8 Reasons You Need to Try Pole Fitness

4. It’s an Accomplishment

“Participants feel like they have accomplished something great they never really thought possible,” Traskos says. Plus, it’s a safe, fun, and effective way to learn the art of pole dancing. At an advanced level, pole dancing is both a cardio and strength workout, which can burn 800 calories an hour or more!

5. You Get Individual Attention

Rather than group fitness classes, where one instructor is often teaching a dozen participants or more, pole dancing classes are smaller and more intimate. You get a lot of individual attention from the instructor, similar to personal training sessions.

6. It’s Much Harder than it Looks

“This aspect of it builds confidence and improves body image and the ability to tackle other seemingly out of reach goals in life,” Traskos says. “This confidence inevitably blends into other areas of your life, including relationships.”

7. It’s Four Exercises in One

“[Pole dancing] effectively combines strength training, endurance, and flexibility training into one fun activity,” Traskos says. “It’s yoga, Pilates, TRX, and Physique 57 all wrapped into one. And in high heels!”

8. It Teaches the Power of Bodyweight Workouts

“Most woman work way harder in pole class than in the gym,” says Traskos, who was a personal trainer for 15 years before joining the team at NY Pole. “There is a time and place for the gym, but pole appeals to women who hate the gymmor never even go. And most of the exercises we do, like climbing the pole, are a lot tougher than doing biceps curls.”