POLE DANCING'S HEALTH ADVANTAGES

Pole dance, like gymnastics and ballet, has always demanded the same levels of atheticism, elegance, and ability. While these advantages were previously disregarded, they have recently become more prominent as associations with the profession have shifted away from the strip club and toward the studio.

Pole dancing's health benefits are now being discovered by people all around the world. This is why.

INCREASED STRENGTH

Pole dancing provides a full-body exercise. The motions are dynamic and engage numerous muscles at simultaneously, even at the novice level. It's no surprise that so many personal trainers are enthusiastic about it.

Because many pole dancing maneuvers include lifting and holding your own body weight, it's perfect for strengthening your back muscles, biceps, triceps, and forearms. Even if you don't have much upper body strength when you first start pole dancing, you'll quickly get it.

Pole dancing provides you powerful core muscles in addition to upper body strength. To accomplish maneuvers that require you to climb, lift your legs, or hold your weight, your stomach muscles, abs, and lower back muscles are all used.

When we stated pole dancing is a full-body workout, we weren't joking. Most techniques, at first, may appear to be dependent on upper body and core strength. Your legs, on the other hand, provide the hold for the more acrobatic intermediate movements. Even if you don't have your arms to help you.

Altogether, there are very few muscles you don’t use while pole dancing. The repetition involved in perfecting a manoeuvre means that by the time you nail it, you’ll be substantially stronger without even realizing it.

INCREASED FLEXIBILITY

Each of us is born with a full range of motion in our joints, but if we don't use it on a regular basis, it will be lost. As a result, our joints may become stiff and our range of motion may be limited. The good news is that you can restore flexibility to your joints by conditioning them, and pole dancing is an excellent way to do it.

We've previously discussed the significance of flexibility. It's not just about being flexible; it also has practical health benefits.

When a section of our body is less mobile than it should be, other parts of our body compensate in an unnatural way. This can result in early joint damage, poor posture, and even poor form when performing basic actions like walking or lifting. Poor form causes greater discomfort, cramping, and damage, which can lead to persistent joint problems over time.

Pole dancing requires a lot of twisting, stretching, and bending, which makes your muscles and joints more flexible. You're also increasing your spatial awareness and balance.

Don't be alarmed if some of the more skilled pole dancing techniques border on contortion. You'll have greatly expanded your flexibility by the time you get to that point.

CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH

As quoted in the UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines from 2019:

“If physical activity were a drug, we would refer to it as a miracle cure, due to the great many illnesses it can prevent and help treat.” Adults should exercise moderately for at least 2 and a half hours per week, according to the same standards. Attaining this goal lowers the risk of Type II Diabetes by 40%, heart disease by 35%, and some malignancies by 20%. In fact, it opens the door to a slew of other health advantages.

Pole dancing, even at the basic level, is an excellent method to meet this 2-and-a-half-hour weekly need since it gets your heart rate up and integrates your entire body.

Pole dancing is also similar to aerobics or calisthenics in that it is a moderate to intense physical activity. This means you don't have to perform it for as long each week to gain the benefits of pole dancing's cardiovascular health. Or, even better, you get more benefit in the same amount of time.

WEIGHT LOSS

One of the many health benefits of pole dancing is that it aids in weight loss from both a cardio and strength standpoint. The high levels of activity in the programs help you burn calories while the lifting, climbing, and holding help you gain muscle.

Your basal metabolic rate is raised by increasing and maintaining your level of physical activity. This is the number of calories burned while your body is at rest. As a result, even if you aren't pole dancing, your body will be set up to burn more calories in between sessions.

Because you don't have to be a high-performing athlete to be in good physical shape, weight loss is linked to, but separate from, cardiovascular health. Pole dancing, on the other hand, will cause you to burn fat and increase muscle, so it's a good choice if you want to get slimmer rather than just stay healthy.

MENTAL HEALTH

All forms of exercise are beneficial to mental health because they release endorphins, which have been shown to lower stress and anxiety. This, paired with increased health, favorable physical improvements in appearance, and the cerebral stimulation that physical exercise provides, is extremely beneficial to your self-esteem.

In addition, pole dancing has some distinct mental health benefits. As each of you takes control of your body, it produces a sense of unity with your classmates. Pole dancing also gives you a sense of self-confidence and empowerment.

Beyond that, there's the joy of executing a remarkable feat, not just through athleticism but also through determination and study of the artform, at any level of pole dancing. Simply put, pole dancing is as rewarding as any activity can be.