When I was first attending pole classes as a student, as soon as I got to Level 3 I decided to get a pole of my very own.

It was a great decision!

Having a pole at home has got me to where I am now. I am able to practice more frequently and can work on any move I want.

I can work out as frequently as I want and it’s so easy to jump on the pole, rather than taking the 20 minutes to get to the gym.

It surprised me recently to read on social media that a lot of other instructors don’t seem to have poles at home – and more interestingly, wouldn’t want one.

For some reason, I’d made the assumption that most instructors would have a pole at home – why wouldn’t you want one?

The Cons

The main difference for me is that I don’t own my own studio (I rent studio space by the hour to teach), and so have to take my poles down on a very regular basis.

I think if I had a space to call my own and knew that I could pole at any hour in my own studio, then I would train more there than at home.

I don’t like to be negative so let’s get the cons of having a pole at home out of the way first.

1. It takes up space. Unless you have multiple spare rooms, you will notice that having a pole up will limit the space in your house. Our main bedroom is now the pole room, and we sleep in the spare room (which is much warmer, so I prefer it!) Of course you can put it up just when you need it.
2. Potential damage. Especially if you’re renting. In my experience, the most damage a pole has made in my house is that black ring that appears on the ceiling, or a tiny crack in the paint. Nothing a bit of plaster and paint can’t solve though.
3. Feeling the pressure. When you walk past your pole everyday you do feel that you need to get on it, which is great. But if you don’t have time to, it can make you feel worse about it. I know plenty of people who having taken the pole down as they can’t find enough time to use it.
4. Safety. This definitely goes out the window when people pole at home. It’s a combination of the lack of space, lack of spotter and / or mat and learn moves from seeing clips on Facebook, regardless of whether you’re ready for it or not.

Okay so I’m sure there are so many more cons (like actually having to get a pole) but I want to move on.

The Pros

1. Practice makes perfect. I have only been able to improve as much as I have by having a pole at home. I used to get very nervous poling in front of regular gym goers and so stuck practicing moves I could already do. Now that I’m at home I can work on so many moves. I’m lucky enough to have a mat and a spotter and I certainly know my limits.
2. Stress relief. I love to pole to get the stress out, it’s amazing. I like to have really low lighting and put on music I love to dance away. This is time just for me. No one is expecting great things and I’m not try to sweat it out, I just want to wiggle the night away.
3. Quick strength moves. Even if you only have 10mins to spare, having a pole at your fingers tips means that you can warm up and do some good strength training. You can really push yourself in a short time – just think of arms only climbs as an example! I’m not sure how many I can do before my arms start shaking.
4. No excuses. If you have a pole at home, you can pole whenever you like. There is so much practice to be had 😀

Again, there’s a lot more pros but it’s only fair to keep it even!

I love having a pole at home and for where I am at the moment, I can only see pros. I guess when I have my own studio (my 2016 goal) I’ll probably spend all my time there and realise that I might not need my pole at home. I guess I’ll get my bedroom back then.

Would you want a pole at home, or do you already have one? 😀