I know that a lot of polers don’t have their own pole at home, and wonder how they can improve their poling while not in class.

There are so many ways you can prepare your body for class by using other training methods or going to stretching classes.

In addition to anything you want to add in to your workout, there are a few little things that I do, to help me improve on the pole.

6 Little Pole Hacks

So these are only silly little tips, and probably won’t be life changing, but hopefully you’ll find at least one useful 😀

1. Drink Water

Chances are that you drink water throughout the day, but are you drinking enough?

I get really bad headaches and was told (by my doctor) that I should drink a pint of water as soon as I feel the headache coming on – although by then it is too late to help with that particular headache. So for me, hydration is super important just to keep the headaches and migraines away.

When my skin is super dry I find gripping that little bit more difficult, so I like to think that the more water I drink, the easier I’ll grip to the pole.

Sometimes I think I’ve drunk a lot of water but when I add it up, it’s not that much. I drink during pole classes or during the gym but that only really replaces the fluid that I’ve lost in sweat so I still need more. I also drink a lot of tea but again that shouldn’t add to my water count.

I try and think of the old 8 glasses of water a day rule, or about 2 litres.

I’ve just bought myself a water bottle with times of the day written on it to help remind me to drink!**

I have no idea if I’ll like it, but I’ll give it a go!

** You can also make your own bottle!

2. Positive Mind Set

So you may have had a crappy day or sat at home thinking that for some reason you didn’t want to go to class today, but you’ve managed to drag yourself along. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there.

The best thing you can do for yourself, is to leave all of your worries at the door, and take out any frustration on the pole.

If you come to class thinking ‘I can and I will do this’, chances are you are much more likely to succeed. As soon as your brain says no, so does your body.

You’re here to pole, and you will!

3. Research

Okay so this one is not always possible. I try as much as I can to post clips of what I’ll be teaching in the coming week for my students to see. This is so that they can have a look and start to get in their minds what I’m about to show them. That said, not everything I post is for class!

When I go to workshops, I practice moves that particular person has taught me before I go along. This is so that if they teach something similar, I will be ready for it, and if not, I’ve had a nice practice.

I’m a slow learner, so seeing things in advance really helps my brain to understand it, and I then learn faster in class.

Happily I’ve found that most people who teach me, do post something similar to what I’ll learn before I see them. 😀

4. Food

It’s only really the last 6 months or so that’s really got me thinking about food. I’ve discovered (sadly) that I can’t eat bread any more and am slowly figuring out what I can/can’t eat. I can eat some foods with gluten in happily, and some gluten free foods make me ill. Every meal is a fun surprise!

A big thing I discovered was that cereals make me bloat and uncomfortable which then translates to the pole. It makes stomach grips not fun at all!

I always try and eat a few hours before class and a banana closer to class if I need a little extra. Find out what works for your body, and it will make lifting your own body a much nicer experience!

I would say not to eat a big meal right before class though – I think we’ve all probably done that one by mistake!

5. Have Fun

This one kind of goes hand in hand with having a positive mind set. I would imagine that most of you pole because it’s fun, you love it and enjoy it.

When you pole there’s no expectation that you will nail everything first time. There’s plenty of moves that I don’t… most of them in fact! So just enjoy the process.

I see so many people in class, online and on social media who get frustrated that they can’t do this cool thing the first time they try. Pole is hard, and some moves are hard to nail. Don’t get frustrated that you can’t do this move – you will get there if you want to.

Just think how far you’ve come and how amazing you are.

6. Say YES!

So this one you can apply to every aspect of your life!

Be open to trying new moves – even the ones that scare you. Talk to people in class. Go to competitions with them, go to pole social events. So in general – say yes!

We have the most amazing pole community within our little school and everyone helps each other out and makes everyone feel included. It’s so much fun when you come to class to see your pole friends.

A lot of our students aren’t even in the same class, but they make friends in our Facebook groups or at showcases and competitions. It’s so great to have something amazing in common.

So what are you waiting for? Say yes! 😀