Pole Isn't What You Think It Is

If you'd asked me over 20 years ago if I'd ever do pole fitness, I'd have laughed.

Actually... I'd probably have said absolutely not.

When my sister booked me a pole lesson for my hen do, there was no way I was doing it.

In my head, pole meant one thing.

Sexy.

And that wasn't me.

Don't even get me started on the outfits.

There was absolutely no chance I was wearing tiny shorts and a sports bra in front of complete strangers.

I was terrified.

Thankfully, I managed to avoid the hen do lesson...

...but a few months later, something unexpected happened.

A pole class started at my local gym.

I remember looking at my gym buddy and saying,

"Shall we just give it a go?"

Looking back now, that was probably one of the best decisions I've ever made.

The Hardest Part Was Walking Through the Door

People think the hardest part of pole is hanging upside down.

Or climbing the pole.

Or building enough strength.

It isn't.

The hardest part is walking through the door for the very first time.

Walking into something completely unknown.

Wondering whether everyone will be watching you.

Wondering if you'll make a fool of yourself.

Wondering if you'll belong.

I remember every one of those feelings.

It Was Nothing Like I Expected

I walked in expecting one thing.

Instead I was greeted by a cockney blonde with the vocabulary of a drunken sailor.

Her name was Fiona.

She was friendly.

Funny.

Strong.

And her physique was incredible.

This was over twenty years ago.

Back then, women like Fiona weren't common.

She wasn't tiny.

She wasn't trying to be.

She looked powerful.

She taught Pole Fitness.

Not pole dancing.

That distinction mattered to me.

Very quickly...

I was hooked.

Before Instagram Changed Everything

Pole was very different back then.

There wasn't Instagram.

There weren't thousands of videos showing impossible tricks every day.

The inverts.

The dynamics.

The jaw-dropping combinations we see now simply weren't around.

You learned one move at a time.

You celebrated every tiny achievement.

And every new skill felt like magic.

Pole Changed How I Saw My Body

People often ask me what pole gave me.

Strength.

Confidence.

Friendships.

But the biggest gift it gave me was something much harder to explain.

It completely changed the relationship I had with my body.

For the first time in my life, I stopped looking at my body for how it looked...

...and started appreciating it for what it could do.

Could I climb higher?

Could I hold myself longer?

Could I finally nail that move I'd been working on for weeks?

The mirror slowly became less important.

Progress became everything.

"Oh... You're a Pole Dancer?"

I lost count of the number of times someone would say,

"Oh... you're a pole dancer?"

I'd almost immediately reply,

"No... I do Pole Fitness!"

At the time it upset me.

Because people assumed they knew what pole was.

The truth?

There was never anything sexy about my classes.

They were sweaty.

They were challenging.

They were frustrating.

They were empowering.

They were about strength.

The Funny Thing About Shorts

Remember those tiny shorts I swore I'd never wear?

Eventually...

I wore them.

Not because somebody told me I looked good.

Not because I'd suddenly become body confident overnight.

Because I realised something.

Nobody was looking at the things I hated about myself.

Nobody cared.

Everyone was too busy trying to remember which leg went where.

Pole creates one of the safest environments I've ever experienced.

When everyone is wearing very little, something unexpected happens.

Comparison disappears.

Kindness takes over.

People celebrate your victories.

They cheer when you finally achieve the move you've been chasing for weeks.

Your success genuinely becomes everybody's success.

I've never experienced another fitness environment quite like it.

Pole Has Changed...

Today, pole has become an incredible art form.

There are so many different styles.

Strength-based pole.

Artistic pole.

Dynamic tricks.

Flow.

Contemporary movement.

Heels.

Exotic.

Dance.

Flexibility.

Every style is beautiful in its own way.

Some people fall in love with the artistry.

Some love the freedom of dance.

Others enjoy expressing a side of themselves they've never had the confidence to show before.

And that's wonderful.

But me?

Strength tricks will always have my heart.

Pole Isn't What You Think It Is

People often think pole is about looking a certain way.

It isn't.

People think it's about confidence.

It's actually where confidence begins.

People think you need to be strong before you start.

The truth is...

You become strong because you start.

Everyone arrives feeling nervous.

Everyone thinks they won't be able to do it.

Everyone worries they'll be the least capable person in the room.

And almost everyone leaves smiling.

Because they've found something much bigger than exercise.

They've found their cheer squad.

There Really Is Nothing Quite Like Pole

Pole won't be the right fit for everyone.

That's okay.

But if you've ever been curious...

If you've ever wondered what all the fuss is about...

If you've ever talked yourself out of trying because you think you'll be too old, too unfit or not strong enough...

I promise you're not the first person to think that.

I was once the woman who swore she'd never even walk through the door.

Now I can't imagine my life without it.

Because pole isn't about becoming someone else.

It's about discovering what you've been capable of all along.

Twenty years later, I still smile every time someone walks nervously through my studio door... because I know there's a very good chance they're about to fall in love with pole fitness too.