#360fit: Discover the fitness trend in Pole position

Kara Martin 08:30 08/09/2016
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  • Pole dancing is now seen as a legitimate workout.

    Long gone are the days when pole dancing was strictly associated with dollar bills thrown in seedy nightclubs. Today it’s become a legitimate form of fitness, a symbol of female empowerment that your girlfriends won’t stop whispering about.

    Credited for building and championing incredible strength, stamina, stability and flexibility, and with its own governing body (the International Pole Sport Federation), which organises some breathtakingly acrobatic international competitions, you can certainly even call it a sport in its own right.

    And actually, the federation has had its sights on taking the vertical bar to the Olympics in the near future, too.

    And why not? With countless swinging, spinning and static vertical, lateral and inverted moves and combos one is able to master on the pole, most of which require foundational training akin to Gymnastics and Acrobatics, Pole Dancing is serious work and I have immense respect for those who can handle it.

    The world may be taking the practice a lot more seriously, but if you’re just looking for a creative and active challenge you and a gaggle of your girlfriends can get behind a couple times a week, there are plenty more studios in the UAE in which to throw a leg as a complete beginner, too.

    The trend just won’t stop spreading. If you’re still yet to jump on the bandwagon, chances are your first class will suck – unless you’ve come in with an already fairly established foundation of fitness and flexibility, and in particular, upper body strength – then you’ll probably spend more time off the pole, pole position discover the new fitness trend taking… or pooled at the base of it, than twirling round it.

    But you can use Cobra Pole Fitness head instructor, Laura C.’s first encounter as your motivation to keep at it.

    “I first came across Pole back home in Liverpool. My cousin invited me to a pole class and I first said no because of the idea of what people thought of it and its associations,” she admits. “In the end I tried it and found it was not at all what I thought it would be. I remember leaving and literally nearly falling down the stairs because of how sore my legs were.

    “It was a whole body workout. And honestly, even now, depending on how long we’re on the pole for, we still feel it and are left covered in bruises (what we call ‘pole kisses’, from the skin rubbing against the pole). But it’s worth it. To this day I am often still left shocked by the things my body can do.”

    One student who can’t get enough of it is Laura Nadine Miller, practising now for over two years.

    “I came just wanting to try something different and I heard it was not just good exercise, but really fun as well. The friend I started coming with is now so good she is a junior instructor – the girls here are so motivating and friendly that we just never felt like it was a chore to come in and do the work,” she says.

    “I’ve seen improvements each week in myself, it slims you down as well as makes you loads stronger. There’s all sorts of women here doing it – different ages, nationalities, body sizes and fitness levels, and everyone’s progressing in their own unique way. You just have to keep at it.”

    “It’s an ongoing learning process,” agrees South African Chantelle Atkins, who teaches alongside Laura C., “and we love it because of that immense accomplishment you feel after finally doing something on the pole you never imagined possible. There’s a lovely all-female environment surrounding it too where everyone is sharing in your accomplishment.”

    The Cobra Pole Fitness crew has also just launched a supplementary Strength, Conditioning and Stretching class on Saturdays just for pole, “because a lot of the girls have been asking ‘What else can you do? How can I get stronger quicker?’” says Laura C.

    “In this class we will often incorporate some of the moves you can find downstairs at Cobra in an Abs or Fighter’s Fitness class. We’ve got some excellent trainers in the main space who have helped us create a class to see the girls progress, and of course it’s catered for ladies only, too.”

    Right to the core: Pole Dancing is an active and challenging workout.

    Right to the core: Pole Dancing is an active and challenging workout.

    Gruelling conditioning, bruises and aching muscles aside, Pole is no doubt popular in the Emirates too because of its ability to simultaneously offer female-friendly, rip-roaring fun outside of your typical gym setting, as well as be a beautiful, graceful and creative art form to look at.

    There really is nothing sleazy about it – just head over to the Instagram account of Dubai Marina-based studio Pole Fit Dubai, whose beautiful, long-limbed Artistic Gymnastics-trained instructors frequently wow in jaw-dropping short videos.

    They are joined by several new and veteran dance coaches found across Dubai who are taking the practice to further heights; venues such as The WareHouse Gym (via Polercise Dubai), James & Alex Dance Studios in Dubai Media City, and Milan Pole Dance Dubai Studio in the buzzing progressive JLT area, to name a few.

    In Abu Dhabi, there are cityside classes held at Expressions of Dance and Drama (One to One Hotel) but it is with Cobra that I first gave it a go.

    Back then it was just me and two girlfriends I nagged into joining for laughs whereas nowadays, it’s two girls to a pole during beginner and advanced classes run back to back and almost every day of the week in a dedicated, private space within Cobra’s massive facility. All of my girlfriends are doing it, and without once ever jokingly uttering the word ‘stripper’.

    “From the moment you hold the pole, there is a certain charm and magic that every woman will surely feel,” says Rania Gamal, a Dubaibased fitness expert, model, actress and TV presenter, who last month was taken on as the new brand ambassador for Milan Pole Dance Dubai Studio.

    “And from there, slowly you will learn how to hold your grip, dance through it and build your endurance, fortitude and confidence. Pole dancing is one of the most fun sports a woman could do with her girlfriends. It will never be boring as there is always something new to learn each time you train.”

    It’s safe to say that Pole is the one fun fitness craze that keeps on giving.

    TRY POLE FITNESS

    Cobra Pole Fitness, Abu Dhabi – www. cobrafitnessuae.com | 02 449 6524
    Expressions of Dance & Drama, Abu Dhabi – www.expressionsdance.net | 02 493 0115
    James & Alex Dance Studios, Dubai – www.jamesandalex.com | 04 447 0773
    Milan Pole Dance Studio, Dubai – www.milanpoledance.com | 04 430 3693
    Polercise Dubai – www.polercisedubai.com | 04 437 0479

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