Last Updated on December 17, 2022
Pole dancing is hard work, it’s one of the toughest forms of exercise, so pole dancers need something to help them unwind and relax after a serious pole fitness workout.
Us pole dancers, we put ourselves through a lot! We bare our skin so we can cover it in friction burns, we allow ourselves to get pressure bruises and, in fact, we actually encourage getting bruised (it toughens you up, apparently!)
Just because we’re tough, strong athletes, it doesn’t mean that we don’t feel the burn after a pole fitness session, or any type of intense workout for that matter.
So, to help all of you lovely guys and gals out, we’ve thought up some fun ways to relax at the end of a pole dancing workout.
7 Ways to Relax & Unwind After a Pole Fitness Workout
So, you’ve got home, you’ve scrubbed the chalk and other grip aid residue from your hands and hung up your pole shorts for the night (or so to speak!)
Now is your time to relax, chill out, unwind and reflect upon your pole dancing journey, evaluate your progress towards your goals, and your next steps.
1. Take a Hot Bath with Soothing Oils
If you’re really feeling the strain after your latest pole fitness workout, or you’ve just had a really stressful day, then a hot bath is the way to go.
Go all out on this one, hot water, bubble bath, candles, a glass of wine (if that’s your thing) and some blissful ambient music will help you unwind.
Choose some relaxing oils, such as Lavender, Ylang Ylang, or Bergamont to help you slip into a peaceful state of warm bliss.
2. Roll around on the Floor with a Foam Roller
Seriously, this firm foam roller is the best thing I’ve ever bought. Just rolling this on my shoulders for 10 minutes has the same effect as an hour-long sports massage.
I always thought these were an ineffective faddy gimmick – turns out, they’re not! They’re wonderful, as you control how much pressure you want on your trigger points. Personal trainers, physiotherapists and chiropractors recommend using foam rollers and the word is out now – almost everyone’s heard of ‘foam rolling’.
It is a form of self-massage, it helps relieve tension in sore, aching muscles. However, you should never foam roll your lower back or neck. If you feel the need to, then seek advice from a medical professional first.
Make sure you tie your hair up first (if you have long hair) or it tends to get caught up when you’re rolling and it’s really annoying!
3. Meditation
If it’s your thing, try meditation. It’s a great thing to do after any workout. It is difficult and it definitely needs a lot of practice.
If you’re new to meditation, try an app for guidance when you’re first getting started. The effects of frequent meditation are very beneficial, so it’s certainly worth a try, and there’s no better time than after a Pole dance workout!
Meditation has a serious number of benefits, such as better sleep, reduced stress, increased self-awareness, and better cardiovascular health. It’s certainly not a religious bandwagon, its benefits are well-documented by healthcare providers.
4. Treat your skin
Your poor skin is probably covered in friction burns, bruises and blisters after an intense pole session. Why not try treating your skin to some indulgent moisturizing treatments? You can’t use moisturizer before your workout on the pole, so post-workout is a good time to indulge.
Pole dancing can leave your skin feeling red-raw, so soothing treatments with coconut oil or Aloe Vera will make your skin feel like new again!
Avoid using any exfoliating products after a pole fitness workout, as they will probably hurt your skin even more.
Read also: Pole dancing with psoriasis, what you need to know
Use Arnica gel on your bruises, Aloe Vera gel on your friction burns and moisturizer all over your body to leave your skin feeling silky soft and brand new.
Related: Hair Removal Methods for Pole Dancers
5. Get A Massage
If you can afford it, or you’re feeling indulgent, then treat your sorry-ass self to a real massage from a professional. Sports massage is extremely effective at relieving sore muscles.
A professional will be able to expertly tease the tension out of aching muscles, it may hurt a bit, but it’s doing your body a world of good.
Sports massage or Thai massage can be particularly brutal if you’re new to getting massages, so start with an oil massage for a more relaxing introduction!
6. Gentle Stretching
Besides the normal stretching that you do as part of your post-workout cooldown routine, gentle stretching can be done continuously after a pole fitness workout has finished. When you start to feel soreness in your muscles, start to gently stretch them.
There’s no need to do any deep flexibility training, as your muscles are already sore, but gentle stretching can help ease the pain of DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).
Just perform each stretch as much as you feel comfortable, you know your own body, and try to hold each stretch for 10-15 seconds, relax, then repeat. Make sure you focus on your breathing during the stretch as well, as it’s tempting to hold your breath subconsciously!
See also: 12 awesome stretches for pole dancers
Related post: How to Get More Flexible in No Time!
7. Treat your Feet
Are your poor feet aching after strutting around in 6-inch Pleasers all day? Then you definitely need to treat your feet with a foot spa and pedicure.
Have you heard of yoga toes?
Yoga Toes is a fabulous new product that stretches and massages your toes while you relax! They’re like toe separators that you use when applying nail polish to your toes, except they’re a bit denser and more supportive. Some people find them painful at first, but the pain soon eases away.
They work by separating your toes from the ball of your foot, as your toes as squashed together a lot of the time, Yoga Toes gives them a chance to stretch back into place.
Yoga Toes can help your posture, reduce blisters, improve your comfort and make your hard-working toes feel some love. They also prevent bunions and hammer toes, this is a great new product released in 2018 – I love mine!
Related: Why Yoga Shoes are Perfect for Pole Dancing
So there you have it, our top tips for relaxing and unwinding after a pole fitness workout! What are your tips? How do you unwind after a workout? Leave a comment below to let us know an get involved in the conversation!
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Happy poling!
I think this is one of the most significant information for me. And I’m glad reading your article. Thank for sharing!
Thanks for sharing these after workout relaxation exercises.