We all know how fabulous pole dancing is for us. It’s boosts our physical and mental strength, sends our confidence soaring and in all honesty, some days there’s nothing better than strapping on your best set of pole clothes, your favourite pair of Pleasers and dancing away all your frustrations. However sometimes, we can overdo it. If you have been training extra hard, say for a competition or showcase and upping your practice sessions, once it’s all over you can end up feeling like dropped kebab. When this happens. It’s time to self-care the living shit out of yourself.
“Self-care” seems to be one of those buzz words at the moment, much like how mindfulness (which ironically is a cracking method of self-care) was two years ago. I believe that when you’re in the process of upping your game with your poling, that self-care is an absolute must. Most of us amateur polers are fucking machines (I’m aware that sounds very big headed, but one does not give a shit), who juggle jobs, our home lives, social lives and pole lives all at once, and every once in a while machines need to a damn good oiling to keep them running smoothly! If you have been pole training like a beast, then it’s important to look after yourself properly, and maybe even take a break to stop yourself getting injured or burning out. Therefore I thought I would list my 4 personal favourite post pole training self-care tips below that help me feel properly rested and level headed after a rather strenuous period of training:
- Have a period of time doing fuck all
Seriously. Be it an evening, a day (if you’re lucky) or a week (if you’re very lucky) of total and utter laziness. Have a bath, don’t put on any make up if you usually wear it, pull on your favourite pair of jammies and indulge in some unadulterated slobbery. Become so embedded in your sofa/bed that you become some sort of glorious half human/half fabric relaxation hybrid from planet Chilled AF. Eat your favourite snacks, cook your best comfort food for dinner, or even order it in if cooking isn’t your thing. Overall just become fully committed to the chilled life. It will be like having a hangover day, only on no hangover, so come the following morning you will feel full of beans and refreshed instead of the semi human horror story that comes with a hangover.
2. Pamper yourself
Your body can take a gnarly beating in the process of intense pole training. You’ll be bruised in body parts you didn’t even think you were using and have callouses resembling angry toads nesting in your palms. So once the competition or showcase that you’re training for has passed, treat your body that has served you well over the past few months to some overdue pampering. Personally, I don’t think anything beats soaking in a roasting hot bath with some fancy schmancy bath bomb in it and a face mask, topped off afterwards with some non-descript fruity body lotion (I’m an easily pleased girl). If you’re a more high maintenance pole dancer, and hell there ain’t nothing wrong with that, you could even go extra and treat yourself to a massage or a spa day to really unwind your body nicely.
3. Go easy on the exercise
Don’t commit to any strenuous exercise until your body is ready to again. I am a bit of a hypocrite here, as I did do a very muddy 10K obstacle course race the day after filming my latest competition routine, but please, as someone from experience who has done this, do give it a rest! Honestly the last thing you want to do is push yourself too far that you give yourself some sort of nasty-ass injury that puts you out of action for a while. Unless you want to end up missing weeks, maybe even months of our beloved pole, then do give yourself some well-deserved rest before you spring into action again.
4. Take the time to mentally pat yourself on the back
You did the thing! You competed in your first pole competition/performed in your first showcase/nailed a trick you have been trying hard to nail for ages, now give yourself a high five! We all know how physically and mentally demanding pole can be, especially when doing something fucking terrifying like performing in front of an audience or even scarier in front of judges, so take the time to let the full extent of how utterly badass you are for doing that sink in and digest. Be proud of your damn self. Don’t just glaze over your achievements and start planning the next feat of pole awesomeness that you have lined up (I am beyond guilty of doing this) take the time to take stock of how amazing you are for rising to the challenge and coming out the other side!
Those are my best post-pole training, self-care tips that I like to do after a busy training schedule. If you have any favourites that aren’t on the list, drop them in the comments 🙂
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