Durban - Forget yoga and pilates at Durban’s beachfront this summer – it seems pole fitness, taking its cue from pole dancing, is the latest exercise craze.
Credit: INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Tarryn O'Connor (left) and Shaye Koster perform a complicated routine in which one person is sandwiched between the pole and another performer. Picture: Sbonelo NgcoboAlthough pole fitness has been around for a while, the past two years have seen Durbanites shed their inhibitions and join in the full-body workout session.
Hip hop and freestyle dance instructor Bronwyn Whittington, who owns Nouveau Dance Studio, described as Durban’s first and largest pole fitness studio, said there has been a noticeable increase in people showing interest in pole fitness as a form of exercise.
She runs classes in Musgrave and Pinetown, and pole fitness workshops have also become a popular hen’s party activity.
“It’s basically vertical gymnastics, and is a full-body workout. Once people see past the negative association of pole dancing, they realise the value they get out of the workout,” said Whittington.
But even in Durban, some of the ladies who come to the classes get negative feedback from their families.
“We are still facing a stigma and we try educate the public that there is nothing wrong with what we are doing. But some of the ladies’ relatives feel that the women are being taught to take their clothes off, and that’s simply not the case,” she said.
During the class, Whittington takes the ladies through a normal warm-up, including push ups. Then, the agile and fit ladies hoist themselves up the poles using their strong cores and even flip over and upside down.
“Some people are able to lift themselves on to the pole within three months, some take three years – you go at your own pace.
“For some, the workout can be quite intense. But I’ve had a 72-year-old woman come to learn, so it’s not a case of how you look or how old you are – anyone can try it.”
For more information visit www.nouveaudance.co.za
Independent on Saturday