I have been pole dancing for almost 4 years on and off now, and I have managed to gain my fair share of injuries over time, like pulling my hamstring and seriously painful bruising, but till the other day I have never actually had a fall.
Now, I’ve seen many falls over the years, some not so serious, but confidence crushing all the same, but I’ve luckily managed to never fall off the pole myself. Maybe it’s the fact that I imagine crushing the pole between my thighs or just pure luck, but whatever it was that lucky streak ended last week.
I was simply doing a cross ankle release on my pole at home, I’d done it many times before and my pole was not slippy nor was I. Just before it came to my dismount, I don’t know what happened but all of a sudden I let my grip go at my ankles and I came crashing down. I even managed to fall straight onto the top of my head right onto the metal base of my top loading x pole, then down onto my left shoulder. Ouch. I must have been in a bit of shock for a moment or so, and it all happened so fast I didn’t know what was happening, but as soon as I started to get my now painful head together, my shoulder really started to hurt. My arms were shaking, I felt sick and a lump was slowly forming on the top of my head.
For the next few days my head got better, but my shoulder played up quite a bit. I woke up the next day with tears in my eyes as it felt like someone was pushing pins into it! It was then that I really started to get worried, not because I’d just hurt my shoulder, but how can I pole with a poorly shoulder!?!!?!? Luckily after a few days, and surprising after a long day at work, my shoulder felt a lot better, and now I just continuing with some gentle stretching to help keep it loose.
It wasn’t the fact that I fell which scared me, it was the fact that it was so easy to do so. I literally let some of my muscles relax and the next thing I’m on the floor. And it seems that the fact my first fall has happened as I have become more experienced could suggest that even though I feel more confident, that extra attention you pay to things when you’re a beginner (mainly the fear) is very important when on the pole, even when just having a practice at home with moves you’ve done countless times before.
From now on I’m going to pay a little more attention when I’m practicing, especially when I’m on my own (I mean what could have happened if I had knocked myself unconscious when I fell?) and I’ll also be a better spotter during classes!
Take care
xxx
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