Here's why pole dancing can be for you

Exercise can be tough to squeeze into everyday life – especially traditional workouts at a typical gym.

The atmosphere and equipment can be intimidating, more so for first timers trying to get into a routine.

That’s where pole dancing comes in, combining entertainment and activity.

And that’s why Charlotte Kistner fell in love with it the very first time she tried back in 2016.

“There are so many different types of things you can do at pole,” Kistner told Kelowna10. She’s the owner of pole dance studio Chrome Kittens.

“If you want to do it for fitness, you want to get strong, or you want to do cool tricks; we have classes for all that.”

Kistner has taught classes since 2019. She’s a heels flow aficionado, which covers the well-known sensual side of pole dance, though it can be much more than that, too.

Pole dancing is an exercise that covers a lot of bases, acting as an amazing workout for resistance training, cardio, and can even improve flexibility.

Many people are scared away from the activity fearing they don’t match the archaic notion of having the right body or strength to do it.

But these notions are far from the truth, Kistner said. Her classes are designed for everyone – no matter the age or body type.

One of her instructors, Alisa, can attest to that.

“I’ve had students aged from about 14, 15, all the way up to 60, and they killed it, they had so much fun,” she explained. “The cool thing is that your journey looks different from anyone else’s, no matter where you’re at.”

She said pole dance can help change how you see yourself, shifting the focus from how you look, and putting a greater spotlight on what you can achieve.