It’s always very nerve-racking when you try something new for the first time… But what about when you try something not so new for the first time in a while?

I have just moved house and as such had to take my pole down about a month before I moved, so that all evidence of the pole was removed. In my experience landlords see my pole as a gold mine… Just because I put a pole up, doesn’t mean I’m going to break the ceiling!! Anyway…

My master plan was to use the pole studio at the gym so as not to miss out on any poling. I didn’t realise quite how intense and time consuming moving house would be – I moved a 5 hour drive away so it was a complete change of house, life, job, friends… everything. All this planning and packing took up so much of my time that I didn’t make it down to the studio that whole month. Bearing in mind that I’m used to having a pole up in my house, this was quite a shock.

The Pole Goes Up Again

My new house has a pole room! Well, my boyfriend thinks it’s going to be an office / spare bedroom but I decided to get in there first. Ha! I’ve been here for two weeks now and the pole went up yesterday. The ceiling is a lot higher in this new house which is great for my poling but means I need a step-ladder to put it up. I was so excited to put the pole up and couldn’t wait to get on it and have a spin. Yet for some reason I didn’t actually manage to get on the pole at all that day. Looking back I think I was trying to put it off for a little bit longer…

The Fear

This morning I decided to pole. I got up, got ready, did a warm up and went to get my pole wipes. For some reason I then decided to do the wash-up, hang out the clothes to dry, clean the oven and clean the washing machine?! So about an hour later, I was ready to pole. I didn’t realise quite how nervous I was about getting back on the pole. I’d do almost anything to put it off, even though I’d been desperate to get back on for the last few weeks.

I realised that I was really worried that I had taken a massive step back in my pole dancing. What if I didn’t have the strength any more? What if I had lost my poling mojo?

I cleaned the pole and did a few spins to get me going. The spins were fine – I’ve been doing them for over 5 years so I’d hoped they would be! I then did various strength exercises and held myself up. I found that I had lost some of my strength and wobbled at times. A bit frustrated, I decided to take the positives out of it all. I’m back on the pole and can only get better from here!

A Brand New Pole

In my old house I had a slanted ceiling which meant that my pole could only go on the one flat part of the ceiling. This also meant that the pole wasn’t very high and the ceiling got in the way more often than not. Oh, and there was a light bulb in the way. I either had to pole in the dark or risk being burnt. Adventure poling at it’s greatest!

If you’ve ever moved your pole to a different house or room you’ll know that it’s a bit daunting before putting it up. So many factors can decide how good your poling workouts will be. This can be space, objects in the room that get in the way, how warm/greasy the pole will get, the ceiling height etc.

I put mine up and hoped for the best. It is as central to the room as it can be. There is a wardrobe and sofa-bed in there too that I have to work around but it’s the most space I’ve had around the pole at home before. I found that the pole has so much more grip in this room as well. It’s now far away from the kitchen which contributed to it being slippery before. My pole feels brand new again 🙂

How I Got On

I was pleasantly surprised by how well I got on! Some of my strength had gone, but I’m sure I can get that back. I went over quite a lot of spins and tricks and managed to do them all – without kicking anything!

My handspring wasn’t great as I was paranoid that I would kick the wall. I’ve kicked the pole and split my toe nail off before so I’m a little cautious of this move. I gave it a few goes before giving up – with toes still intact.

I went straight into a shoulder mount which was great. I was so focused on shoulder mounting that I didn’t think of what move to do at the top so I paused, then held on for dear life!

The pole is higher than I’m used to and I can really feel the difference when I’m at the top, but it’ll be great to practise moves.

The thing I’m most pleased about is my Ayesha. Usually I do this from a forearm grip but for some reason went into it from a twisted grip. I could hold it for a long while and felt a lot stronger than I usually do.

My Tips To Get Back On The Pole

I’m currently sitting on the floor with burning thighs, sore arms and sweating but I couldn’t be happier. If you have a break from pole dancing you may be nervous about getting back on the pole. Here are my tips to help you:

1. Warm Up

You’ll probably want to just jump straight back on the pole but you may injure yourself if you don’t warm up properly.

2. Pace Yourself

If you are getting back on the pole there’s no point in rushing – you’ve got plenty of time to build your strength back up. If you go straight into moves that you used to easily do, you may hurt yourself and be frustrated too. Start slow with easy spins and tricks to ease you back into those harder tricks.

3. Embrace Each Win

Be happy with every move that you’re able to do well. No one can have a break from their sport and go back in at exactly the same level. You can of course catch up to where you were, but take every move as a little win and you’ll have a great first session back.

4. Do Your Favourite Move

There is no greater feeling than doing your favourite move and getting it right. Choose a move that you know you can do and go for it! When you nail it, you’ll remember why you started poling in the first place and you know you’ll come back for more.

5. Play Your Favourite Music

Obviously you don’t have to do this to have a great pole session but I find it helps. When you’re getting back into poling you may find that you need more breaks than usual, whether this is for physical or mental reasons. If you have your favourite music playing you won’t mind having a little sing a long while you think of your next moves to try.

I hope this helps to get you back on the pole. What tips have you found along the way? 🙂