Dr. Rosy Boa dives into the science behind pole dancing, discussing the physical adaptations required for the sport. She clarifies the specific strength requirements for pole dancers, emphasizing the importance of specialized training over general fitness. Through examining recent studies, she highlights how pole dancing improves core, upper body strength, and grip strength, while identifying the need for anti-rotational strength, unilateral strength, and proper shoulder flexion. The podcast also offers insights into the unique physical and psychological benefits that come with pole dancing experience.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Clarification

00:21 Common Misconceptions About Pole Dancing

00:41 Specific Physical Adaptations in Pole Dancers

02:33 Research on Pole Dancing Strength

03:39 Methods of Measuring Pole Strength

05:26 Studies on Pole Dance Training Effects

10:14 Psychological and Physiological Outcomes

12:58 Recommended Strength Training for Pole Dancers

18:36 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Citations

Nicholas, J., Dimmock, J. A., Alderson, J. A., Donnelly, C. J., Jackson, B., Dimmock, J. A., ... & Donnelly, C. J. (2024). Exploring the psychological and physiological outcomes of recreational pole dancing: a feasibility study. Circus: Arts, Life, and Sciences, 2(2).

Welcome back to another episode of Science of Slink! Today we are talking about how to stay motivated as a home poler. In this episode I talk about the most common motivation that men and women have for exercising, how home based exercise programs compare to center based programs, and how motivation can change depending on your age. I also talk through how to build self-efficacy as you are learning new skills on and off the pole. Whether you are new to pole or not, sometimes our motivation can change. Let’s look together at the research behind it. 

Sources:

Al Kubaisy, W., Mohamad, M., Ismail, Z., & Abdullah, N. N. (2015). Gender Differences: Motivations for performing physical exercise among adults in Shah Alam. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 202, 522-530.

McDonagh, S. T., Dalal, H., Moore, S., Clark, C. E., Dean, S. G., Jolly, K., ... & Taylor, R. S. (2023). Home‐based versus centre‐based cardiac rehabilitation. Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (10).

Schutzer KA, Graves BS. Barriers and motivations to exercise in older adults. Prev

Med 2004;39:1056–61.

Crystal N Steltenpohl, Michael Shuster, Eric Peist, Amber Pham, Joseph A Mikels, Me Time, or We Time? Age Differences in Motivation for Exercise, The Gerontologist, Volume 59, Issue 4, August 2019, Pages 709–717, https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gny038

Al-Eisa, E., Al-Rushud, A., Alghadir, A., Anwer, S., Al-Harbi, B., Al-Sughaier, N., ... & Al-Muhaysin, H. A. (2016). Effect of motivation by “Instagram” on adherence to physical activity among female college students. BioMed research international, 2016(1), 1546013.

Welcome back to another episode of Science of Slink! Today we are talking about a very important topic for furthering pole success, how to do spin pole without getting dizzy. Disclaimer: performance advice, NOT medical advice--if you're suffering from vertigo or dizziness talk to the other kind of doctor. We will discuss what the vestibular system is, things that can affect nausea, what is vestibular system adaption, and some drills that will help. 

So what is the vestibular system? Your vestibular system controls your sense of movement & orientation. The body has loops of the inner ear (kind of like a level filled with "glitter", the otoliths) and Cilla (tiny hairs in the inner ear) that hold fluid, and when that fluid moves, those fluids inform your body of where it is in space. The vestibular system is also very closely connected to the visual system. More resources are attached below for more information on the visual system 

Things that can affect dizziness, especially nausea include aging, (targeted exercises can help!) dehydration, hormonal disorders, especially low estrogen, duration & intensity such as adding plane of motion, and heat exhaustion or sensitivity

One way to improve dizziness is by practicing vestibular system adaptation. Some ways to practice this are getting better at interpreting & recovering from intense vestibular inputs and balance!

