Mumsnet Talk

Wilsonfrickett: That is amazing. I always raise a brow at the pole dancing for fitness classes as I have seen some which are, essentially, copying strippers. But I have also seem some where the teacher is attempting to teach that's on that video and it is stunning.

There are lessons near me run by a bloke, who is absolutely amazing at it. I saw him at a local event recently and he is fantastic. I have no idea who he is though or where the lessons are, I lost the leaflet

I would love to do more athletic-style lessons, but I would because it would go well alongside my hula hooping and poi. I would do bellydancing, trapezing and other circus skills (such as acrobatics on ribbons) for the same reason. I need to work on body movement for my hooping and poi, and these are all good examples of body movement I need to start improving on!

You'd need your angular momentum to calculate your 5k

I don't have any men in my class, but the classes i used to attend when I was learning had a couple of men in them.

I did pole fitness for a few years and it is by far the best workout I have ever had.

The main reason to wear few clothes in the 'fitness' side of pole is the fact you need skin contact with the pole. If you do not get skin contact you are likely to fall off.

I always did it in shorts and a sports bra. Never for the titalation of men.

And also men do pole fitness too, maybe not as many but they do it and the ones that do tend to be amazing! Try googling male pole 2012, there will be competition info, possibly videos online.

My friend does this. She always claimed it was for fitness, but recently she has begun to 'perform' at parties. Just in front of her friends, but I think the line there has been blurred.

My problem with it is that, as AF said, it normalises pole dancing. It makes pole dancing for men's titillation seem not as bad, and these men can then look at women CHOOSING to do this for fitness or whatever and think that women are cool with it and onside.

I also find it hard to believe that women who choose pole dancing to get fit are JUST doing it for fitness reasons. There are other ways to get fit yet they choose this?

Pole dancing causes quite serious long-lasting harm to women's bodies. If you want to get fit, try yoga and swimming.

Does it really sym? In what way?

really SGM??

in what way?

Long term problems with back pain caused by the way you use your body; especially if you are involved in one which uses heels. There's a lot of research into it. Can't link as I'm on phone though.

Oh yes the heels. I'd assumed that without the heels it would be like any other sort of gymnastic (tho I suppose same may apply). Interesting, thanks

TBH I think doing it in heels does somewhat take away from my 'it's fine for fitness' argument.

I can't think of any other "fitness" activity that requires the wearing of high heels

Except for my fab idea of lapdancing classes for the masses

Lapdancing in battered ole smelly trainers, like pole dancing, doesn't have quite the same image

FWIW I have done it and loved it. I wore a vest and shorts because you do need skin contact. I have never, ever done it for a man. I used to have a pole in my dining room (lived alone) and would practice when I couldn't get to the gym, or just fancied a different work out. I have never, ever ached as much after exercise as I did when I began pole dancing.

I can't run due to bad knees, and found that pole dancing added to my overall exercise regime (swimming, rowing, cross trainer, cycling, pilates) very well. I used to do it as an alternative to weights in the gym. I did it with friends who enjoyed it too. One of our teachers was male and was brilliant. Another was an ex-professional ballet dancer (she's totally amazing, but her body could no longer take the strain ballet put on her).

In terms of lasting damage, there is no requirement to wear heels at all, and lots of exercise can be described as being bad for you (running for example, even breast stroke can be criticised for the strain on your neck) but in the long-term the benefits generally outweigh the negatives.

AF it doesn't ^require* you to wear heels though.

Some people upthread seemed to think so, stacey

Ways to revamp its seedy image:

- ban it in clubs
- rename it 'vertical bar fitness'
- cover pole in velcro and develop special suits with matching velcro at the crucial contact points

'reclaim' ? - women never had it in the first place. 'Reclaiming' implies you once owned it and had it taken away. Don't kid yourselves. The lap dance is a product of the sex industry as a way for women to display their bodies to men. The women bump and grind while the men sit back, passive aggressive, ogling them.

Christ it's like Feminism never happened at all round here sometimes.

Ain't that so, donnie. Which is a bit strange on a FWR thread. Oh well, a sign of the times, I guess. < sigh >

Soooooo...................Do women who pole dance as an exercise contribute to it's normalization in society ?

Exactly what SamuraiCindy (Mon 19-Nov-12 12:20:02) said.

As donnie said, there is nothing for women to "reclaim" about pole dancing. Belly dancing has been and remains an art form practiced by women for women for centuries. The fact it's been appropriated in some quarters as sexualised entertainment objectifying the female body for men doesn't diminish this fact. Pole dancing, on the other hand, was created for that latter purpose only.

Got to hand it to those folks who are so intent on normalising women's objectification that they've managed to convince so many folks that it's "real" purpose is as a healthy, wholesome form of physical fitness. Uh huh, sure.

If you want a good work out that's fun, try zumba. If you are a concerned about working out in a mixed sex group, most centres run women only classes. Wear whatever feels comfortable, there's no competition in it, everyone's too focussed on following the dance steps to be seeing what everyone else is doing.

Yes, Getallthethings, they do. It really isn't too difficult to grasp.

Pole dancing was dreamt up for the sex industry so MEN could leer over WOMEN and eye up their BREASTS, VAGINAS and ARSES. The WOMEN gyrate and shake their gonads in the mens' faces because the MEN PAY THEM TO.

Exactly which bit of this process is 'empowering' or 'feminist'?which bit of it doesn't objectify women and reduce them to the sum total of their BREASTS, VAGINAS AND ARSES?

maybe the young post-feminist ironics here (ie those who don't have a clue) will call on pole dancing to be incorporated into the olympics next. Then the men as well as the women can be humiliated. What a great advance for equality that would be

Nope, sorry, just because you type body parts in capitals doesn't mean I concur and I'm certainly far too long in the tooth to qualify for 'young post-feminist ironics' too.

Without men, gonad shaking, money changing hand, a leering audience or any of that shit, it's just dancing imo. It's all about the intent. The link I posted way upthread was of an amazing, strong, athletic dancer who was in no way objectifying herself. Or showing her BREAST, VAGINA AND ARSE.

there is no doubting it is a great form of exercise but i just cant separate it in my head from the more seedy kind. Why not any other kind of exercise?
The burlesque? why would she chose to do this? how do i articulate how i feel about this from a feminist angle?

Actually, I believe reclaim is a fair word as pole dancing wasn't invented by the sex industry and was originally performed by men and then by women for women. I do question the motives of most women who do the classes now, but it does seem a fuckin hard work out.