Episode 4 is up! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK4L87-It8w

Caring for your body is just as important as learning new pole tricks and skills. If you neglect this aspect of training. Injuries, frustration and slow progress is inevitable. Always consult your medical professional if you have injured yourself. This is not medical advice!

Let’s recap the 8 points of self-care as a pole dancer:

1. Bruising: Learn what excessive bruising is for YOUR body and understand how to prevent it. Please understand when I talk about excessive bruising, I’m referring to individuals who do not have any underlying health conditions that cause bruising.

2. Self talk: Understanding and becoming aware of your thoughts and how you speak about your pole practice matters. Don’t judge yourself when you go down a negative path. Instead be grateful you recognized it and then take steps to work towards change. Things that can help you in this journey are:
JOURNALING

MEDITATION

MINDFULNESS

3. Massage: Angry fascia, knots and tight muscles along with mental stress can often be reduced if you allow time for massage. Here’s a list of different methods of massage.

POLE – This is my Pole massage routine https://www.studioveena.com/tutorial/pole-massage-routine-live-lesson-1081/

FOAM ROLLER – If you need guidance on how to foam roll you can find tutorials here https://www.studioveena.com/categories/stretching-exercises/

PEANUT – I take mine whenever I travel!
TENNIS BALL or LACROSSE BALL – You can find these easily, you might even have one laying around.

MASSAGE CHAIR – I use to have one, I loved it.

MASSAGE PILLOW – Here’s an inexpensive one, I’m not sure of the quality. https://amzn.to/3Wt21rM

MASSAGE CANE – This one is similar to the one my husband and I have https://amzn.to/4hlqSFI

PROFESSIONAL MASSAGE – It’s worth treating yourself now and then!

4. Rest days: If you’re a student of mine, I hope you’ve seen the benefits of having rest days. Also, in addition to resting the muscles, relaxing the mind allows our nervous systems to recover too. This is very important if you deal with mental health issues, are hypermobile or nerospicy.

5. Social media breaks: If you have a tendency to doom scroll or compare yourself and your pole skills with others. 👏Put 👏down 👏the 👏phone! Instead of wasting your life by watching others. Learn a new skill, try new hobbies, gather in person, spend quality time with yourself.

6. Anti Inflammatory foods:
Berries
fatty fish
broccoli
avocados
green tea
peppers
mushrooms
grapes
turmeric
ginger
extra virgin olive oil
dark chocolate and cocoa
tomatoes
cherries

7. Heat: Heat is incredible for sore muscles and aiding in healing injuries, both acute and chronic. Ways to use heat are listed below:

SAUNA

HOT BATH

HOT SHOWER

HOT TUB

HEATING PAD

HOT WATER BOTTLE

8. Cold: Gone are the days of recommending ice for injuries. While I believe using ice immediately is key in treating acute injuries. I only do this once, as soon as possible after an injury occurs. If you’re a fan of ice baths go for it. Just make sure to track if it’s offering a positive or negative affect on your training. We’re all different so it’s important to do what’s right for YOUR body.

ICE BATH

ACUTE INJURY APPLICATION