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Pole Ranting
I wish I could pole more. Do any of you also think that way?
I work 40 hours a week with my survival career job that's mentally and physically exhausting and pays like crap and treats its employees like crap. Then I teach at the pole studio 2-3 times a week for a few hours. Then some how I have to find the time to be able to train on my own and still be good wife and not neglect my husband or housework…. LOL.. And then once I do get everything I need to get done and finally have the time to pole, I'm too exhausted and I practically fall asleep the first stretch warm up I do. 🙁
For the last couple months my personal poleling has seriously sucked! And now I feel like I'm regressing and getting weaker.
Do any of you pole pals ever get into a funk like this were life is just too busy and it gets in the way of your pole dancing?
IT MAKES ME SOOO MAD!!!!! ARRRRGHHH!! I JUST WANNA POLE 24/7!
/end rant
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2 Replies
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Oh yeah, happens all the time, you're definitely not alone on that front. I would say most of us here, except maybe the professionals, wishes they could squeeze more personal pole time out of their lives.
There are a TON of things I wish I had more time for: pole, yoga, medtitation, reading fiction, learning more about Buddhism, traveling, hiking with my dog, writing…
What gets even more frustrating is when I KNOW there are things I could cut back on to make time for any of the above, and I don't. I could stop lingering at work past closing time. I could actually, ya know, USE the balance ball/yoga mat/resistance band that are stacked like a modern art sculpture in the corner of my office. I could definitely watch less TV and spend less time lazing around the internet.
During this month I'm not really putting too much stress on myself about pole. It's National Novel Writing Month, for which I am teaching a weekly group class as well as participating, so writing is at the top of my "what to do with my free time" list until December.
Something that's been discussed in the forums recently, or maybe on someone's blog…shorter practice sessions. For the longest time whenever I tried to plan for a pole session, I would mentally block out *at least* an hour for it. But there are only so many hours in the day and always so much to try to fit into those hours, and pole always seemed to fall to the bottom of the list. And I'd get frustrated about not having an hour of my day that I could block out for pole/
It took a while to dawn on me that I don't *have* to block out a full hour. I can practice for 20-30 minutes and have a very focused session centered around a particular goal (spins only, inverts only, left side, floorwork, strength, etc.) instead of my usual lollygagging "what am I gonna do next?" pace for an hourlong practice.
Of course, this may get tougher in the winter, when I'm going to need longer to warm up the pole and my body to combat the dry cold air, but even there I can multitask a bit – start warming up the pole space, throw in a load of laundry (involves going up and down the stairs), take the dog for a short potty walk at a brisk pace, vacuum the pole space (also briskly) and maybe get my TV fix in while I'm wiping down & warming up the pole and stretching.
It can be done! But it's not easy and takes some planning. If I can do this at least once a week right now, that's all I'm asking of myself. Maybe after National Novel Writing Month is over, and the holidays have come and gone, I can adjust my life/schedule/priorities to make more of an effort to pole regularly, but in the end we have to realize, there's only so much we can do. Taking on too much is the fast lane to burnout.
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In my 5 yrs of poling, consistent training has happened very, very rarely. It's always an on again off again routine, more off again than anything. Luvlee had a similar issue the other day and here is what I wrote to her…
I think sometimes we forget that you don't HAVE to pole every day (beginners should not pole everyday!!) and we don't even HAVE to pole every week! Most of us who pole dance have lives! This means we have obligations, kids, school, holidays, sickness. This is life, it happens.
It's hard not to feel frustrated, but getting upset or stressing about it doesn't benefit you in anyway. For the past 8 months I've mostly been off the pole. I've recorded the most of the times I did dance, so no one would think I was dead lol. I've been off due to injury, (mystery injury not sure what I ever did) lack of time, and just wanting to do something like hooping, hiking swimming instead. Anyway, I sometimes feel we think we HAVE to bust out every new move that comes along or else we are not cool enough, or people wont think we are a "serious" or "good" pole dancer. The reality is, most of us are not professionals, and thats ok! Pros literally dedicate their life to something, it is usually their main job. Pole dance is my "job", and I still don't always make time to consistently pole. My job, requires me to be on the computer more than on the pole! Being on the pole can't be my life right now, I have kids and work to think about too. I also now really enjoy hooping and hiking. And its ok. I'm one of those people who LOVES to train, and at some point I'll make pole dancing for myself a priority , but it's not meant to be right now.
My advice….. enjoy pole dance when you can. If you are using it as your only form of exercise then make it a priority 3 times a week. For health benefits, poling 3 times a week for about 30 mins to 1-2 hr. is great. You have to MAKE time for your workouts regardless of what they are.
Maybe sit down and think about why you pole? If it's because you love it and it makes you feel good, then don't stress about time off. I went through a phase where I felt pressured to pole so I wouldn't "fall behind" I had a "name" to live up to, and people watching everything I did…..now I pole if I feel like it and because it makes ME happy.
If we really want to make pole a priority, then we have to make time, not hope to fit it in. Here are some time suckers: FaceBook, TV, video games, spend time online shopping or searching, sleeping in. If you want to spend time online, try poling in the chat room here. Kill 2 birds with one stone lol
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