Even if you’re not on a dance pole, you can still train your body to be able to handle pole fitness exercises in 2024.
The following exercises listed below will fortify your core and upper body muscles to give you the needed flexibility, strength, and stamina to do many pole dance moves.
These can’t replace the training you get on the stripper pole, but these are good alternatives.
Do this regularly and in two weeks, you’ll definitely feel stronger.
Here are 15 Pole Dancing Exercises you can do without a dance pole
5 Stretching Exercises for Pole Fitness
Similar to what we do before we climb the pole, we’ll be doing warm up exercises first.
Box Split
1) Stand up while keeping your back and your whole body straight.
2) Slowly slide your legs outward, keeping them 180′ apart.
It’s like slowly doing a split.
3) Reach for the floor with your hips for as low as you can.
Your hips should still face forward while you’re doing this.
4) Maintain this position for at least 15secs.
Hip Stretch
1) Begin in a lunge position.
The upper portion of your back foot should be flat on the floor.
2) Slowly slide your back leg as far as you can.
Both hips should still face forward while you’re doing this.
Use your front leg to maintain balance.
3) Start pushing your hips lower and maintain it for at least 15secs.
4) Switch legs and repeat.
Quad Stretch
1) Position yourself similar to the hip stretch’s form.
Slowly bend your back leg towards your buttocks until it’s within reach of the arm resting on the same side.
2) Hold your foot and pull it towards you until you can feel the muscles nicely getting stretched.
3) Switch legs and repeat.
Hamstring Stretch
1) Sit down with both legs stretched out in front.
2) Slowly slide one leg towards your hips, bending sideways, until your legs form a number four shape.
3) Flex the foot of the stretched leg towards you while maintaining a straight back.
4) Using both hands, reach for the foot on the outstretched leg, shifting your body weight towards it.
Maintain this position for at least 10secs.
5) Switch legs and repeat.
Cobra Stretch
1) Lie with your belly facing the floor.
Bend your arms so that both hands are in front of your shoulders.
2) Slowly use your hands to prop your upper body up while keeping your legs still stretched out.
Bend your back with your face facing the ceiling.
3) Bend your knees towards your belly and move your hips in the direction of your feet, proceeding into a sitting position.
4) Stand up slowly while keeping your arms raised straight above your head.
10 Pole Dancing Exercises You Can Do Even Without a Pole
For beginners, do the listed exercises below for 5 reps each and move to the next on the list until you finish the whole cycle.
Gradually increase the number of reps and cycles as you get used to the whole process.
Aim to achieve around 15 reps of each and 3 whole cycles.
You’ll feel your strength building up through time and the best thing is you can do all these even in the absence of a dance pole.
Bicycle Crunches
1) Lie on the floor with your belly facing the ceiling.
Bend your knees in a way that your feet stays flat on the floor.
2) While keeping your back straight, prop your upper body up with your shoulders until you’re eye-level with your knees.
3) Put your hands at the back of your head, keeping your elbows out.
4) Move your right knee towards your chest and reach it with your left elbow.
Do this alternately with your right and left limbs.
One rep equals one right elbow-left knee and left elbow-right knee combination.
Jack-Knife Sit-ups
1) Lie on the floor with your belly facing the ceiling.
Stretch both arms over your head and put them in a V-shape position.
Do this with your legs too, putting them in a similar V-shape position while remaining outstretched.
2) Contract your abdominal muscles to lift your legs and arms off the ground.
Ensure that you maintain both limbs straight while you reach for an imaginary point in the air until your arms and legs are parallel to each other.
3) Slowly return to your initial position on the ground, contracting your abs again before both limbs hit the floor.
4) Repeat until you reach your target reps.
Climbing Rope
1) Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you.
2) Lean back slightly and start climbing an imaginary rope, moving your right arm and left leg upward and then the left arm and right leg after.
3) Don’t forget to twist your torso as you move to exercise your obliques.
One rep equals one right arm-left leg and left arm-right leg combination.
Hip Bridge
1) Lie with your back on the floor and bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor.
Your feet should be properly planted to help your hips support your body when you lift your body up.
2) Keep your arms stretched sideways while keeping your palms down.
3) Lift your hips up to the ceiling until you form a nice straight line starting from your knees up to your shoulders.
This exercises your back and glutes.
4) Slowly bring your hips down.
Repeat until you complete the required reps
Superman
1) Lie on your belly.
Keep your arms stretched over your head.
2) Keep your legs straight apart until you form a V-shape with them.
3) Lift all limbs off the floor and hold them up for 5secs.
4) Rest them on the floor for a second before repeating the exercise.
Lying Hip Swings
1) Lie with your back on the floor, arms stretched to your sides with palms facing down, and legs propped straight up to the ceiling with toes flexed inward.
2) Swing your legs to one side, keeping a 90′ position, and lower them until they’re just a few inches from the ground.
3) Lift your legs up and back to the initial position.
Do the same on the opposite side.
4) Use your core muscles to control your lower body and maintain the position, preventing your legs from limping to the floor.
Sliding Pike
Place small rags or towels on your feet to ensure maximum sliding action is achieved for this exercise.
1) Start in a push-up position, ensuring your back is straight and properly aligned with your shoulders and legs.
2) With your feet together, slowly bring them towards your arms until you achieve a V-shape position with your whole body.
Make sure that your upper body and legs are always straight during the process.
3) Move your feet away again until you’re back into the initial push-up position.
4) Repeat until you complete the required reps.
Side Planks (with arm twist combo)
1) Start in a planking position.
2) Shift your weight onto one arm and use your free arm to reach through the vacant space between the other arm and your body.
3) Pull the free arm out and twist your body until you’re facing sideways.
Reach for the ceiling with your free arm.
4) Repeat until you complete the required reps before switching sides.
Push-ups
1) Start with your belly flat on the floor and lift your body up with your arms until you form a 90′ angle between your arms and your whole body.
Keep your back straight while doing this.
2) Stretch your legs out, straightly aligning it with your back.
If you can’t do this yet, you may just stay on your knees.
3) Slowly bending your elbows out, bring your chest as close to the floor as possible.
4) Keep facing the floor and contract your abs as you repeat the motion described in Step 3.
5) Repeat until you complete the required reps.
Lunges
1) Standing straight with legs in line with your hips, step one leg forward.
2) Bend your hips down until your front and back knees bend at a 90′ angle.
Contract your hamstrings and your glutes to return to your standing position.
3) Switch to the other leg and repeat the whole process.
All these moves will contribute to your core strength and build up the muscles required when you’re on the pole.
These exercises not only tone your body and improve your strength but also bolster your metabolism rate.
Do these regularly and you’ll be more than ready to take on more challenging pole dancing moves.
Want to learn more about aerial pole dancing fitness and exercises then check out some more of our articles below