WHAT TO WEAR & WHAT NOT TO WEAR FOR POLE FITNESS

Picking the right outfit is crucial to pole dancing. Pole Dancing requires skin contact to cause traction or a break, so if you do not have bare skin, traction to the pole can be very difficult and the body part cannot grip causing too much slide. Here are some tips:

 

• Wear short shorts that are tight fitting around the upper thigh area. The more skin showing ... the better! Many of the tricks & holds you will learn require using parts of your body, so make sure your skin is exposed. For the more advanced tricks, tiny tops & sports bras are recommended. You will need the grip you get from the skin on your arm & under your armpit.

• Never wear lotion; creams & lotions coat the skin in grease that transfers to the pole, making it slippery & dangerous!

• Never wear rings or watches. They will pinch your skin & will damage the pole.

• It is recommended that you start off bare foot or with jazz shoes or yoga trainers & gradually progress to wearing heels to ensure that technique & muscle memory are learned first before adding extra height & weight from shoes!

 

There are exotic shoes specifically designed for DANCING - they will give you the best support as well as make it easier to do turns and spins.  It is recommended that you get them with ankle straps so they don't fly off while dancing!  Pleaser, Jante, Ellie, and Lucious are some of the best exotic dance shoes. 

 

Here are some websites we recommend for AMAZING pole clothing & HOT pole shoes!

 

• www.badkittyexoticwear.com/shop/

• www.thepoleshop.com

 

 

HOW DO I CLEAN MY POLE?

We recommend using rubbing alcohol and an old tea towel, towel or even t-shirt. Cotton based fabric works well. When first learning new moves, regularly cleaning your pole will help with your grip, and sticking to the pole, so rub the pole down between tricks. The cleaning will help keep the pole from collecting residue from your skin and make the pole more grippy. 

 

 

HOW DO I STOP BRUISING AND CHAFFING?

Bruising and chaffing is usually caused by lack of body strength. The arms are not strong enough to support your body weight, so the legs over compensate by gripping on to the pole too tightly. Alternatively, the hands grip the pole too tightly allowing the lower body to spin but the lead hand to stop, this will result in chaffing of the wrists and arms. As your strength and technique begins to improve your bruising and chaffing becomes less and less. For bruising we recommend Arnica Gel/Cream/Tablets. For wrists and arms we recommend placing sweat bands on the offending areas. For knees and legs, you should buy dance knee pads and leg warmers.

 

 

WHAT DO I DO IF I HAVE SLIPPERY HANDS?

1 in 10 students have sweaty hands and find traction to the pole almost impossible.

• No lotion anywhere!  Never wear lotion or oils, it will cause you to slip and slide and create a dangerous situation.

• Clean your pole! Once you gain more confidence and strength in your pole tricks you will grip the pole better and sweat less.

• Take a break. Sweaty hands are much more of a problem when you are learning new moves – this is the most common problem mentioned in a beginner’s class. Even advanced students start to get sweaty hands when learning new moves.
  Alternate between exercises – focus on leg moves, then arm moves – or just take a quick break.
  It’s all too easy (far too easy!) to get carried away with pole work, but – as with any form of exercise – it’s important to pace yourself, particularly if you’re just starting out.

• Breathe!  As silly as this may sound, you would be surprised at how many people hold their breath while dancing and doing tricks. The more you breathe, the more relaxed your muscles will be, and the less your hands will perspire.

• Practice makes perfect.  As we have mentioned before, when learning a new pole move, your hands may seem more sweaty than usual. Until you have learned out how hard to grip the pole, you put a lot more strain on your hands, causing you to sweat. In time you will begin to form a muscle memory of the most effective way to perform the trick and you will relax and your grip will be correct.

• Leather gloves. Using lambskin leather gloves with the fingers cut off can give you added grip. Make sure the gloves fit you properly to avoid slipping, particularly if you’re planning aggressive moves like the shoulder mount.

• Invest in some grip – Dry Hands is a great product.  We do not recommend that dancers use grip aid unless really necessary. You can come to rely on it when performing. There are also some “at home” products that help with grip – i.e. shaving cream on your hands or even hair spray.