When I suggest to people that they should give pole a try, their first excuse tends to be one of these:
“I’m too fat.”
“I’m not the right body type.”
“I’m not in shape.”
Guess what? I exemplify every one of those excuses, yet I’m still able to participate and perform in pole fitness and aerial arts classes. Don’t believe me? I will elaborate!
“I’m too fat” Fat is relative and based on a personal definition. Some could chose to call me fat, I choose to call myself curvy. You can judge for yourself:
Of course, this is probably one of the most unflattering pictures I have taken recently… So I might be pushing it!
I don’t usually qualify for people’s definition of thin. Yet I do pole fitness.
“I’m not the right body type” This one gets me mad! I’d like to know who said that you had to be a certain body type in order to partake in pole fitness or the aerial arts. Whoever that person is, they’re WRONG. Every time someone says that to me that they’re not the right body type, I step back and gesture to my body! I’m about 5′ tall and 165 lbs of curvy woman. Yet I can do things like this:
You think it’s your body that will hold you back, but it’s not. You could be twice my size, or bigger, and still be able to do what I’m doing. The only thing that’s stopping you is your mind!
“I’m not in shape” You do not need to be in shape to do pole fitness. The curriculum creates muscles you didn’t even knew could exist–they don’t have to exist beforehand!
Alright, I’ll breathe and settle down. I just get so upset when women think that the can’t do a pole class because they’re body doesn’t meet some standard. I’ve been in classes with skinny-mini girls, curvy girls, and heavier girls. There have been women who are quite tall, and some who are almost as short as me. Every type exists and is welcome. There is no-one at Aerial Dance who will tell you that you can’t do pole, or anything, because of your body type. Pole is not just for the super fit and skinny folk–it’s for everyone.
Don’t believe me? Then I challenge you to take a term, or even two. What you’ll find is that the body you are so ashamed of is a beautiful creation that can do amazing things. You’ll find a community of women who support you for who you are, not what you look like. You will become as frustrated as I am when someone makes those excuses, because you know they’re hooey. So quite lying to yourself, and come dance with me!