How to Prepare for your Pole & Athletic Journey in 2022 and Stay Accountable...

With the year 2021 coming to an end and many of us having to navigate the year with uncertainty and unpredictability, I’m sure you’re left thinking of the possibilities of the new year. How can I be consistent with my pole classes and learning this year? What if I can’t progress? Will I lose my strength over the holidays?

These are questions that we all think about as pole dancers, whether we have just dipped our toes into the pole world, or have trained at elite levels for years. Here, I will share what holds importance to Alina Pole when prepping and cultivating goals for the new year. 

EXPERIMENT, LEARN & STAY INSPIRED

Get out of your comfort zone and try something new. Pole dance has grown and developed in its many facets of movement art, with different genres of dance expressions, spinning and static pole, and variations of boot camps and conditioning courses both in-person and online. As we continue to grow as pole dancers, we tend to ponder on what excites us and how we can broaden our skills in the art. 

This year, let’s find something that inspires you on social media, or even a class that may scare you. Make a pole friend or find a training buddy so that you continue to challenge each other. Take a leap into the unknown, and perhaps you may even come to love it. 

CONDITION OFF THE POLE & REST

We cannot stress the importance of keeping our bodies healthy and strong when we are resting from pole training sessions or, like the year that will pass, when we don’t have an opportunity to touch a pole. By incorporating conditioning and training off the pole, your body can work towards new goals and moves you want to achieve on the pole, whilst minimising the risk of overloading or injury. 

Don’t forget to also rest and recover from any overloading your body might experience from training sessions. Allocate time to yourself and reflect on the effectiveness of your training - “What did I do good today and what could I have done differently?” - and help set yourself and your mind up for the next training session. 

SET A GOAL & RECORD

Always wanted to hold an Ayesha on the pole? Get more flexible so your Jade split is flatter than ever? As pole dancers that continue to take weekly classes or watch videos on social media from others, it is hard not to think about every new and unpolished move we have learnt, and to instead start being retrospective and acknowledge the progress we have made. 

This year, set yourself up with 1 goal and record or take pictures of your progress. Rewatch videos of yourself executing the move, or write and review your contortion flows. Set your own pace by working through one goal at a time and use each week to look back and reflect on your progress. 

Don’t forget to be kind to yourself! Developing a routine and learning new things will take time. Your pole journey is yours and yours only.