5 Things They May Forget to Tell You When You Start to Learn Pole Fitness

So get this; it’s October 31, 2017. It’s Halloween, Tuesday night. I’ve been consumed with this evening for the last week and a half and not only because it’s a deeply cherished holiday of mine.

This was the night of my First Official Pole Fitness Class.

I was losing my effing mind. What should I wear? What shouldn’t I wear? What’ll the instructor be like? What if the other people in the class are way better than me? What if I embarrass the sh*t out of myself on DAY 1??

Spoiler: The class was a dream come true.

Now that I’ve had a few months to settle into my new hobby, I’ve had some time to reflect. And I’ve been wanting to share some things (five of them exactly) that I’ve come to realize these last few months while progressing further into this challenging and thrilling art form.

1. You’ll know you’ve found the right atmosphere in which to learn when you can fail miserably and immediately want to try again.

I’m lucky enough to have met a sincere group of students and instructors that encourage you every step of the way. We laugh together at our failures and celebrate together at our accomplishments. It fosters a hilarious/rewarding class every time.

2. Learning what your body’s limitations are is scary as hell, humbling, yet somewhat satisfying.

Personally, I’m one of those people that’s always thinking, “Well shit, could I ever do that?” So, when I had a chance to test my mettle so to speak, I was frankly horrified to find out that I may have overestimated myself.

BUT, in that same moment, I was feeling a sense of peace. I knew where I was at that moment, I knew where I wanted to be, so my only option was to get down to work.

3. You’ll feel not only your body begin to change, but your attitude towards your body change as well.

I never realized how hard I could truly be on myself until I started taking pole seriously. Sadly, I would leave some classes secretly discouraged at what I saw in our classroom mirrors. Those first few classes I would constantly wish I was thinner here, more bendy there, not quite so awkward looking from that angle...

Until one class, where I was learning some more advanced spins, it clicked: I’m learning, I’m changing, I’m beautiful, we’re all beautiful.

I came out of that spin and have spoken softer to myself and my body ever since.

4. You’ll get to know some wonderful humans that might just change your life.

The people that consistently attend these types of classes have goals. They have aspirations. Their attitudes are rooted in self-improvement and, most of the time, in kindness. They’ll more often than not feel empathy towards your journey, because they’ve been where you are and they remember. Cherish these people.

5. Intentionally or not, you’re going to start giving off “The Vibe.”

That “I’m a boss” vibe. That “I’m capable of some cool effing shit” vibe. That “I put in some damn hard work today” vibe. That “watch me work” vibe. That “I’m workin’ on me” vibe. That “I do not have time for this bullshit cuz I know I’m worth more than this” vibe. That “I’m on my way to some good shit” vibe.

Whatever you want to call it, it feels so damn good.

There’s a power in learning pole fitness, as there is in learning any art form such as that. You’re taking a risk, you’re learning something that might feel daring, or heart-poundingly thrilling for you. And that is a gift you can continually give to yourself with every class, every minute spent on your craft.

It’s a gift.