There’s a workout gaining popularity for its fun factor and fitness benefits – pole dance. Previously, pole dancing was seen as an exercise limited to a specific group due to stereotypes. However, as word has spread about its full-body workout benefits, more people are flocking to pole dance studios.
The once-unpopular pole-dance
Pole dance involves performing intense movements like dancing while hanging or climbing a long pole. Similar to ‘Mallakhamb,’ a type of Indian yoga, pole dance was not popular due to its association with decadent culture, where scantily clad women danced around a pole for an audience and received payment.
What’s the biggest fitness benefit of pole dancing?
Pole dance involves movements harmonizing aerobic and anaerobic exercise, strength, and skill. It possesses the characteristics of anaerobic strength exercises that allow for body control and those of aerobic exercises that induce high oxygen consumption, like regular dance or aerobics. Furthermore, supporting your body on the pole engages the abdomen, spine, and buttocks, enhancing spinal stability and strengthening the deep spinal muscles.
15 minutes of pole dance equals 1 hour on the treadmill?
It’s said that the amount of calories burned in 15 minutes of pole dance is equivalent to running on a treadmill for an hour. It’s a workout with a considerable calorie burn, especially targeting areas where cellulite accumulates the most, like the back of the buttocks, inner arms, and back fat. The high-calorie burn also aids in weight loss.
How long should you learn it?
How long should you learn pole dance to be able to enjoy it without any difficulty? It usually takes about 1 to 6 months. After learning the basics and gradually progressing, you can feel a sense of accomplishment as you can perform more complex moves around the 3-month mark. With consistent practice, you can improve your skills to the point of being able to connect multiple movements.
The side effects of long-term pole dance
Have you ever heard that long-term pole dance can lead to imbalance? Since most people are right-handed and feel more comfortable performing many techniques on the right side, imbalance can occur. It’s important to do warm-up exercises diligently to correct this imbalance. Continuous effort to align the body and focus on areas that feel relatively weak can be helpful.
Can men do it, too?
Nowadays, people of all ages and genders are learning pole dance. Men’s pole dance, also known as ‘manpole,’ incorporates elements similar to gymnastics, and more places are teaching movements closer to sports. While it might be unfamiliar to the public, if you’re a man who wants to enjoy an exciting sport, build muscles, and perform cool moves, it’s recommended to give it a try.
The thrill of achievement is a bonus
Pole dance requires countless attempts to successfully perform a single move, which makes sense of achievement when you succeed much more than other exercises. When you first start learning, there’s the fun of being able to learn at least one move per day. Once you reach the intermediate level, the day’s lesson becomes a series of connected movements. Completing these gives you a sense of pride and achievement, which can also boost your self-esteem.
Do you have to wear revealing clothes?
Due to the many moves that utilize body friction, wearing a bra top and pole shorts is recommended. However, you don’t need to wear daring outfits from the start. A bra top worn for running or yoga, paired with a short-sleeved t-shirt or running shorts, is acceptable. There are also pole dance leggings available for a variety of outfit choices. You may become increasingly drawn to bold and flashy costumes as you learn pole dance.
There are many complex movements
Pole dance promotes blood flow and sweat production, which is good for skin health. However, if you continually force your body into complex movements, you can scrape your skin on the pole or put undue stress on your joints. Since many movements look difficult even to non-experts, performing each movement slowly and accurately is essential. Starting with the basics and gradually learning can reduce mistakes and injuries.
Efforts to prevent injury are necessary
Pole dance, which requires more effort to prevent injuries for beginners, is a workout that demands more strength than one might think. If you ambitiously attempt to perform movements you haven’t fully learned, you risk falling. There’s also a risk of elbow joint injuries due to the concentration of muscles moving the wrist in one spot or back injuries due to falls, so caution is necessary.
By. Jeon Shin Young
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