When I started to attend pole classes, I had no idea how much it would positively affect my confidence level and body image. My relationship with my body has always been a bit of a rollercoaster. I stepped on the scale more than I would really like to admit. A lot of ups and downs in relation to my confidence levels. Before pole, my relationship with my body and my overall confidence was highly dictated by the scale. Honestly, I just wasn’t living a very healthy lifestyle and I kept saying “I’ll start tomorrow.” The pandemic added to this with working from home, not seeing people, and not being active.
Throughout this time I wasn’t leaving the house all that often, which led to a decline in how often I was exercising and interacting with others. I filled my day with sedentary activities, and foods that would make me feel terrible but give me that rush of dopamine. I forgot how much energy I got from socializing, I was just really not putting in effort. I wasn’t feeling my best physically, which caused my confidence to waver. I wasn’t performing as well as I once had in general. I knew I needed to find a way to take back what I had lost.
I started taking pole classes just before the pandemic with a friend and I had so much fun! Part way through the pandemic I committed fully to keeping up with it. It helped me create structure and I felt a change almost immediately. I began to feel like myself again. I don’t know if the energy I found was from working out or from interacting with an amazing group of people. I could tell I was gaining strength, especially in my core. The physical changes I was experiencing, in addition to the positive atmosphere and reassurance during class helped me to see the growth on my journey. I was beginning to find appreciation towards my body and the strength I was gaining. I actually stopped stepping on the scale, which sort of happened naturally, and focused more on my health mentally and physically. I didn’t know I could focus on my body for its abilities instead of just the way it looked. Strength came in more than one form. Pole gave me new goals and appreciation and I’m so thankful for this journey and the amazing people along the way.