Everything I wish I’d known before my first pole dancing class

The idea of pole dancing came to my mind when I learned that a friend of mine was taking pole dancing classes in NYC. I thought that it would be cool to try something new. Besides I did say I wanted this summer to be adventurous.

When most people think of pole dancing, their mind probably jumps to stripping or something else exotic. Yet some people see it as a technique of self-love. Previously, I thought of pole dancing as something I would never do because I wasn’t practicing to be a ‘stripper,’ and it was way out of my comfort zone.

I thought that my mom would make a great partner to go with since she’s into trying new and different things. We were able to score an amazing deal on Groupon for pole dancing classes at Femme Body Fitness, a studio that offers pole fitness classes that “open the minds of women looking for a more realistic and fun way to stay in shape.”

I’ve learned that pole dancing is about more than just ‘looking sexy.’ It’s about feeling good in your own body, loving yourself, and trying something fun and edgy.

The founder of Femme Body Fitness, Carmen Arroyo, states on her website that her “tough love approach has pushed women to limits they never thought possible,” which I have learned to be true.

In the beginning of each class, the instructor asks us what our favorite body parts are. I lied the first two times and said my breast and my legs. In reality, I didn’t have a favorite body part except for my hair. (Because that counts, right?)

Yet it all changed after three classes: Femme Body Barre, Chair/Lap Dance, and Pole Fitness.

Femme Body Barre

‘FBB’ helped target my core areas such as abs, upper body, and glutes, and helped me do it all on a pole which looked easy, but in reality was hard to do.

Chair/Lap dance

This was quite a unique experience as my mom and I were the only attendees, plus the teacher. At first I was skeptical, but in the words of the instructor, “This class is about self love, feeling good, and practicing how to be sexy all by yourself.”

The music and my heels helped me dance like no one was watching, and it felt so good to try something edgy and passionate. No, I didn’t do it for anyone else. I did it so I could have fun on a Saturday night.

Pole fitness

Pole fitness is the hardest class my mother and I have taken to date, as it allowed us to dance and twirl on a pole while working out our legs a lot. The teacher makes it look easy, but we have learned that pole fitness takes a lot of effort and dedication.

In the end, I learned how to twirl, spin and dance on a pole while feeling good about myself. The most important part was that I learned a little bit more about the meaning of self-love and body acceptance.

Both my legs and arms are stronger than I thought, and it’s incredible to see what the human body is capable of doing. I’ve been able to step out of my comfort zone, explore my sensual side, learn edgy techniques, and love the body that I’m in. What’s best is that I’ve been exercising while doing it, and we all love a good workout.