Its hard being sexy especially in sneakers and sweat pants.
Thats why I made an effort to play the part for my second class. Off came the sweat pants, replaced with short bootie shorts (OK, biking shorts) and high heels (nothing close to the stilettos that my instructors wore but I was working with my wardrobe here, folks). I put my makeup on and kept my hair down. (This is very important, but Ill get to that later.)
NOTE: As much as I want to blame my lack of sex appeal on my dowdy workout clothes, both my instructors could have shown up barefoot, wearing a burlap sack and they would still ooze sex appeal.
My first surprise: As you spin on the pole, the pole spins with you. This lead to some dizzying moments, as I initially was unable to control the speed of my spin on the pole (slow = sexy). Instead I whipped around it like a top, having to pause after landing on my feet to regain my balance (fast = almost regurgitating my dinner).
If the pole wasnt enough, some things made it very clear this wasnt your mothers exercise class:
Tossing your hair: Not really a workout move, but really flashy if done right. My usual tight ponytail came down and before I knew it, I was flinging my hair on command.
Walking sexy: Kind of like marching, but with attitude. I dont think I ever mastered this. Especially with sneakers on, I looked like I was stepping on bugs.
Aside from some of the spectacle, the class was tough. You definitely could feel it in your legs and abs. My poor spaghetti-like arms got quite the workout. Ten minutes into the first class and I was sweating.
Not all the moves required the pole. Hip thrusts, squats and movements that were similar to push ups but a littlespicier raised my heart rate. And if one version of an exercise wasnt pushing you enough, the instructor recommended a more difficult move.
The Intro to Pole class took things slow. There was one-on-one training on how to properly work the pole. Hee hee. Even with the demonstrations, I walked away pretty bruised my knees, elbows and inner thighs were tender. This class taught the basics in between the giggles and awkwardness of novice pole dancers.
My second class Pole 1/Pole 2 picked up the pace. The no-nonsense instructor paused briefly before each song to demonstrate harder moves and explain why proper form was important to prevent injury. Speaking of injury exercising in heels can be dangerous to your health. More than one person fell in my two classes. I proudly can say I stayed upright (of course, I only wore heels for one class).
The dance routines were tough. Halfway through the class, the ponytail returned which put an end to my hair flips but enabled me to see through sweat-drenched hair that kept getting plastered over my eyes.
Although I mimicked all the moves as accurately as possible, I cant say I looked sexy performing them. I guess this is something that will come with practice. And because of that, its good to have a sense of humor going in. I found that I was often laughing at the spectacle of myself reflected in the many mirrors.
This class was a blast, but also a great way to exercise without realizing you are getting a great workout.
