When I started out doing pole it quickly became one of my favorite things to do. I learned a lot really quickly and began to progress. It made me feel strong, sexy and talented. Every class presented new challenges and goals to accomplish. I was obsessed.

At the same time, I had been going to the gym and had even gotten a personal trainer to help me accomplish my “body goals”. I wasn’t happy with the way I looked and often got really down on myself about it. I was doing lots of cardio and eating a low-calorie, low-carb diet and was always hungry. When I went to the gym it was for one reason only. To “fix” the way I looked.

Meanwhile, in my pole classes, I would learn about new moves and tricks that I just knew I had to learn. I wanted to do an Ayesha so badly, and I knew I had to work for it. Once I started creating goals for myself at pole, so much changed. I knew if I wanted to achieve my goals and nail certain moves I needed to be strong. I started lifting weights and doing arm workouts no longer for lean arms but so that I could pull myself up on the pole more easily. I ditched the sit-ups for aesthetics and started working abs by doing things like leg hangs so that I could do better shoulder mounts. I started eating more intuitively because I knew I needed the energy and protein for my pole classes.

I became goal-oriented, which feels so much better when the goal isn’t just “lose weight”. And it worked! I nailed my Ayesha and quickly made a new goal. And a new one after that. And a new one after that. I progressed in my pole classes and with these new goals in mind I found going to the gym was actually…fun? And helpful!

Before, going to the gym was a chore and somehow made me feel even worse about how I looked. And food was just a reminder of what I didn’t like about myself. Now, I know food is fuel, and the gym helps me accomplish my pole goals. I have a new outlook and feel more confident in myself than I ever did. I look in the mirror and see “strong” and I’m not as worried about “skinny”. After all, which of those two things is going to help me do an Ayesha??

Written by RCA student Jordyn B.