pole dancing for fitness

The issue of damage to bodies has been brought up several times. If we separate the activity from the audience, is it still an important point (given that many sports, such as rugby and boxing, are inherently dangerous)? You could have women only audiences for ballet - would that remove the creepiness referred to and make it a legitimate activity, or would we rather see it stopped due to the stresses and strains in places on limbs and joints? Or can it be modified in some way?

I'm starting a wet tee-shirt spa session if anyone's interested, it's very good for hydration.

I am most disappointed about the demise of the cupcake

I'd guess Pole ( honestly it's all in that name isn't it ? ) fitness / dancing is seen as 'a bit edgy'. Like getting a tattoo on your lower back.

I went to one once and I had two thoughts in this order..

1. Oh God please put your clothes back on, I'm really not enjoying seeing your vagina two feet from my face !

2. Oh my God that is some impressive gymnastics even ignoring you're naked and wearing 6" perspex platform heels.

DrJohnson, according to the posters on thread who very much do 'fitness' rather than 'dancing', yes, there are men in their classes.

It's a load of demeaning crap. Honestly it amazes me that we sit back and take all this rubbish. Here's the key question - do men feel the need to do pole dancing classes for "fitness"? No. There's the answer right there. If you are not being constantly objectified by society the whole idea seems ridiculous. If you are used to thinking of yourself as little more than an sexual object then, yeah, great idea. How on earth did we let all this rubbish into our normal lives/gym classes/village halls?

^rosabud
Has anyone had any professional photos taken of themselves swimming/ running/ doing zuma/ playing football etc for the same reasons?

... raises hand. Staged photos exist of me diving over a try line nigh on 40 years ago.^

Ok, let me rephrase that. Have any women had professional photographs taken of themselves swimming/running/doing zumba/ playing rugby etc for the same reasons as given above (ie to be able to look back in years to come and see how fit they were) because, with all due respect, Onechap, I think men showing off their fitness is more mainstream than women showing off their fitness and my point was more aimed at showing that photos of yourself pole-dancing (or pole-fitting or whatever) may suggest that there is a level of performance or looking sexual in it.

Also there are lots of comments about "I would never pole-dance in fromt of men it's only for exercise" or "I have only pole-danced as performance for my husband." Does anyone feel they would never swim/run/do zumba/play rugby in front of a man? Has anyone ever swum. run, done zumba/ played rugby privately for the benefit of their husband only? Are there any sports which men would "never do in front of a woman" or "only do privately for my wife" ?? I doubt it, which does rather put pole-fitting in a league of its own. So all those who CHOOSE to do it, that's your CHOICE but don't pretend it's a perfectly average sport that is all about exercise and has no other connotations.

Sorry, that makes me sound a right dick. I KNOW I'm not being daft but it's nice to know there are quite a few people who agree and I am v grateful to posters who have written about choices not being made in a vacuum.

I'm heartened to see that I'm not silly for not doing it even though I enjoyed it because it compromises my principles.

I dont know anyone who takes pole classes to look wild and giggle all the way through it. it's a seriously hard sport and you have to be dedicated once you get to the advanced stage.

Yes I have had two professional pole shoots done now and I love them and yes, if I wanted them done for another hobby and it was something I would like to record for my future then yes, I would have it done.......what is the problem with that??

Like I keep saying, it's pole fitness not pole dancing...the two are totally different.

A WAG in training clothes???? Seriously, we do not look like WAGS!

rosabud
Has anyone had any professional photos taken of themselves swimming/ running/ doing zuma/ playing football etc for the same reasons?

... raises hand. Staged photos exist of me diving over a try line nigh on 40 years ago.

[Incidentally, never seen pole dancing IRL, and no desire to; do suspect it's part of mainstreaming sexualisation - see WAG in training clothes for kids, fashion magazines etc. So, yes - a bit tawdry]

Interested in choice feminism though.

I like the concept that choice can't be free because of the patriarchy... so who decides when choice can be free - and how will we know?

There is a quote in 'Crazy, Stupid, Love' (shit film) where male character Jacob says "The war between the sexes is over. We won the second women started doing pole dancing for exercise"
That about sums it up.

That is an interesting post Kritiq. This problem of girls losing interest in sport is a big one for society, especially in terms of long-term health and fitness. Sport is a huge passion of mine, and one I have tried to pass on to my kids.

One thing I have noticed from our family's involvement in sport is the split between team and individual sports between genders. I am a competitive swimmer, and our club has about 150 swimmers of all ages, from around 8 years old to retirees. I would estimate that over fifty per cent of members are female. My wife was in a running club, where at least half of members were female. Have your friends ever mentioned a split between girls who take parts in team sports, versus individual events? Are girls channelled away from team sports for some reason?

And on a separate note, I simply don't understand the mentality of girls/women who think that men find fit, toned, strong bodies unattractive. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I thought for a moment I had wondered into a parallel universe while reading this thread, one where feminism meant something else.

Then I saw Kritiq's post and SGM's comments and the world fell back into place.

All these people who think they exist in a vacuum completely separate from other people, where their choices affect no one else...

Agree with everything you said, Kritiq, so well put. The other point I noticed upthread was that someone has had a couple of professional photos taken of themselves pole dancing (or pole-acrobatting or pole-fitting or whatever it's called) just so they can look back when they're older and see how fit they were. Has anyone had any professional photos taken of themselves swimming/ running/ doing zuma/ playing football etc for the same reasons?

Well I would agree with you Stewie but that would have to rule out ballet as well. Those blocks are bastards.

And Darcy Bussell had a hip replacement in her early thirties. So much for 'fitness'.

Isn't Burlesque a bit old hat now?

Like cupcakes. Has had its day.

Oh and my fall was nothing to Do with a pole just unlucky stumble

Heffalump

I'm quite happy to admit it looks like fun and once upon a time I been so up for it . Slightly impossible now

Kim

That is terrible what happened but it sadly is one of the things ( I fell backwards from standing position ended up paralysed . So yeah maybe risks involved but is in every day life

Pole is gymnastics, albeit with a prop. Look at some of the videos already linked up thread, Bendy Kate for example. It is often learnt in conjunction with the hoop or aerial silks and shares many similarities with these yet nobody minds when the prop for the same move is a ribbon of silk.

The use of heels can be helpful, although it comes down to personal preference in the end. And really, even if that preference is based on someone wanting to dance for fun and to feel 'sexy' I just don't see the problem. Why shouldn't they, is it not ok for women to want to feel sexy or attractive?

I haven't had to rationalise my choice to take up pole, I saw an advert in my gym and thought it looked like fun. Something different to the monotony of a gym workout or a standard fitness class. I tried it, liked it, got a bit addicted and ultimately I am a fitter, healthier and happier woman for it.

Yup. If pole classes are really about fitness and gymnastic ability, then why do women choose a pole class over, say, gymnastics? And why are pole classes being made more accessible to women than gymnastics?

I see that in a number of cases here the line between exercise and performance is getting blurred.

As for the thing about heels, the only other form of exercise which requires heels is dancesport, which also has the performance element, and ultimately has its origins in a form of sexual display.

oh, kritiq, why can't I say it like you say it ?

maybe one day, when I am all growed up...