Is pole dancing a high impact exercise?

I’m talking about purely gymnastic, non-sexy pole dancing taking place in a gym, as opposed to the sexy club kind. I’ve been warned away from high impact exercise by my doctor, because of something with my joints. If I overdo it, I could end up with arthritis when I’m older.

Comments for Is pole dancing a high impact exercise?

Click here to add your own comments

Pole dancing is low impact, but take care with airborne moves & landings
by: Susan from PDFF

Pole dancing in either of the contexts you mention isn't considered a high impact exercise. When compared to traditional high impact exercises like running, skipping rope, or doing exercises like jumping jacks, there is very little impact on the joints with pole dancing.

The exception to this is with landing airborne moves. Obviously you will want to take care with this aspect of pole dancing. Ideally your instructor will have helped you develop the strength needed to land these types of moves gently and with full control, BEFORE you learn them.

Pole dancing is definitely a strength builder though, and any time you strengthen your muscles that's a good thing. Strong muscles do a better job of supporting your joints, tendons and ligaments in doing their respective jobs.

Do use caution and progress slowly though. Even though there's not a lot of impact involved (barring any falls or hard landings of course!) pole dancing can stress the joints, particularly the shoulders, if you do too much too soon.

If you use a gradual approach, give yourself sufficient recovery time between workouts (as with any other physical activity), and pay attention to how your body feels, you will probably find this form of exercise to be of benefit to your overall fitness with no negative impact on your joints.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and make your own submission! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Pole Dancing FAQ.