Pole dancing as exercise – pole fitness – has been growing in popularity for a good few years now. If you haven’t checked it out, you probably think you have a good idea of what it’s all about, right? Well, your idea probably doesn’t quite do it justice.

Recently attending a showcase organised by pole and aerial arts equipment manufacturer X-POLE, with some of the UK’s top pole performers and instructors displaying their skills, I was expecting to be impressed.

I wasn’t expecting was to be blown away.

At its best, pole fitness, which combines dance, gymnastics and acrobatics, is nothing short of awesome.

Strength-training may be the in thing in fitness right now; and these poling pros are well ahead of that game, toned and honed from head to toe thanks to supporting your entire bodyweight purely from gripping a pole between your knees – or hovering in the air, perpendicular to said pole, with only your hands holding onto it.

The strength alone would beat most burly blokes at the gym – but what’s even more impressive is that they make it look easy. Because it’s also a dance, a performance, movements are fluid, seamless and elegant.

Of course, pole fitness hasn’t entirely shaken the association with strip clubs and seedy bars. And yes – you could say many of the moves are sexy. But the skimpy outfits aren’t just for appearances: “The better you get, the more you’ll realise you need more flesh on display, because bare skin grips the pole far better than fabric,” one instructor explains.

And while performances might take on a seductive style (though this isn’t always the case), when people attend pole fitness classes, the emphasis is very much on exercise – and fun.

I’m told that people of all shapes and sizes attend classes, absolute beginners with no background in dance or gymnastics, and for many, pole fitness becomes a way of appreciating what your body can do, not what it looks like, which can be transformative for confidence levels.

A PRO IN THE KNOW

“One of the key benefits is seeing your body, health and fitness in a totally new light”

Sarah Scott, 27, Miss Pole Dance UK Professional Champion 2012, travels the world as an instructor, performer and XPERT Master Trainer. Here she reveals her own path to pole fitness...

How did you get into pole fitness and was it difficult when you started?

“I went to a local gym where they had a weekly class and was totally hooked. I found it difficult at first, as I think most people do. I’m still learning so much six years on. It’s challenging but rewarding and you progress very quickly.”