour of working on the pole can burn up to 250 calories which is almost the same as other gym exercises.
As you learn more advanced and challenging moves, you get to work out more muscle groups and get to burn more fats in those areas.
3. Muscle toning
Notice how well-toned the bodies of professional dancers are? They’re not bulky yet their muscles look tight and compact that you can feel their strength when they’re performing their pole routines.
Unlike other gym workouts which focus on strengthening and increasing muscle mass through the use of weights, pole dancing uses your own body weight to develop the muscles. This means you won’t get to grow bulky muscles but only increase it to an amount proportional to your body mass. They will develop to a size just enough to easily pull your whole body up the dance pole.
4. Core buildup
Pulling yourself up the pole is no easy feat. It requires incredible amount of core strength to be able to maintain balance and finesse. Several dance moves require a strengthened core to flawlessly pull them off. The warm-up exercises for pole dancing also consist of routines heavily focused on the conditioning of core muscles.
5. Increased metabolism
As you dive deeper into pole dancing, you’ll discover how receptive you’ll become to dieting. After all, you need to lose extra weight if you want to be able to easily pull yourself up the pole and perfectly execute all the moves and tricks.
Pole dancing diet usually encourages eating small portions of food several times a day. Eating smaller meal sizes 5-6 times a day increases the body’s metabolism rate and helps maintain energy at a constant level.
6. Balance
Maintaining proper posture and form while on the pole requires tremendous muscle coordination and impeccable balance. Repeatedly practicing your pole dancing exercises will improve your overall balance on and off the dance pole.
7. Flexibility
Although pole dancing requires incredible muscle strength to properly pull the tricks off, it equally needs the body’s flexibility to retain the dance’s sensuality. Pole dancing moves will surely stretch your muscles to the limit with its string of leg and arm extensions, splits, bends, curls, and a lot more other tricks.
Building up your core strength and balance greatly contributes to your body’s flexibility. Improving your body’s elasticity also helps prevent immediate muscle strains and injuries, increases muscle recovery time, and improves overall joint strength.
8. Endurance
Performing a whole pole dancing routine takes around 4-5 minutes depending on the duration of your song choice. This length is more than enough to test your body to its limit. Each move you practice, every moment you spend practicing your whole routine, and all the cardio, core buildup, and strength improvement exercises you do contributes to the development of your endurance.
9. Confidence
As you improve your body’s flexibility, core strength, endurance, balance, and gain every other benefit we’ve discussed, you’ll notice that you’re getting more comfortable with your overall appearance. After all, one of the main inviting factors pole dancing offers is its ability to make you look and feel sexy.
The confidence you gain from learning a new skill and the gradual toning of your body brings about positive changes both to your mental and physical outlook.
All in all, I am happy with the results for myself and my boyfriend tried doing it too and it almost killed him with the paid he experienced the next day.
But with some training anything is possible and even the most inexperienced can get good and look great
Click here if you want to learn more about pole dancing for beginners