Some drills you can try as well are vision drills, head movement drills, some pole-specific gentle head movements at the start of practice that can help prepare you, spin drills, and start SLOW. Additionally,  neuro performance is an increasingly active area of research (addressing sub-clinical problems)

Slink Through Strength Email Sign Up:  ⁠http://eepurl.com/iimjnX⁠

Join pole instructor & personal trainer Rosy Boa as she chats with experts about the evidence-based practices you can introduce to your pole journey to improve your pole journey and feel better. The Evidence-Based Pole Podcast aims to help pole dancers feel better on and off the pole by talking with experts and diving into relevant scientific research to find evidence-based insights we can apply to our pole journeys. It’s a production of Slink Through Strength, the inclusive, evidence-based online pole studio, which can be found online at slinkthroughstrength.com.

Edited by: Simone Rossette 

[email protected]

Sources: 

Welcome back pole dancer to Science of Slink. In this episode we are touching on an important topic, 5 Exercise Science Insights EVERY Pole Dancer Should Know. 

I also wanted to start by including the link to Slinker’s delight show tickets: https://slinkthroughstrength.as.me/?appointmentType=60959877

Click the link above to join this awesome opportunity to see pole tricks. 

As pole dancers 5 super important things is training in different facets of fitness. To start, flexibility is one form of fitness to focus on. Flexibility is also commonly referred to as ease of movement. Flexibility is important to trail actively and passively. 

Next is strength, both absolute and relative. Absolute strength is about how much you can lift. Relative strength is more relevant to the body weight-based pole, meaning you can lift 100% of your body weight. 

Endurance is our next important one. For endurance, there is cardio typically which brings strength for your heart. Endurance is the ability to move over a long period of time and recover quickly. 

Balance is our 4th most important thing to focus on, especially if you wear heels in your routines. In balance training, the sensory & vestibular systems are heavily involved. One thing to improve your balance is eye training. 

Last but not least is Skill-specific training, skill training is repetition with variation. This includes motor learning, some examples of skill training are inverting, handstands, and specific tricks. These sessions of skill-specific training will generally align with your goals and your training of the aforementioned important training that will help you build your skills indirectly. 

One more important way to build your skills is periodization. More often is not always better: Olivia Reeves, the Olympic weightlifter, who won gold in Paris who Majored in exercise science only trains four times a week whereas most train 9 times a week. 

One last thing to keep in mind is how to adjust the intensity of your practice and What counts as rest. For adjusting intensity adjust how long, how often, and how hard you train. Medium intensity is great! So What counts as rest? What you find resting depends on you But ALWAYS good quality sleep is a great way to recharge! 

Slink Through Strength Email Sign Up:  ⁠http://eepurl.com/iimjnX⁠

Join pole instructor & personal trainer Rosy Boa as she chats with experts about the evidence-based practices you can introduce to your pole journey to improve your pole journey and feel better. The Evidence-Based Pole Podcast aims to help pole dancers feel better on and off the pole by talking with experts and diving into relevant scientific research to find evidence-based insights we can apply to our pole journeys. It’s a production of Slink Through Strength, the inclusive, evidence-based online pole studio, which can be found online at slinkthroughstrength.com.

Edited by: Simone Rossette 

[email protected]

Welcome back pole dancers to Science of Slink! Today we have a guest I’m very excited for, Dr. Melissa Koehl, a DPT and Pilates Instructor - Specialist in Hypermobility, EDS/HSD, POTS, MCAS and co. This episode is packed with valuable insights into hypermobility and its unique challenges, especially for dancers like those in the pole dance community. Dr. Melissa Koehl's personal experience with hypermobility and her professional expertise bring a deep, nuanced perspective to understanding conditions like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), dysautonomia, and mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS). The discussion on the "trifecta" and how hypermobility can lead to issues like fatigue, dizziness, and GI problems is especially relevant to those managing complex symptoms.

Dr. Koehl’s emphasis on strength and stability training is critical for hypermobile dancers to maintain joint health and prevent injury. The mention of fascia’s role in hypermobility, and the potential connections with conditions like long COVID, opens up interesting possibilities for future research and treatment approaches.

