Pole Dancing for Beginners
Written By: Eva Hernandez
Contrary to what you might think, the biggest challenge you will encounter when you start pole dancing is not the lack of upper body strength, but frustration. You will have to understand that it is a process, and that strength comes with time. You are asking your body to try something new, to learn new abilities and to find its way around new equipment, which often involves the use of muscles you never even knew you had. And that takes time. Be gentle with yourself.
Frustration also can arise from comparing yourself to others. That is the worst thing you can do. There will always be someone that is stronger than us, more flexible than us or that gets every move on the first try and that is great for them! Cheer them on! But that is not you, you have your own process, your own strengths and weaknesses, and it is you that you should be competing against. Every journey is different and every person is unique.
That being said, what are the things you should be focusing on when you start pole dancing?
- Overcoming fear.
You have to understand that you are not going to fall, you have to learn to trust yourself, and the only way to do that is daring to try. Trust your instructor and dare to take that spin. Maybe you can convince your mind by deliberately falling a few times, just to test what is the worst thing that can happen. Truth is that it is not much different than jumping. Think of it as a jump. Most of us can jump, right? Just go ahead and take that jump, one spin at a time.
2. Keeping your hips away from the pole.
When you start pole dancing, chances are you are going to spend some time working on your spins. Spins are fun, safe and help to build both strength and confidence.
The most important thing to remember when trying spins is physics. Think, what do I have to do to take that spin? What position should my body take? Remember a hula hoop. When it’s spins you have one extreme in contact with the body and the other one opposing the body. That is exactly what you have to do with your own body, and you can achieve that by keeping your hips away from the pole. Work on that and you will get that move in no time.
3. Push yourself.
I am not going to lie. Working out can suck at first. At least for me it did. You find yourself out of breath, your muscles ache, and you might be tempted to slow your pace until you feel comfortable again, almost relaxed. Don’t. The only person you are fooling is yourself. If you don’t push yourself you will not get stronger. Aim to get a little farther every time. I am not saying punish yourself, but maybe this week you did half a pushup. Net week aim for one, and one and a half next time. That way you will improve and trust me, there is no better feeling than pride in oneself.
I hope this tips help you now that you are beginning your pole journey. Always remember to listen to your body and don’t you ever give up.