Returning to the Pole: Reigniting Your Fitness Journey

We’ve all been there. That beautiful, gleaming pole standing in your living room, bedroom, or home studio, silently waiting. Maybe it’s been weeks. Maybe months. Perhaps even years. Life happens—injuries, work stress, family responsibilities, or simply a loss of motivation. Whatever pulled you away from your pole dancing practice, know this: your pole has been patiently waiting for your return, and today marks the beginning of your comeback story.

I find the most of the time (at least for me) when I fall off the wagon so to speak and find myself abandoning activities that I KNOW bring me joy.  It’s usually because I have allowed something or someone to get me distracted.

Underneath that concept, I had to dig deep down inside myself and ask “why am I not doing what I know I want to do?”  Whatever block came up in my consciousness; I faced it, accepted it no matter how ugly it was, and changed.

Why We Step Away (And Why It’s Okay)

Before we talk about getting back to the pole, let’s acknowledge why we step away in the first place. In my years of teaching and practicing pole, I’ve heard countless stories about breaks in practice:

• “I got injured and was afraid to start again.”
• “Work got crazy, and I just couldn’t find the time.”
• “I gained weight and felt embarrassed to get back on the pole.”
• “I lost my progress and felt discouraged.”
• “I moved and didn’t set up my pole right away.”

Sound familiar? Here’s the truth: taking breaks is a normal part of any fitness journey. Even professional athletes have off-seasons. The key difference between those who eventually return and those who don’t is simple—giving yourself permission to begin again without judgment.

Here is a great example of how to overcome “I gained weight and felt embarrassed to get back on the pole”: Create a very nice and clean dancing space for yourself that is inspirational.  Surroundings have energy and can motivate you.  Hang pictures of yourself dancing that remind you that you can do these things.  The memories reconnect you to a good time and you may find this to be a natural motivated, leading you to wanting to dance more.

If you don’t resolve the underlying reasons you are distracted away from spending time enjoying yourself in your very own pole dancing workout, then you will just end up repeating history.  Emotional roots run deep and you must face them if you want real recovery and a significant change for yourself.

Then, I organized my weekly pole dancing workout plan.

This was a challenge and I didn’t stick to it the first week; however, I did stick to most of it.  A good workout plan will evolve; it’s not a rigid schedule.  It takes time to really know your life, habits, and then squeeze in that workout at the most opportune time.

I get bored easy and hate regular gym exercises so I made things too rigid and complicated to start. I had to back up and simplify things because I don’t have that much time to workout, let alone analyze a complicated routine every single morning.

I wanted a quick yet powerful workout that I can feel working in my body, to break a sweat, feel sexy, and get on with my day.

Part of my plan was to be more organized and regular about my clean eating habits.  I didn’t get to this, I got too busy with the other things in life, but when I did eat, I tried to stick to my lean proteins, low glycemic carbs diet as well as drink more water.

I will share more about my exact weekly workouts and dietary habits in following videos and articles over the next several weeks and months.

Bringing Focus To The Pole Dancing Workout Plan Before Nutrition:

Below is what I chose to do for myself, your days may look different.  There is a suggested pole dancing workout plan I have outlined for general use further down in this article.

• Day 1: I did specific leg exercises that create the long lean lines of a dancer.  Much of the time I feel out of balance pole dancing because it’s such an upper body dominant workout.  I want my legs to look just as good as my arms and right now…. .well they could use some work.  I used a lot of the leg strengthening exercises in my Home Pole Dancing Workout For Everyday Women.
• Day 2:  I was fricking sore!!  I realized my own workouts can be really hard when you’re out of shape!  Ugh!  But you have to keep moving to work the lactic acid out of your muscles so I did a new ab routine I created for my upcoming PoleBody workout series.  You can find an ab exercise dance routine like it here.  I also went for a walk and stretched.
• Day 3:  Arm work.  I worked my upper body by practicing some pole moves and an upcoming pole dance routine.  There are individual and specific exercises to strengthen the upper body for pole dancing but I didn’t do those on Day 3, just opted for something different.
• Day 4: Rested
• Day 5: I did glute work to really lift the buttocks and round out the lower body.
• Day 6:  Is today and today I decided it’s a fun dance day and time to use my dance for joy and fun!!  I work so hard during the week!  First, I got online, found a new song I had never heard before and decided to freestyle dance to it and continue the trend from last weeks video and article.

Assessing Where You Are Now (Not Where You Were)

The first step in your return journey is an honest, compassionate assessment of your current fitness level. This isn’t about comparing yourself to your peak performance or beating yourself up for lost skills. It’s about understanding your starting point for this new chapter.

Quick Self-Assessment Checklist:

• Grip strength: Can you hold your body weight comfortably?
• Upper body strength: How do your arms, shoulders, and back feel during basic holds?
• Core engagement: Can you activate your core muscles consistently?
• Flexibility: Has your range of motion changed?
• Endurance: How quickly do you fatigue during light activity?
• Mental readiness: How confident do you feel approaching the pole?

