The Very Best Of Pole Dance & Fitness – April 2017
I read a lot every month, from pole to general fitness, healthy eating and nutritional information.
I come across things around the web from time to time that I think you guys will be able to take helpful advice and information from.
Whenever I see something I think you'll benefit from, I save it right into my Evernote. Once a month I'll put together a roundup of my favourites for you to enjoy.
So without further ado, here is the twelfth post in my series of favourite pole fitness, health and nutrition articles I read this month!
You might have noticed things have been a little quiet on the blog this month and that's because aside from planning something really special to help you guys with your splits flexibility training, I've also been training hard myself for my first pole competition entry!
So with that said, this month's theme is all about competing, from whether competing is for you down to all the best tips and advice from around the web 🙂
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The Best Pole Competition Tips!
First, let's check out the top pole dancing & fitness articles I read online this month...
#1) 10 Tips For Your First Pole Competition
This article from Tiffany over at Push & Pole covers the top ten tips for newbies delving into the pole competition world.
It reveals everything from when to start training to costume, advice for creating and practising your routine and how to find the right song for you.
#2) How To Make Your First Pole Competition Video Entry
Holly over at Pole Freaks has also started exploring the world of competing this month and recently got through to the Miss Pole Dance UK finals!
Firstly, well done Holly! 🙂
Secondly, if you want to find out her top tips for getting through the video entry stage of competing you'll want to take a look at her video entry tips here!
#3) Is Competing For You?
Taking a bit of a different angle is Aerial Amy sharing her thoughts in her article to help you find out whether pole competitions are right for you.
It's good to give some serious thought about why you want to compete, whether you can handle it and what impact it may have on you if you were to come last.
So if you're unsure about competing have a read, it's important to understand that choosing not to compete won't make you any less of a pole dancer 🙂
#4) How To Choreograph Your Best Performance
Another pole blogger who's been having fun competing lately is Peach Lee Ray, and in this post she's sharing her top tips on creating the very best choreography!
She reveals everything from how to make your routine look more polished to simple changes that can make a big difference to how your performance is appreciated.
#5) How To Handle Stage Fright
In this article by Irmingard Mayer she shares her best advice on overcoming stage fright when you are performing.
You'll learn five tips for keeping those nerves at bay, and while we're on the subject of nerves you should also check out this other article over at Pole With Peach.
It reveals an *ahem* interesting side effect of nerves you may have to deal with, and how to prepare for it. Believe me it's more common than you would think...
#6) Competition Tips From Cleo The Hurricane!
This post over on Cleo's Rockin' Reads reveals five honest and a little controversial tips for competing from Cleo The Hurricane herself.
Editor's note: This article is no longer published and is not available in web archives for reference.
Her advice comes straight from her own personal experiences as both a judge and competitor, so take a look if you want to learn from the best!
#7) How To Handle Losing Your First Pole Competition
One of the most important points in the roundup is brought to you by Amy over on the International Pole Convention blog.
Not everyone can be a winner, so it's important to be able to take on board your feedback and accept the judges decision if you don't win.
Have a read to learn how to handle the disappointment of losing a pole competition and how to move forward.
Other Fitness Tips I Read This Month
In this section I'll be sharing tips from fitness blogs around the web that can be useful in your pole training too!
#8) Back & Shoulder Care For The Busty Pole Dancer
Actually, these tips from Yoga Dork should be great for any busty ladies, pole dancer or not 🙂
With posture, muscle alignment and muscle care being so important in pole to reduce injuries though, I thought this was a great article to share here.
The weight of a large bust can have a big impact on your posture, and this article reveals some great exercises to combat these issues.
You'll find all sorts, from restorative back bending to shoulder flossing and more!
Tips For Mums
Although I'm not a mum myself, I forever see people looking for advice on pole and exercise during and after pregnancy.
Since I have neither the qualifications nor experience to advise on pregnancy in any way, I'll do my best to share any helpful articles I find on the subject every month here in the roundup!
If you're looking for like minded pole dancing mums you should visit the Pole Mamas Facebook group, there's no better place to connect with mums who pole for guidance!
#9) How To Restore Your Core For Pole
Neo has been a busy bee working hard to further her skills as a personal trainer.
This month she passed her pre and post-natal exams to ensure she can adapt her training to suit new mums 🙂
In this article she dives right into the topic, with three restorative exercises that you can perform safely in your first six weeks postpartum.
The Healthy Food Corner
Each month I do a lot of food prep, I'm forever looking for healthy meals I can cook in bulk.
Apart from saving a bunch of time this also allows me to worry less about diet and what I'm going to eat in the moment of choosing a meal.
Once a month I pick 2 - 3 recipes, buy all the ingredients for around 8 portions in bulk, and then spend a day cooking!
Then, to mix things up I'm always on the look out for quick and easy healthy recipes so I don't get bored of eating my prep meals.
So every month I'll share my favourite recipe from the month with you right here!
#10) The Main Course
This month I started reducing my meat and dairy consumption even more, and I kick started things with a super tasty Coconut Red Lentil Curry!
It's completely vegan and really easy to make which is always a bonus 🙂
#11) A Healthy Tasty Treat
My favourite healthy but tasty treat this month were these low fat, high fibre and high protein power cookies!
They're great for snacking to keep the chocolate bars at bay and you can add any dried nuts or fruit you prefer to tailor the recipe to suit your taste buds.
#12) Something Different To Wash It Down
To finish things off is this refreshing Strawberry Agua Fresca, perfect with summer drawing in 🙂
It's a fruit infused drink that I was inspired to share with you from my experience looking for healthy soft drinks in Costa Rica.
This is ideal with ripe strawberries for natural sweetness but you can adjust the sweetness to taste using sugar if you prefer.
If you've read any great pole fitness articles you think deserve a spot in the top 10 next month feel free to share them with me here or comment below! Did you find these articles helpful?
