Pole athletes from X-Pole SA
Tarryn Knight, Sherry Bremner and Joanna Pawelczyk share the benefits of pole
dancing:
1. Core workout:
“Pole is a fantastic core work
out. You won't ever have to do sit ups or
crunches again, and with time, that six pack will be yours. As someone who
did weights at gym religiously four to five times a week before I started pole
I can confidently say that no amount of gym gave me the same toned body that
pole does”, says Joanna Pawelczyk.
2. Cardio:
At first glance, most people
won't consider pole dancing to get their heart rates up, but this is where
they're wrong because “cardiovascular
activity is a key element to pole dancing routines. It can be quite an
exhausting workout as you're doing lots of hectic strength moves in a row for
three to four minutes. It's amazing for your body.
"If you want to whip
yourself into shape just work on a routine for three months! That's where
competing is good because it gives you a solid reason to work hard”, Joanna
advises.
“When training for a competition
or show, running a four to five minute routine provides a great anaerobic
cardio burst. Depending on one's fitness levels, and the routine, a pole
workout can easily provide you with the peak heart rate bursts you need for
cardio health”, agrees Tarryn Knight.
“There’s nothing like doing a
pole routine to get the heart racing. It’s not all just strength training, you
build up a sweat very quickly if you keep moving around and on your pole”, says
Sherry Bremner.
3. Tone up and lose weight:
If a strong core and cardio
workout is not enough to convince you then perhaps toning might.
Joanna explains that “pole
fitness is a very upper body intensive sport so your arms, shoulders and abs
will be the first to tone up.
"You won't ever get huge or
bulky though as you're always working with your natural body weight. Your
pectoral (chest) muscles develop with pole which is the same effect as doing
lots of push ups, just not nearly as boring, and you won't need a wonder bra
for that extra lift"
She says that certain poses in
pole work the inner thighs and quads as well but the real leg work out comes
from doing dynamic
stretching exercises, which not only works your butt fantastically but
makes you more flexible at the same time.
With regard to dropping some
kilos, Joanna says that pole fitness "can definitely help with weight loss
as well but like any other form of exercise it’s not going to make you shed
weight if you only do it once a week. I recommend three to four times a week
minimum, and naturally, a healthy balanced diet."
“Whilst I have always been
blessed with an athletic physique, I can certainly confirm that my muscle
definition is much more pronounced when I've been training. I've seen my pole
fitness friends develop defined abdominals, biceps and triceps. Even the
conditioning exercises that we do off the pole are a very good workout for all
areas of the body”, confirms Tarryn.
4. Strengthen your back:
In addition this, “pole fitness
moves will develop your back muscles to be very strong. This, combined with a
strong core, means reduced injuries from everyday life. You won't need a man to
carry your groceries or move your couch - you can do it yourself!” says Joanna.
5. A healthy metabolism :
“My pole friends swear that they
burn food more quickly when they are training for a show or competition. Since
one of our pole friends owns a bakery, an increased metabolism is a welcome
side-effect because we always have her delicious cupcakes backstage!” confesses
Tarryn.
She says that pole fitness has
given her 'hobbit eating habits', especially when she is training extra hard.
"I eat breakfast and second breakfast, a pre-lunch snack, lunch, a pre-tea
time snack, tea, my 4 o’ clock snack, pre-dinner and then dinner. Sometimes I
have an after dinner snack if I am still awake working."
The pole athletes eat regular
meals but try to keep it healthy, with lots of fruits and vegetables and
proteins.
6. Coordination and balance:
Pole fitness also requires an
incredible amount of coordination and balance. Learning to control spins, turns
and pivots will strengthen muscles throughout your body.
“Back and core strength are
required for pole fitness and these same ingredients enable good posture. Good
posture is important for optimal lung functioning, healthy digestion, a healthy
spine and an alert, engaged mind”, says Tarryn.
7. Flexibility:
Because Twirling yourself around
a pole involves quite a bit of stretching, your flexibility will also reap the
benefits.
Tarryn explains that flexibility
is so important in aerial arts because there is often nothing off of which to
leverage. Leg extensions, aerial splits, back bends. . . all pole poses and
moves have to be performed with a person's own ability to create the shape
without any leverage or assistance.
She reminds us that flexibility
has undisputed benefits for injury prevention, recovery, general muscle and
joint health.
8. Body confidence:
In addition to all of these
fitness benefits, Joanna says that “pole fitness also gives you a sense of
confidence, independence, sexiness and strength that no other sport can do. It
isn't just amazing for your outer body but for your inner self too.”
It has helped Joanna and many
other women with "body acceptance", she explains:
"When I first started pole
I was horrified at the thought of having to wear shorts in public, being
exceptionally shy about my legs and my pale skin. It was less than two weeks of
classes before I owned my first pair of pole shorts and would happily walk
about the studio in them. I very quickly realised that no one in a pole class
judges you! Everyone is there to learn and be challenged and it unites you in a
common cause. You learn to accept your body for what it is and turn your focus
away from appearance and on to achieving that new pole trick you saw on
Instagram. It's incredibly liberating. Of course, being such a great form of
exercise, you start feeling stronger and more confident, and suddenly can't
understand why none of your jackets fit anymore”, says Sherry.
9. Endurance:
“Pole, and the expression of
dance, is so much fun that it's easy to lose track of time. When you don't
realize how long you've been training for, your endurance increases with little
effort. It's also possible to become so distracted by the determination to get
a new move that one doesn't realise how much muscle power they are using. It's
only the next day or two when your body feels stiff that you become aware of
the good workout pole fitness provides.” says Tarryn.
10. Laughter is the best medicine:
“The best part of pole is that
it's incredibly fun – you don’t even think you're exercising. This also makes
it easier to keep going and not give up,” says Joanna.
All the fun and laughter that
comes with pole fitness allows you to tap into the mental and physical benefits
to laughter – stress relieve, heart and general health benefits.
Source :http://www.health24.com