Remember, this assessment isn’t about passing or failing—it’s about gathering information to create a safe, effective return plan.

Setting Realistic Comeback Goals

Now comes the exciting part—setting goals for your return journey. The key word here is realistic. If you were doing advanced inverts before your break, it might be tempting to aim directly for those same moves. Instead, consider these more effective approaches:

Short-Term Goals (Weeks 1-2):

• Establish a consistent schedule of 2-3 pole sessions per week
• Master 3-5 foundational moves with proper form
• Complete a 5-minute pole routine without stopping

Medium-Term Goals (Weeks 3-6):

• Rebuild specific strength areas (core, upper body, grip)
• Return to intermediate moves with confidence
• Increase session length to 20-30 minutes

Long-Term Goals (Weeks 7-8 and beyond):

• Integrate pole dancing into your regular fitness routine
• Achieve healthy, sustainable weight loss through consistent practice
• Regain (or surpass!) your previous skill level

The beauty of this approach is that it celebrates the small victories along the way. Each successful spin, climb, or hold becomes a milestone, not just a step toward your “real” goal.

Music Helps You Get Going Again

It is important to pick a song that you can connect to, it will help drive you to just let go and dance.   Emotional states change from moment to moment and day to day, so don’t be afraid to change the song entirely from workout to workout.

Music is a wonderful emotional booster, motivator, and inspiration provoker.

After my warm up, I recorded my Day 6 Pole Workout Fun Freestyle Dance:

If you get a chance to video record yourself dancing, you will learn a lot and I highly recommend it for any dancer.  You just see yourself in different ways after you do it.

Preventing the Comeback Injury

Perhaps the biggest concern when returning to pole is the risk of injury. Your mind might remember how to execute a move, but your body needs time to rebuild the strength and muscle memory necessary to perform it safely.

Essential Safety Guidelines:

1. Always warm up: Spend at least 10 minutes warming up your shoulders, wrists, and core before touching the pole
2. Start with floor work: Rebuild your connection with the pole through low-flow movements
3. Check your pole: Ensure it’s properly installed and secure before every session
4. Use crash mats: Even for moves you used to do effortlessly
5. Listen to your body: Soreness is normal; pain is not

Remember that muscle memory returns faster than actual strength. You might feel like you can do a move, but lack the conditioning to do it safely. Patience now prevents setbacks later.

Your First Week Back: A Gentle Reintroduction To A Pole Dancing Schedule

Let’s get practical. Here’s what your first week back to pole should look like:

Session 1: Reconnection (20-30 minutes)

• 10-minute full-body warm-up
• Pole familiarization: simple touches, walks around the pole, gentle spins
• Basic holds: Practice back hook, front hook, and basic sits
• Cool down and stretch

Session 2: Foundation Building (20-30 minutes)

• Extended warm-up focusing on wrists and shoulders
• Review moves from Session 1
• Add: Simple spins (fireman, back hook spin)
• Floor work: Practice transitions and flow between moves
• Core engagement exercises both on and off the pole

Session 3: Building Confidence (20-30 minutes)

• Full warm-up sequence
• Review all previous moves
• Add: One new move or combo that makes you feel accomplished
• Create a simple 30-second flow combining 3-4 moves
• Extended stretching session focusing on shoulders and hamstrings

The key is consistency over intensity. These short sessions build the foundation for your return without overwhelming your body or schedule.

The Mental Game of Returning

Let’s be honest—one of the biggest challenges in returning to pole isn’t physical at all. It’s the mental hurdle of facing our changed bodies, reduced strength, or lost skills.

Here’s how to approach the mental side of your comeback:

• Document your journey: Take photos or videos of your first sessions back (just for yourself!)
• Celebrate small wins: Successfully completing even the most basic move is progress
• Find community: Connect with other pole dancers who have returned after breaks
• Practice self-compassion: Speak to yourself as you would to a friend who is returning to pole

Remember that fitness journeys are rarely linear. Progress will come in bursts, plateaus, and sometimes even temporary setbacks. The only true failure is giving up completely.

Your Week 1 Challenge

As we conclude this first week, I want to leave you with a simple challenge:

This week, simply touch your pole three times. Whether that means a full 30-minute session or just a few minutes of reconnection, make contact with your pole on three separate days.

This small commitment breaks the psychological barrier between thinking about returning to pole and actually doing it. Share your experiences in the comments, or tag us on social media with #PoleComebackChallenge.

What’s Coming Next Week

Next week, we’ll dive deeper into the physical conditioning needed for a successful pole comeback. I’ll share specific exercises to rebuild your pole-specific strength, focusing on grip, core, and upper body conditioning. Plus, you’ll get a complete first-week-back routine that you can adapt to your current fitness level.

Until then, be kind to yourself, be patient with your body, and celebrate the courage it takes to begin again. Your pole comeback journey starts now.

Have questions about returning to pole fitness? Drop them in the comments below, and I’ll address them in next week’s post!