Two amazing years of pole dancing for yours truly

I don't have much of a background in sports. In fact, quite the opposite. I've always loved working out, and I tried a range of sports in my teens and twenties, but always had to drop out after a couple of months as I had severe, chronic pain in my lower back. I saw dozens of doctors, physiotherapists and what not and finally four years ago there was enough progress that I could start taking a weekly dance class and keep it up.

I know Oona Kivelä's mom through work and in January 2010 I happened to see her proudly showing this video from Oona's performance in PoleArt 2009 to a friend of hers.

I stood there mesmerized looking at the 2" display of her pocket camera. Amazing, I thought, but then I immediately felt sorry for myself that I could never do anything like that, thinking that pole dancing must require a background like Oona's (she's a former gymnast, as if you didn't know). 

I told my colleague/BFF about the video and she said that she's been dying to try pole dancing for quite some time. Her birthday was coming up and I decided to surprise her with a lesson, although I'm pretty sure she guessed when I asked her to take hotpants to work. Pole4Fit was conveniently located for us and I also liked their fitness-oriented web site better than Rock the Pole's, so that's where we headed. I took a painkiller beforehand and crossed my fingers that I'd make it through the lesson in one piece. Then our teacher Linda Helske walked in, put some Michael Jackson on and what followed were the most fun 60 minutes I'd had in a long time. My friend, a former gymnast, was clearly talented, doing an invert in the first lesson. But I was the one who was hooked.

I kept going back for more lessons, all the while thinking that I probably won't be able to do this for long so I shouldn't get too excited. I bought a 10-time ticket, then another one, then another one... After 6 months I bought my own Fitpole and 12 months in I realized that a membership would be cheaper than all those 10-time-tickets. My core muscles got stronger and my back a bit more flexible, and the formerly omnipresent back pain less and less frequent.

Fill in the blank: Pole dancing makes me feel like a ___________.

For my first pole dancing anniversary I made a Fitpole cake...

...But second anniversary calls for some champagne! Just remember kids, don't drink and pole dance!

Kaksi uskomatonta vuotta tankotanssia takana! Oonan videosta innostuneena vein voimistelua harrastaneen ystäväni Pole4Fitille synttäriyllärinä, mutta koukkuun jäinkin minä...

Posted in: How I started pole dancing, kuinka aloitin tankotanssin, me, pole dancing classes, Pole4Fit