I'm Too (fill in the blank) to Pole Dance...

"I'm too (fill in the blank) to pole dance!"

Since I began teaching pole dance fitness five and a half years ago, I have heard the statement above countless times. Usually the blank is filled in with something relating to age, weight, coordination, strength or personality.  There seems to be some preconceived notion that in order to pole dance one must be an extrovert of a certain age, with the measurements of Barbie, and the strength of Linda Hamilton in her Terminator 2 days. While it’s true that the top competitive pole dancers are in phenomenal shape and ridiculously strong (check out this year’s USPDF champion to see what I mean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrUsrKq4AZI&list=UUjFjiaUI6wyoJZbNJtYhSAw&index=41), most of us don’t set out to be professional pole dance champions. (Myself included! I have been in two competitions and although both were great experiences, I prefer being behind the scenes or in the audience...probably because I’m very cranky when my chocolate intake is restricted.) Most people who take up pole dancing are simply looking for a fun and unique workout (and maybe they want to feel a little sexy, nothing wrong with that!). You don’t need to be super coordinated or have a lot of upper body strength to start poling; pole classes will help you in both of these areas. One of the beautiful things about pole dancing is it will help you get in shape and build your strength, all while having fun! Some people have told me they feel self conscious about taking a pole class. They are afraid people will laugh at them or they will do it wrong, etc, etc.  I won’t sit here and tell you not to feel that way because it’s natural to feel a little self conscious whenever you try something new, especially if it’s something outside of your comfort zone. (One of these days I’ll have to tell you about my first Bikram yoga class…talk about feeling self conscious!) What I will tell you is this…

Whatever it is that you’re feeling, half the class is feeling the same way. (Seriously, they are.)

I assure you, you are NOT the only one! It's human nature. (I can't even type "human nature" without hearing Michael Jackson in my head, but I digress...) So try to push those feelings to the back of your mind and have FUN. Go into class with an open mind, ready to try something a little different. You might surprise yourself. (And, as an added bonus, you might end up with the arms of Linda Hamilton from her Terminator 2 days!)

Want to try pole dancing for yourself? Visit us at Aradia Fitness NOVA in Manassas. We’re online at www.nova.aradiafitness.com.