Activity Focus: Pole Dancing

Amber Dunford took her first Pole dancing lesson in 2007, and loves using the pole as part of her regular fitness routine. Dunford is a fitness model, and uses a variety of methods to stay in shape including kettle bells (she is also a qualified kettle bell instructor), sprinting, weightlifting and hot yoga. “I train so often that I need to incorporate different methods in order to keep it interesting,” she says.

We asked Dunford to explain why pole dancing is a great fitness activity, and how to start doing it.

Do you need a basic level of fitness to start this activity?

Pole dancing is physically demanding. You need a basic level of fitness because you do need to be able to lift your own body weight. That said, there are so many different levels of dancing from beginner to advanced. You can start with basic spins and swings around the pole and then advance to more complicated moves.

It is good for any fitness level, but most poles do have a weight restriction on them - the  pole I have at home, for example, has a restriction of 200 pounds, but you can get  poles that support more weight than that.

How easy is it to start this activity?

It depends on your level of fitness. If you are a beginner it might be a little more difficult, but if you are somebody that is already quite physically active is going to be pretty easy to pick up. A lot of studios that offer pole dancing classes, accommodate the different levels of fitness and offer classes for every level of experience. They do make it so that is adaptable for people that might not have lots of experience.

What kind of workout does it give the body?

It really is a full body workout. It probably focuses mostly on your back, shoulders, arms and core - you definitely use your abdominal muscles a lot in order to keep yourself stable while you do the moves.

When you are doing the more basic spins, the focus is on the upper body. As you get more advanced a lot of focus goes into your legs, especially when you’re kicking yourself up into the air and going upside down on the pole etc.

What kind of equipment do you need to do this activity?

They recommend that you wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing; pretty much typical workout clothing. It is also useful to have bare arms and bare legs, because you are using your skin to hold yourself up on the pole. If you are wearing clothing, you’re just going to slip off. You don’t want to have lotions or oils on your skin, or wear any rings or bracelet that could scratch the pole.

Some people go barefoot, some people wear running shoes and some people even training high heels because it gives you that sexy feeling associated with the pole.

How much does it cost to do this activity?

You’ll have to go to a specialized studio that has the poles in place, and classes range in price. I think the first set of classes I went to cost $125 for four sessions.

If you are going to buy a pole to have in your own home, you are looking at spending approximately $300 to buy one. There a couple of studios in Ontario that I recommend, one of them being Flirty Girl Fitness and the other being Live Once.

Pictures of Amber Dunford by Chris V Linton.

This post is a repeat, but look forward to more original content to come in the future.