In my quest to continuously try new fitness challenges, I tried a Polga class at Inversions, a local pole fitness center.
When I told my friends about it afterwards, everyone initially thought I was going to tell them about Pilates and yoga — but the class involved yoga and pole dancing!
Interesting concept, huh? Couldn’t imagine what we’d do …
When I got to the studio, the room (with about 12 poles attached to the ceiling) was dimly lit with strategically placed white lights, and New Age-y music was playing softly. The 20-something instructor with long legs and a fabulous figure led her limber mother, a 20-something adventurous newcomer and me (the “mature” adventurous newcomer) through the class.
I’ve only done yoga about five times in my life, but it’s incorporated into the stretching at the end of BODY PUMP and other classes I take at my health club — and I read about yoga, so it was easy to recognize that we were essentially doing basic yoga poses using the pole as a prop. Have not been real excited about yoga in the past, but I really liked this!
Most of the poses were fairly easy to do — although challenging.
I did involuntarily snort out loud a few times, however — when:
(1) The instructor announced we’d be holding the pole behind our heads in both hands while folding ourselves into a particularly twisted pretzel
(2) At the end of the class told us we’d be holding on to the pole, lifting one leg into the air, leaping and momentarily “flying” like Peter Pan. (Reaaalllly? I did not try to “fly” because when I took my one-and-only pole dancing class at another studio about four years ago, flinging my body around the pole resulted in bruises up and down my shins that I still think about and wince.)
The music was calming, the pace of the class was good, the instructor was knowledgeable, and there wasn’t any pressure to keep up with the others or prove anything…
I tried to avoid looking at my short, pasty-white, muscular legs in the jumbo-sized mirror while trying each move, but the experience was fun, and I felt wonderful when we finished. My back felt particularly well-stretched.
Still felt great the next day until about 11 a.m. when my rear end muscles got sore. We obviously worked some muscles I don’t normally use in Zumba and BODY PUMP!
But that’s OK. Polga was a great experience, and I’m looking forward to doing it again.
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That looks like fun! What a great way to stay in shape! Happy New Year to you and yours.
Carolann recently posted…Sunday’s Sassy Selections
I LOVE THIS! Especially the name: Polga! It glides right off the tongue. I love things like this, a little different and fun. I love any kind of yoga, I always feel much better after stretching. This sounds hilarious. I’m very clumsy, so it would be pretty funny. That is awesome.
Joy Christi recently posted…Crap I Bet You Forgot Even Existed
Thanks! I always look for fun and different things to do, too!
Great blog article! So glad you enjoyed the class. It’s a nice alternative to those who may not be into pole dancing or die hard yoga but still want deep stretching, strengthening, tightening and relaxation. Come join us again at Inversions Pole Fitness.
Thanks! It really was fun and I want to keep doing it.
Hi Diane,
This was a great blog………you are really brave!!! I hope your Christmas and New Year’s were full of great memories Looking forward to your 2015 blogs.
Denise
P.S. We are expecting our first snow here in PA tomorrow UGH and its very cold UGH…………I wish I was back in SC
Hi Denise-
Happy New Year to you, too! First day back at work today. Good luck with that snow!!
Thanks for sharing on How To Get Organized At Home, this looks like so much fun! Thanks again for sharing:)
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I’m somehow disappointed that “Polga” isn’t a Polka dancing class taught by an especially masculine and frowny woman named “Olga,” but “Pole yoga” is good too.
Awesome of you to try all these activities. I can barely force myself to go running once in two months!
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🙂 Love the mental picture of Olga teaching Polga!
Wow–you are brave! That actually looks pretty fun, but I would have felt totally intimidated by that.
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It helped that there were only 3 people in the class, including me!
Thank you for posting to Motivation Monday!
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