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Pole Fitness: Seductive Strength

Pole fitness is both an art form and an athletic discipline. Prepare to give it a spin by reading Groupon’s brief introduction.

If certain members of the International Pole Dance Fitness Association have their way and pole dancing becomes an official Olympic sport, it won’t be without good reason. The pastime employs the same level of stamina, coordination, and flexibility found in other notable Olympic disciplines. As a combination of gymnastic movements and dance, pole fitness acts as both an anaerobic and aerobic workout: proficient dancers twist, climb, and glissade around poles, supporting and controlling their own body weight with a seemingly effortless grace. The men and women who practice pole dancing on a regular basis often report improvement not just in strength, but also self-confidence and body image.

Although once pegged as a controversial erotic performance art, pole dancing has rapidly blossomed into an internationally respected form of fitness, boasting more than 500 studios in the United States alone. Even without a slot on the Olympic schedule of events, practitioners of the demanding exercise genre perform at amateur and professional competitions throughout the world each year.