Pole fitness is not new. It dates back to the 12th century, when people practised mallakhamb in India. Down the centuries, pole dancing for women got a reputation for being erotic. But there’s no denying that it requires a lot of strength. And so, in the mid-2000s, it evolved to become pole sports. Promoters have been pushing for it to be recognised at the Olympics.
Now it has become a fitness trend with trainers and studios offering pole fitness classes across the country. In Pune, we have Nupur Chaudhuri introducing this sport to locals at her recently opened studio in Baner.
BECOMING A TRAINER
Since her childhood, Chaudhuri always had temporary hobbies — salsa, Bollywood, hip-hop, belly dance, kick-boxing, martial arts but nothing ever stuck until she was introduced to pole fitness. “I was intrigued with pole dancing as a teenager and my knowledge of it was limited to the fact that it’s an exotic form of dance. But I really wanted to learn it. I searched for teachers over the years and then one year, I found one in Mumbai who said that she’d come to Pune to teach me only if I found her a studio space and a minimum of 10 other girls who were interested in her class. My girl friends refused, so I gave up,” says Chaudhuri, continuing, “But then in 2017, pole dance popped into my head again. I googled for classes and found a teacher in Malad, Mumbai, who asked me to come the following Sunday for a class. Everything had just fallen into place — I had quit my job, I had my own shoe designing business, so I didn’t need to ask for leave and I even convinced a close friend to come along so I wouldn’t be driving down to Mumbai alone. That Sunday, I drove towards my destiny.”
Soon she was inspired to take it up full time. “After my first pole class, I realised that it’s all about fitness, skill and strength training. I had an on-off relationship with the gym, but with pole, it became an everlasting relationship,” she says. “I started looking more closely at the pole community. The pole athletes and dancers blew my mind away. Their levels of fitness became my goal,” she adds.
Though she is mostly self-trained, Chaudhuri has also travelled abroad to learn from some of the best pole athletes and instructors. “I’ve learnt from a Dutch national champion, then a French instructor with 11 years of experience. I’ve travelled to Dubai and done group and personal training with the fabulous instructors there. This sport, like any other, requires discipline and dedicated practice. I’ve done research on spotting techniques and closely observed and learnt the same from my instructors. All this has helped me now train other passionate students,” she says.
WHO CAN LEARN
Pole fitness may look effortless, but it is not. “You are using a vertical pole and your body to make shapes, do tricks, move around it and on it. You have to wear shorts and a sports bra to grip the pole with your skin. If you wear leggings or tights, you will slip, fall and get injured. And only once you try it, even a basic spin, you realise just how good a workout it is because it’s challenging and makes your body work so hard. You see your strength shooting up with each session. It is also fun, and gives you a high each time you learn and ace a new move or trick. There’s a thrilling sense of defying gravity,” says Chaudhuri.
Be it in exotic dancing or pole sport, you learn and discover how your body can use different muscles which you normally don’t use to optimum in your day-to-day life. This form of fitness encourages body positivity and boosts your confidence. “It is so liberating. Once you start pole, you stop caring about stuff like cellulite or stretch marks because you just fall in love with what your body can do,” she says.
THE STUDIO
The expert started teaching students at her residence and as the interest grew, she realised she needed a bigger space. “I recently started my studio in Baner and I have students coming from NIBM and even Hadapsar. Anyone can pole as long as you are injury-free and have a go-ahead from your physio/doc. You do not have to be a specific weight, but you have to realise that you cannot compare your pole journey with anyone else’s,” says she, adding, “I get people asking me ‘How long will I take to invert?’ I can’t answer that because so many variables come into play — your fitness level, dedication, hours of practice, how sincere you are with classes, and so on. Some girls are fantastic with spins, some with strength routines, and some with flexibility — each one is different and that’s the beauty of it. You find your strengths and you get to work on your weakness till it’s a weakness no more.”
Her studio, 4 Poles Pune, literally has four pressure poles. “I take group batches through the week, mainly on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. I mainly train students between 12.30 and 3 pm. Classes are for 1 hour-15 minutes each and include warm up, pole conditioning, pole spins, and static and spin pole routines. I have students of different levels and different age groups ranging from 20-45 years. I plan the lesson as per each individual level,” she informs.
The best part is that this is not just for women — men are welcome to try it out as well. “I recently had a student’s husband trying it out and he was amazed and shocked at how difficult it is. He was so impressed with his wife for being able to do what she can,” she says, continuing, “I teach my husband different moves too. I really feel men should take it up as it will change their perspective of the sport from being just a dance done in bars. I have a Swiss friend who recently won the Pole World Championship in October 2019, and at the age of 50, he is so fit and inspiring,” Chaudhuri says.
FIVE REASONS TO TRY POLE FITNESS
- To get stronger than you’ve ever been.
- It’s super fun!
- It’s an exclusive sport, not easy and hence a big confidence booster.
- Improves body and muscle awareness.
- It makes you fall in love with and respect your body.
