The New Year is the perfect time for us to start fresh and make a promise to ourselves to do better in one area. And if you’re a pole dancer or aerialist, you may have some goals in mind to keep yourself on track. But if you’re not sure what changes you’d like to make in the new year, here are some suggestions. They’re not all entirely pole/aerial related but they may be helpful to some…
Take Environmental Responsibility
Pole Dancing and aerial arts are part of a very niche area of dance and fitness, but that doesn’t mean to say everything we invest in should have a negative impact on our environment. There are many ways in which you can become an eco-friendly poler or aerialist. If you’d like some ideas on what you can do to reduce your carbon footprint in the studio, click here.
Train your opposite side regularly
I’m sure we tell ourselves each year that we will do this, only to end up not bothering. Why not put aside one training session a month/fortnight, just for training your opposite side? It may feel like a struggle at first but you will certainly thank yourself for it later!
Listen to your body more
Burning out is my biggest fitness flaw. I sometimes push myself through the space of a couple of weeks, only to crash and burn. And there are days where I feel too tired to go on but I try anyway and very quickly regret it mid-session. If you’re anything like me, do yourself a favour and take a break if it starts to feel like too much. You’ll be much better off for it.
Outweigh body image negativity with words of kindness
We all have days where we look in the mirror and don’t like what we see. And it can be difficult to act body positive all the time, especially when you’re simply not in the right state of mind for it. So, let’s try sometimes small to make each day just a little bit better.
Once a day, look in the mirror and find something that you like about yourself. It doesn’t have to be something big or obvious to anyone. Just one little detail that might make you feel a little bit better. We’re too hard on ourselves sometimes, so that small glimmer of positive affirmation could help.
Looking for extra ways to get fit? Try to avoid the gym!
I think this is a resolution that even those outside the gym can adopt in the new year. I recently joined a gym in hopes of conditioning my body when I’m not in the studio. However. I never used it and cancelled after a month. The way I see it, fitness is only worth your time if you genuinely enjoy it. And while exercise is important, doing it because you have to is hardly going to get you excited.
In the new year, I plan on finding a selection of dance classes to get my body moving throughout the week! But you could also look into alternatives such as swimming, martial arts, competitive sports and more. There are so many physical activities available across the UK that you won’t find in the gym, so why not try something new?
Get outside more
Home, work, studio… That’s a lot of time spent indoors with artificial light! Maybe the new year can bring you out into the world a little bit more? I’ll be pushing myself to go on more walks with my other half, just as a little something to keep myself moving and enjoy the fresh air!