The world of pole dancing is full of surprises – fun ones, flirty ones and the occasional #polefail. When you first entered this sparkling world, you may have been surprised by a range of things like the height of our heels, that there are professional pole dancers performing at an elite level, or perhaps the pivotal point was learning what a "spready to the gods” actually means.

Whether you have just started pole dancing classes (welcome gorgeous!) or have been doing pole for years, there are sure to have been some new things you discovered about pole, as well as yourself, along the way.
Here are our top 5 things you didn't know about pole dancing – until now! 😉

Most people start pole dancing expecting a workout, but they did not expect a full body sweat sesh that incorporates strength, flexibility and cardio all in one class! Many of us underestimate the value of bodyweight resistance training until you are expected to learn how to go upside down and show off crazy tricks and splits. It is also said that a 1 hour pole dancing class can burn as much as 250-350 calories – that’s the equivalent to doing approximately 30 minutes of burpees! Body rolls or burpees? We know which one we would choose!

Pole dancing is also great for joint stability and mobility. Being an aerial form of fitness, there is less impact on the body compared with running or skipping, meaning it is accessible to people who have had joint issues in the past. There is also a focus on increasing flexibility while consistently building strength, which helps our bodies to bend more and break less.

Pole dancing doesn’t just have physical health benefits. The positive impact that it has on mental and emotional health is incredible! Having a safe place to attend and becoming a part of a supportive community are just some of the many reasons why we keep coming back for more. Pole dancing will boost your self-confidence and level-up your positive outlook on life! Learning how to do pole tricks isn’t just a physical challenge but a mental one, as you overcome past limitations and beliefs about yourself and what you are capable of.

Through tricks and combos, pole dancing teaches how to set goals, how to focus on them and gives you an amazing sense of achievement once you nail it! Pole dancing classes are more about what your body can DO rather than how your body looks – and we are so here for that!

Ah the worst kept secret of the pole dancing world – the poles can spin which makes us look way more badass than what we really are. Most pole dancing poles these days can switch between two "modes" – static and spin. These poles which are commonly found in pole dance studios and more recently, as

home pole dancing poles, have little screws that you can adjust and wella – she’s off spinning!

Now when we say 'spin' it doesn't mean that the pole is motorized and that you can just sit on it looking like the fabulous queen you are. It means that the pole will continue to rotate once you apply a little momentum to it and it becomes our goal to perform pole tricks and combos to keep the pole spinning.

How do we do this you might ask? Well, I'm glad you asked my glittery grasshopper. The rule of thumb (or physics) is that creating a small shape, close to the pole, will speed up the spin of the pole. If you reach an arm or leg away from the pole and create a long or large shape, the spin of the pole slows

down. So essentially when it comes to spin pole, our aim is to create a beautiful sequence of shapes on the pole that keep us rotating, while also holding on for dear life and remembering to breathe.

Static pole on the other hand has more of a focus on strength tricks, as well as dynamic and explosive movement. Static pole is like spin pole's tough older sister who looks sweet but will pull your hair when you're not looking. You must earn the respect of static pole, by nailing flips, tumbles and whipping out

an impressive Iron-X hold before you can be besties with it!

Sensual pole is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to pole dancing styles. Many non-pole dancers are surprised to learn that there is more to pole dancing that erotic or sexy dance. Pole dancing can also be lyrical, contemporary, comical, theatrical – we even blend other dance styles in with our pole shows,

like ballroom, hip hop, street jazz and ballet. Not to dismiss the sensual pole style as this is truly an art form of its own (do you remember learning how to body roll – brain explosion!).

The rise of social media has really shown us just how many styles of pole dancing there are around the world. There is even a pole dancing competition called Pole Theatre which allows competitors to enter categories by their chosen style – Pole Art, Pole Drama, Pole Comedy and Pole Classique. This

competition originated in Sydney (created by Michelle Shimmy and Maddie Sparkle) and was so popular that Pole Theatre is now held in more than 20 countries around the world.

The way that pole dancing can weave into so many different dance and performance styles is surprising for new pole dancers at first, but trust us, once you find your favourite performance style it puts a whole new spin on your spin pole!

Name another form of fitness that allows you to wear cute booty shorts while rocking 8-inch heels – go on, we’ll wait. There is no doubt about it (and a lot of bias on our part) that pole dancers have the best workout wear!

With the evolution of pole dance styles, came also the evolution of pole wear. Once upon a time pole dancers had two options – sexy pole wear or sporty pole wear. Some of us just wore blinged-up knickers from Kmart (thankfully social media didn’t exist back then). These days we are super spoiled for choice

when it comes to pole dancing outfits that look great, but are also functional and allow us to perform pole spreadies for days!

Another wonderful thing about pole dancing is that our industry loves and celebrates diversity in body shapes. Now with pole-specific brands, you can find crops to hold ‘the girls’ in while upside down and booty shorts which help the twerk work! #slayqueen

Pole wear brands like AMBR Designs have a range of styles of pole dancing shorts which come in fun patterns and bold colours – so you can feel sexy, sassy and supported! If you’re unsure where to start when shopping for pole shorts, check out our blog on how to find the best booty shorts for pole dancing.

The fact that there is a whole industry devoted to making us look like dazzling divas in pole class can be surprising to new polers. However, there is one more thing which surprises everyone the most...

When you walked into your very first pole dancing lesson with your tiny heels in your sweaty hands, you probably thought that pole would be a fun way to work out and try something different. What you weren’t expecting was a community full of supportive people who would smother you in sparkles and fast become your loyal hype crew!

Only pole dancers will understand why you have a strict moisterising schedule, why you are covered in bruises that you are wildly proud of and why you are willing to split on absolutely anything and everything. Your pole family will be right there with you – from spotting you in your first Butterfly to watching late night run-throughs of your pole performances. They will be there ready to scream the studio down when you finally nail “that trick” and will be keen to go on road trips with you to watch competitions and attend workshops with pole-ebrities.

Along your pole journey, it won’t take long for you to realise that pole people are the best kinds of people! Find your pole pals, love them hard and don’t forget to remind them how great their booty looks in their latest AMBR shorts!