Pole Dancing
Picturing maypole dancing? Think again! We investigate the latest fitness craze to hit our shores!
Didn't you know? Pole dancing is the new aerobics! Forget the raunchy, risqué image of old; pole dancing is the perfect way to tone up those upper arm 'wings', firm up those abs - and have a real laugh!
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From our own Kate Moss, Sadie Frost and Zoë Ball to Daryl Hannah and Heather Graham, everyone's pledging their allegiance to the pole. So strap on those thigh boots and get swivelling!
Dancing dynamics
Attending a pole dancing session in this day and age won't involve entering an institution of ill repute and consorting with seedy characters. Instead, you can expect to meet a rather tamer group of 20/30/40-somethings all dressed in shorts, baggy tracksuits and trainers, and venues range from gyms to basements of local pubs and leisure centres.
Our particular class is held in the functions room of a popular bar and consists of one group of city professionals there to enjoy a workout and another group treating the session as a fun night out for one of their party's birthdays.
Our instructor is friendly and professional - hardly a regular on the Spearmint Rhino circuit! A trained aerobics instructor, she makes sure we are all wearing 'safe' footwear.
Used to the usual nervous first-time jitters, she immediately puts us all at ease by telling us: "It's as difficult as you make it. Some find it easier than others - no matter what your size or shape. But if you follow my instructions, you can't go wrong."
Pole positions
As with any workout, we are taken through a gentle warm-up before we tackle the poles, as our instructor assures us that going on the poles 'cold' could result in injury. Borrowing from yoga and pilates, we do a series of stretches and warm up our muscles for around 45 minutes.
Suitably sweaty, we all retire to the bar for a well-deserved vodka and orange, whilst our instructor installs the two steel poles in the centre of what was once our workout area. Far from condemning this, our leader actually encourages us to enjoy a sensible tipple, claiming it 'gives you that boost of confidence'.
To get us in the mood, she gives us a dance demonstration to some funky music, and soon we're rearing to go. Forming two queues - one for each pole - we first watch, then attempt, various exotic-sounding moves such as the 'Carousel', 'Hang Tough' and 'Wonder Woman'.
After getting over the initial stage fright, we are all soon mastering the six classic pole dancing moves (amidst much laughter). Most entail gripping the pole slightly above head height, and then moving your hips and legs around the pole in different combinations and directions - moves that seem to require practice rather than supreme fitness.
Before we know it, an hour has flown by, and after a quick re-cap and a cool down session, the class is over. But not before our leader assures us that we will 'hate her' in two days time!
She elaborates: "Typically, the first time you come to a class you will experience sore arms and abs muscles, usually around two days afterwards. But it will get easier every time you attend, and pole dancing will tone everything - your legs, thighs and upper body. It's a workout that covers everything!"
We attended a Polestars class in London. Both one-off classes and six-week courses are available. For more information see polestars.net
Polestars estimate that around 400 calories are burned per 2 hour session, including warm up and cool down.
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