I can hardly believe it, but I walked through the door of Studio Soiree in Sugarhouse, UT just a year ago. Studio Soiree is a beautiful studio, giving off the feeling of entering a Day Spa more than a fitness studio. The muted colors, fabulous black and white photos that accentuate all the beautiful parts of a woman’s physical strength, two spacious studio areas with really tall brass poles. I was totally taken aback – I must admit, when I agreed to go to a Teaser (Intro to Pole) class, I figured it would be black and pink and glitter and stilettos and a bunch of young, sexy women flaunting their assets.
Lizz greeted our little group of four and led us to the “Green” room, a lovely little relaxation spot complete with pillows, a low table and wonderful smells. The four of us giggled about what we were about to experience, we were decidedly nervous.
The four of us: me, an almost 40 year old mother of two; Carrie, a 30 year old blonde newlywed; Heidi, a 20 something med-school student; and Shelly, another 40 year old mother of two. All of us had different fitness regimes ranging from nothing since dancing all night as a college student (me), to a seasoned runner and triathlon participant (Shelly). I expected that this would be a one-time visit for me, since fitness wasn’t my thing.
I was so FREAKING wrong!
Our Intro class involved learning several moves from Frisking the pole (which is like pretending you’re being frisked by a very handsome policeman), the Madonna (sliding into a squat and then coming back up), to the most classic pole move – the Fireman Spin. Lizz walked us through each move with a quiet grace and shared her personal story of how she came to open this studio in the first place (more about that in another post).
The hour seemed to fly by, and yes, there was much laughter at the awkwardness some of us (me!) were feeling, but something really cool was taking place too. I was sweating! And breathing a little fast. I had just spent an hour having a terrific time with my friends AND was burning some of the calories I had ingested as well (yes, I still eat a Twinkie and Oreos every once in a while – ok, almost every day).
That one class immediately turned into a weekly ritual, which quickly turned into a three times a week ritual, and today I am showing up to Studio Soiree at least 4 times a week (but actually more like 7 times if I am really honest). The benefits? I feel more sexy. There, I said it. It’s IMPORTANT to feel sexy – and Hey! It’s okay to feel it! My husband has noticed a change in my body, I have noticed a change in my body. I am stronger, my muscles are more defined, and I love these changes. But, that is not what got me obsessed with Pole Fitness. The obsession came when I started to watch YouTube videos of beautifully choreographed moves from people just like me all over the country – heck, all over the world, and then I realized one day that I could do some of the moves they were doing. Me! A 40 year old housewife who lives in Utah and who would cross the street to avoid a gym. Amazing.
When you find something that makes you feel and look this good, why wouldn’t you become obsessed?