If you're involved in the pole dance community or working with hypermobility, this episode seems like a must-listen for gaining practical tips on managing these challenges while improving movement, proprioception, and overall body awareness!

 @dr.melissakoehl.pt of Chimera Health 

Movement classes: https://www.chimera-health.com/chimerafit-classes

"Navigating Healthcare as a Hypermobile Human" course: https://www.chimera-health.com/NavigatingHealthcare 

Slink Through Strength Email Sign Up:  ⁠http://eepurl.com/iimjnX⁠

Join pole instructor & personal trainer Rosy Boa as she chats with experts about the evidence-based practices you can introduce to your pole journey to improve your pole journey and feel better. The Evidence-Based Pole Podcast aims to help pole dancers feel better on and off the pole by talking with experts and diving into relevant scientific research to find evidence-based insights we can apply to our pole journeys. It’s a production of Slink Through Strength, the inclusive, evidence-based online pole studio, which can be found online at slinkthroughstrength.com.

Edited by: Simone Rossette 

[email protected]

Sources: 

Welcome back pole dancers to the Science of Slink Podcast. This week we are going to discuss mental blockages and how to overcome them. We will define mental blocks, contributing factors, and techniques to try to help overcome mental blocks.

So what is a mental blockage? When the obstacle keeping you from your desired movement goal is emotional and/or mental rather than physical. Mental blockages can arise when learning new things and/or doing a skill you already know how to do. As an instructor, I often see blockages arise when people are working on what they consider their weaker side.

What factors can lead to mental blocks? Some contributing factors can be your environment being your classmates or teachers, anxiety, and trauma. When trauma is involved a specialist can be particularly important.

Some great techniques to try to help overcome mental blockages are working with a specialist- like a sports psychologist, some evidence suggests EMDR may be effective, Notice if the reaction is mainly physical sweating, heart racing, muscle tension or mental rumination, racing thoughts, perseveration. For the former, physical relaxation techniques may be more helpful, for the latter mental refocusing & restructuring. Another technique worth a try is Vergence which is to look at your pole for 5 seconds, then behind the pole for 5 seconds, then try the skill. Additionally, try monitoring your HRV as a tool.

Lastly, some Recommendations from Dr. Chelsea Pierotti, a sports psychologist specializing in dance, https://passionatecoach.com/mental-toughness-overcome-mental-blocks/ Determine that the obstacle is mental/emotional and not physical notice & reframe negative self-talk; "what if..." ... "so what"Reframe or modify the skill to reduce the challenge/fear seek additional support if needed

Science of Slink Email Sign Up: ⁠http://eepurl.com/iimjnX⁠

Join pole instructor & personal trainer Rosy Boa as she chats with experts about the evidence-based practices you can introduce to your pole journey to improve your pole journey and feel better. The Evidence-Based Pole Podcast aims to help pole dancers feel better on and off the pole by talking with experts and diving into relevant scientific research to find evidence-based insights we can apply to our pole journeys. It’s a production of Slink Through Strength, the inclusive, evidence-based online pole studio, which can be found online at slinkthroughstrength.com.

Edited by: Simone Rossette [email protected]:

-Maaranen, A., Van Raalte, J. L., & Brewer, B. W. (2019). Mental blocks in artistic gymnastics and cheerleading: longitudinal analysis of flikikammo. -Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 14(3), 251-269.

-Manuel G. Calvo & Pedro M. Ramos (1989) Effects of test anxiety on motor learning: The processing efficiency hypothesis, Anxiety Research, 2:1, 45-55

-Harris, D. J., Wilkinson, S., & Ellmers, T. J. (2023). From fear of falling to choking under pressure: a predictive processing perspective of disrupted motor control under anxiety. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 148, 105115.

