Twirl Fit in Bangor, County Down, is one of only a few places in Northern Ireland that teaches pole dancing as a form of fitness. Beginning at the bottom level, I had a go at one of the most talked about fitness classes in recent years.
If you are a fan of TV, namely Britain’s Got Talent or one of those programmes, you would have seen a pole dancer on the stage. In recent years, pole dancing has become more about fitness than sexy dancing. Yeah, it can still be sexy but it still requires a lot of strength. I’ve done pole fitness before and really loved it, so I knew what to expect when I walked into the class. Beginners levels are all about building some upper body strength and learning some basic moves. Being comfortable on the pole is essential to learn at this stage.
During the course of the 8-week programme, the girls were shown a variety of moves. Various spins like fireman and attitude would become second nature to everyone by the of the course. There are some more difficult moves to learn too. The seat, sitting cross-legged on the pole, is a tough one on the thighs! Climbing the pole is another skill that you need to learn. At this stage, you don’t need to go that far up the pole. As you move up the levels, you will need to climb higher. At a beginners level, you only need to get a few inches up. If you can manage to get higher, go for it!
At each class, you learn a different move to add to a dance routine. This routine is a fun way to show off your skills at the end of the course. Don’t be worried about how you look when you do the dance. Nobody is going to see the dance unless you do it at home.
Twirl Fit for beginners is a great introduction to the art of pole dancing. And trust me when I say it’s an art. There are not many classes that can make you sweat, strong and sexy after 8-weeks of wiggling!
Would you ever try your hand at pole dancing? Let me know in the comments and don’t forget to check out some of my other fitness posts.
I don’t think I could do very well in pole dancing but who knows, never say never!
I remember my gym had a pole dancing class and I would always bump into the girls waiting for it, as I was coming out of my Zumba lessons. I never thought about trying it as it does require quite a lot of strength and I am not sure I can manage it.
I would give this a try! I might like it. I’m not very coordinated, but I like to try stuff at least once.
I do like dancing for fitness but I would have a hard time climbing up the pole. This does look like a great workout.
I’ve never heard of this before. However, I’m cracking up a bit at your photos. I’m pretty sure I would look a mess attempting that.
This is a great review and you’re so much braver than I am! I’ve seen these classes pop up more and more where I am but I’m so uncoordinated that I’m worried it’d be a disaster!!
Wow, this is a good way to lose weight. I think it will be a bit challenging at start. This is absolutely fun!
My wife tried this once and FAILED miserably – I did enjoy hearing the stories though
I’ve seen people doing pole fitness although I’ve never considered that in my fitness routine. It look like a fun exercise especially when some music gets played.
Oh my! This does remind me of a pole dancing fitness class that I did over a 6-week period many years ago. I came across the certificate recently in a box somewhere and had to laugh out loudly.
You have so much courage to get into pole dancing as a form of workout. I don’t think I’ll EVER be able to do it. Kudos!!
I had never heard of Twirl fit before. Such an interesting form of workout. it reminds me a bit of pole dancing which requires so much work
I always wanted to learn pole dancing at home as exercise. And this could be a good start . I love gathering ideas in how my fitness routine can be fun.
Pole dancing is usually considered a sexy dance. But, I saw a video of one of the popular pole dancer who runs an institute. It really takes an effort to be perfect. May you have fun with pole dancing and fitness 🙂
I tried this for a few minutes but I couldn’t lift myself up haha I like looking at women who can do this because I think they’re sexy. Just not for me though.
Okay I tried this years ago and the bruises I got the day after were bad, I was doing something super wrong or that’s normal?
I think pole dancing looks really very cool. The balance and the elegance of the dancers are two elements that get me awestruck. It’s a shame that people only connect pole dancing with something dirty. I think it’s so spectacular.
Interesting post – some great tips and advice here! I will definitely have to take some of this on board if I ever decide to take up Twirl x
I would give this a try! I think pole dancing looks really very cool.
I would love to learn pole dancing. Its an awesome exercise, and i always admire those who can do a routine.