Will pole dancing help me lose weight?

by Janice
(USA)

I want to take pole dance classes to lose weight. Is pole dancing a good exercise and will I lose weight if I do the classes?

Comments for Will pole dancing help me lose weight?

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Yes, but here's a caution....
by: Susan from PDFF

Pole dancing can definitely help with weight loss, but like any other activity you might be considering, it's no guarantee. Fitness and weight loss require commitment, a willingness to learn and implement new information, and a change in both mindset and habits.

As a fitness trainer, I caution people that no activity is going to help them lose weight unless they actually do it, AND combine it with a sensible nutrition plan.

I've had people ask me how long it will take to lose 20 pounds if they take pole dancing classes. My reply is, "it depends on two things: whether or not you actually show up and challenge yourself in class; and what you do during the other 23 hours of the day when you're not in class."

In other words, you'll only get out of it what you put into it, so if you're expecting to magically shed those pounds just by signing your name on the waiver and handing over your cash, you might as well spend your money on bon bons instead.

Now I don't mean to sound harsh, it's just that I don't want to seem like I'm patting you on the head and telling you that sure, you can easily lose the weight by signing up for a few pole dancing classes. If I did that, you'd probably come back to me later and say Susan, it didn't work, I didn't lose a single pound and it's all your fault...you told me pole dance classes would help me lose weight!

Maybe I'm just in a real "tell it like it is" mood today, but here's the honest truth:

Losing weight and getting in shape is going to be work. You're going to have to sweat, suffer through some discomfort, and even hurt a bit at first.

It is going to be uncomfortable, and it needs to be. After all, change requires that you do something different. And for that reason alone, most people give up on their fitness and weight loss goals within weeks or even days of setting them.

The other part of my answer concerns what you're doing when you're not in class. As a fitness instructor, I've only got you for an hour once a day if I'm lucky, and probably only for 2 - 3 hours a week at best. Given that there are 168 hours in a week, I hope you can see that YOU have more influence than any other person, entity or activity over your outcome.

It's certainly possible to undo all of the benefits of pole dancing (or any other activity) - and then some - if you spend the majority of your day in sedentary activities and eating foods that don't support your weight loss goals.

I know I'm on a bit of soapbox today, so I'll step down with this summary:

Yes, pole dancing is a great physical exercise, but remember that it's not so much the specific activity that will help you lose weight, it's your overall commitment to being active that counts.

Choose something you enjoy and you'll stick with it. Challenge yourself, make yourself accountable to someone, set goals, and make changes to any unsupportive habits that are holding you back from achieving them.

Oh, and have fun!

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