Today I am answering a writing prompt but also sharing ways that I like to exercise. If you had asked me a few years ago about fun ways to exercise I would say there are none lol. I was very much not a fitness person at all growing up, PE was my worst subject because I could not find joy in cross-country running or hockey and still don’t so yeah. Fitness was just not something for me.
But one day my friends and I were having a sleepover and one of them said she had always wanted to try pole dancing and I liked the sound of that. So we decided to Google and sure enough there was a pole studio in town that we could go to and so we signed up on a whim.
Thinking back to those early days I remember I was nervous but I was glad I had a friend with me to get over the initial awkwardness. I think it also helped that our teacher was a first time teacher too so we could kind of grow with him. It definitely wasn’t easy in the beginning, as I had no body strength whatsoever but I was motivated to continue working on it. I knew from the first class this would be something I was going to stick at.
Cut to 8 years later and I literally could not see my life without pole. While my friend that I initially joined with moved away, I felt confident enough to continue going to classes on my own. I really appreciated the sense of community that pole provided and I have made lots of great friends this way. I have also seen an immense increase in my strength and mobility.
Plus, pole is fun! I never think of it as exercise, I just want to be able to do the next pretty move or perfect the choreo. In wanting to achieve more in class I am getting stronger and improving my stamina. I realise this might not be for everyone but I would highly recommend giving it a go. Not all studios are about slinky and sexy, a lot of them are mostly focused on the fitness aspects and everyone is so supportive.
Another hobby I found in the same realm as pole is aerial hoop. I started this a couple of years after pole and it was TOUGH. I thought having some strength from pole would help but I still had a long way to go before I felt comfortable in hoop. This time, I joined on my own and was nervous but again, I was determined to do the pretty shapes and make transitions look smooth and my strength increased in no time.
Hoop was harder than pole in that my hands were literally shredded up after my first classes and it hurt a lot. I remember really struggling with the blisters in the beginning, but eventually callouses formed and lifting myself into the hoop has become no big deal. Along with that, again I found a great community and a lot of support which kept me coming back.
I suppose the real answer to what is the most fun way to exercise is with something that doesn’t feel like exercise. For me anyway, I never saw myself as a gym girlie. And with hoop and pole I found I was getting something out of it more than just strength, I was making friends and learning how to do cool things.
I am not saying you can’t make friends at the gym, I’m sure if you go to classes and things it is good but I feel like I just couldn’t get into it especially when I hated circuits in PE at school lol. Plus lifting heavy things is cool and all but it’s definitely not as fun as being able to execute a pretty hoop routine or pole choreo. The other thing I find is that hoop and pole is always changing, there is always something to learn. The gym gets kind of repetitive over time and is not exciting. Unless you do hyrox or something but to be honest that shit seems dangerous to me.
I have supplemented my pole and hoop training with going to the gym over the last year and that has helped to improve my strength. Like I said, not the most fun but cross-training does help improve your strength which enables me to continue to do cool things in my classes.
I have also tried out other aerial sports in relation to hoop such as silks and hammocks. Silks is absolutely one of the hardest things because it is fabric that moves a lot more than a pole or hoop. Nothing has really captured my attention long term but I do like to attend workshops and things the odd time to switch it up.
Another activity I do enjoy is walking. As I’ve gotten older I have come to appreciate just spending time outdoors and away from my computer so can never turn down a good walk. I wouldn’t count it as a super fun way to exercise but if you have a good walking route with nice scenery it is good. Plus it’s a lowkey kind of exercise which is nice.
Other than that, I feel like I would like to do reformer pilates some time. It’s a trend but I feel like I could get into it. Don’t think I could allow it in my current schedule but if I ever win the lottery I could throw it into the mix lol.
So those are my fitness hobbies, in the theme of choosing happiness this year, getting to my pole and hoop classes is a must. It is part of my routine and helps to clear my head after a rough day. I am also trying to really think about what workshops I attend this year, as I have a habit of saying yes to all of them and then exhausting myself so I’m trying to evaluate which ones will provide the most value for me before going.
I will be back soon to discuss my other hobbies as that is a post I wanted to make anyway but this prompt just fit in nicely with the theme. But I will also turn the question on to you – what’s a fun way for you to exercise? I am interested in seeing what other people do that isn’t the norm because conventional exercise is dull.
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