-Bennett, J., Bickley, J., Vernon, T., Olusoga, P., & Maynard, I. (2017). Preliminary evidence for the treatment of performance blocks in sport: The efficacy of EMDR with graded exposure. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 11(2), 96-110.

-Hanton, S., Thomas, O., & Mellalieu, S. D. (2009). Management of competitive stress in elite sport. International Olympic Committee sport psychology handbook, 30-42.

-Bowan, M. (2008). Treatment of panic attack with vergence therapy and unexpected visual-vagus connection. Journal of Behavioral Optometry 19, 155-159.

-Yu, G., Chang, K. F., & Shih, I. T. (2022). An exploration of the antecedents and mechanisms causing athletes’ stress and twisties symptom. Heliyon, 8(10).

Trigger Warning: Mention of Eating Disorders and mental Illness

Welcome back pole dancers to this episode of Science of Slink! This week we are touching on how perfection harms people’s movement, progress, and mental states. To wrap up the video I’m including recommendations for how to avoid perfectionism influences and how to rework patterns of our internal perfectionism. 

Let’s start by defining perfectionism, perfectionism is "excessively high personal standards of performance accompanied by tendencies for overly critical evaluations of one's behavior" (Frost, R. 14) perfectionism is different from conscientiousness which exhibits characteristics such as being responsible, organized, hard-working, goal-directed, and adhering to norms and rules. 

So why is perfectionism so bad? Perfectionism has been correlated with being a source of chronic stress, it’s associated with a much higher risk of a large range of negative mental health outcomes. One of the big reasons these correlations have been found is because perfectionism steals your ability to enjoy your accomplishments and the things you enjoy. 

I recommend reframing perfectionism mindsets and here are some ways I recommend reframing your mindset. First, be honest about whether perfectionism is negatively affecting you. Do you enjoy activities less because of it? Are you under more stress than necessary? Working with a mental health professional can be a huge step in the right direction to help us notice where perfectionism is impacting our lives. One really important thing when looking for a place to practice, try to find spaces where failure is treated as a normal part of life--because it is!

Lastly, but most importantly, work on reframing in your pole practice: 

Sources: 

Slink Through Strength Email Sign Up:  ⁠http://eepurl.com/iimjnX⁠

Join pole instructor & personal trainer Rosy Boa as she chats with experts about the evidence-based practices you can introduce to your pole journey to improve your pole journey and feel better. The Evidence-Based Pole Podcast aims to help pole dancers feel better on and off the pole by talking with experts and diving into relevant scientific research to find evidence-based insights we can apply to our pole journeys. It’s a production of Slink Through Strength, the inclusive, evidence-based online pole studio, which can be found online at slinkthroughstrength.com.

Edited by: Simone Rossette 

[email protected]

Hey Pole dancer, welcome to another episode of the Science of Slink! Today we are going to go over 3 essential things to know as a home pole dancer. We are going to discuss the importance of and how to do a proper warm-up, the variety of pole that is important to try, knowing that we are building skills slowly and will need base skills, and it is important to recognize there is no standard skill set for pole so its important to work with others. 

So what is a proper warm-up and why is it key? A warm-up is essential because it offers your body time to loosen up with flexibility, increase heart rate, and prepare your body for the skill you’re training. You will need joint mobility in your warm-ups because it helps to loosen your joints and move safely. Skill-specific preparation may include static stretching but not of muscles you also need power from! It is consequential to plan and structure your training sessions ahead of time because it helps you build base skills and prepare for each skill-building day!

Secondly, it’s notable that trying many different skills when you start will assist you in your growth on your pole journey. There are a few reasons for this, the most necessary one is knowing that a high volume of training on a specific trick, especially without appropriate conditioning, will likely increase injury risk. Additionally, newer & returning polers need to be building a wide range of movement programs to build muscle groups and build their skills. 

