Definition for Ladies Spring 2014 Issue 001 April 2014 | Page 56

Redef
ining

FITNESS
Esther Oakley’s Adventure With Pole Dancing

My friends and I were nervous heading to our first pole
lesson, not knowing what to wear or what to expect, but
those nerves proved—as most do—to be totally unfounded.
And more than that, walking in the studio door has been
one of the best decisions I ever made. Remember the joy of
sliding down the fireman’s pole at recess, spinning around
the playground? That was my first feeling in pole class,
and it just built from there. Yes, pole feels sexy, but it’s also
purely fun, builds confidence and physical strength, and
provides a new family of wonderful women. Pole got me
in the best shape of my life, though I’m not entirely sure
whether to attribute that to pole or to being vegan! Probably
a combination.
There’s pretty much nothing pole doesn’t work. Strength in
every muscle, balance, even cardio gets thrown in! So many
times people say to me, “I don’t have the strength to do
that,” and the answer is always, “You don’t need to! You go
to class to BUILD the strength.” A good studio will include
conditioning exercises as a regular part of class so that you
are not ۛH