Something comforting and may help you out of a lull is knowing, that if you’re self-taught,  you're probably missing some foundational movements/holds/contact points. Basic floorwork shapes & transitions. This is one of the reasons that teachers are so important in pole, so foundations can be built in a safe and empowering way. In pole dance, there is a lack of standardization for teaching and skill building. This makes teaching yourself at home or multiple studios impedes our growth for our base learning. 

Slink Through Strength Email Sign Up:  ⁠http://eepurl.com/iimjnX⁠

Join pole instructor & personal trainer Rosy Boa as she chats with experts about the evidence-based practices you can introduce to your pole journey to improve your pole journey and feel better. The Evidence-Based Pole Podcast aims to help pole dancers feel better on and off the pole by talking with experts and diving into relevant scientific research to find evidence-based insights we can apply to our pole journeys. It’s a production of Slink Through Strength, the inclusive, evidence-based online pole studio, which can be found online at slinkthroughstrength.com.

Edited by: Simone Rossette 

[email protected]

Welcome back Pole Dancer to Science of Slink! Today we are discussing my opinion on whether Pole Dance should be in the Olympics. We are going to explore: What problem is it addressing, Would it be good for individual movers or businesses? (Spoiler: the research suggests probably not,) Who would be harmed, and an overarching question: Why do we treat sports as more than or better than other types of movement? We are wrapping up by seeking a resolution with the question: What can we focus on instead? 

To start, let’s look at what problem Pole in the Olympics addressing. The desired perception is wanting more status or "legitimacy" for the activity. The perception is that the more legit feeling the exercise is, the easier it is to break into the activity as not only a mover but also as a studio owner. Furthermore, there has historically been an association (even though it may be a loose one) between sports-focused campaigns and distancing pole from its stripping roots.

Secondly, Would it be good for individual movers or businesses? Unfortunately, the research suggests probably not. "little evidence of an increased uptake of sporting activity following an Olympic Games event."  (Mahtani KR, Protheroe J, Slight SP) This means that though people may find it interesting, there isn’t a direct benefit to business owners. "Since the turn of the century, a growing number of empirical studies has increased the realization that elite sport does not automatically initiate positive societal impacts. Moreover, the various ‘dark sides’ of elite sport seem to be underestimated." Negative impact may include sexism, exploitation, discrimination, injuries, distorted body image, etc. (De Rycke, J., & De Bosscher, V. 11(3))

Lastly, who would be harmed? Strippers would be further marginalized. The perception of strippers is based on societal ideals that don’t often account for not only strippers being human but also the increased safety in areas with sex work. This leads us to a bigger question: Why do we treat sports as more than or better than other types of movement?

So What we can focus on instead: Overall, I think we have more important priorities if our goal is to make pole dance accessible & equitable: 

Join pole instructor & personal trainer Rosy Boa as she chats with experts about the evidence-based practices you can introduce to your pole journey to improve your pole journey and feel better. The Evidence-Based Pole Podcast aims to help pole dancers feel better on and off the pole by talking with experts and diving into relevant scientific research to find evidence-based insights we can apply to our pole journeys. It’s a production of Slink Through Strength, the inclusive, evidence-based online pole studio, which can be found online at slinkthroughstrength.com.

Edited by: Simone Rossette 

[email protected]

Sources: 

This BBC article has some really clear examples of whorephobia: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/10/18/pole-dancing-in-the-olympics-international-sports-federation-recognition-helps-pave-the-way/?noredirect=on 

https://www.bbc.com/sport/41652997 

https://www.dailydot.com/irl/notastripper-pole-dancing-instagram/ 

Yes a Stripper podcast: https://yesastripperpodcast.com/ 

Mahtani KR, Protheroe J, Slight SP, et al. Can the London 2012 Olympics ‘inspire a generation’ to do more physical or sporting activities? An overview of systematic reviews. BMJ

Open 2013;3:e002058. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2012-002058

De Rycke, J., & De Bosscher, V. (2019). Mapping the potential societal impacts triggered by elite sport: a conceptual framework. International journal of sport policy and politics, 11(3), 485-502.