What To Expect At Your First Pole Class | Pole Fitness

I get asked regularly about getting in to doing pole fitness and what to expect at a beginners pole fitness class. Booking that first class can be quite daunting and you may even feel nervous in the build up to it. You're also likely to be wondering what to expect if you haven't had someone talk to you first hand. Whether you have taken the plunge and booked your first class, or contrarily if you haven't yet booked a class and just want to know what to expect if you did try it out, then keep reading for some helpful hints and tips!

No Pain No Gain
As with many forms of exercise, starting out isn't easy and it will take some time for your body to get used to your new found hobby. If you haven't done anything remotely similar before, chances are like me you will come away feeling a little sore and stiff and will be aching a lot the next day. Even though your body will become more conditioned to the pole over time, pretty much every new move you try will cause some sort of pain whether it's pole burn, muscle aches or my next point... bruises.

Bruises
Be prepared for bruises. As a beginner doing pole fitness you are likely to get a lot of bruises. now I would love to say here that once you're a little more advanced the bruises stop, but that would just be telling you a big fat lie. You simply just get used to them and accept that along the way you may acquire bruises in very questionable places, but if you've nailed that move in the mean time, who cares?!

What To Wear
The best thing to wear when starting out is a simple strap top and shorts. Make that short shorts. You generally practice in bare feet and once you have been poling for a while you may find it more comfortable to wear a sports bra instead. Your skin is your best friend; without exposed skin you are unable to hold any positions or spins successfully as there is no friction between you and the pole. Guaranteed you'll feel a little self conscious to begin with, everyone does. You'll soon forget about it the more classes you attend so please don't be worried about showing a little flesh... none of us are perfect and we all have our fair share of cellulite, stretch marks and not-so-toned areas. I promise you no one will care and neither will you once you realise that. The only person you hold back by trying to cover up as much as possible is yourself because you will be restricted with the spins and moves you can try.

Moisturising
Moisturising your skin before heading to a pole class is very problematic. For fake tan lovers this includes you! Referring to my previous point about needing exposed skin for friction... moisturising your skin before a pole class eliminates that friction and you'll just be sliding all over the place. It can be dangerous for other polers too, your lotions can leave residue on the pole which is difficult to remove quickly when sharing a pole and between classes. It's recommended not to moisturise for up to 24 hours before your class, but sometimes that can be a little difficult. If like me you have a skin condition such as eczema, going without moisturising for that time leaves your skin irritated and sore. To avoid this I tend to have a quick shower beforehand to wash away any of my moisturiser and emollient residue and put them back on after I get home.

It Won't Happen Overnight
Above all this is probably one of the most important things to remember during your first few classes. There will always be someone who is more advanced than you and that's okay! Pole fitness is a strength and conditioning journey, for example you won't be able to invert straight away and a reputable instructor will not let you attempt it until they think you have enough strength to do so safely. Just stick at it and in time you will be amazed at the strength you gain in your upper arms and thighs particularly. Everyone starts at varying fitness levels and everyone progresses at their own pace. There will be things you pick up quicker than others and vice versa. You might be struggling to climb the pole for the first time but in the mean time you could be nailing that spin!

As you've probably guessed, after getting over the pain and bruises of my first class I got the bug and was hooked! I've now been poling for over 3 years and the confidence, strength and friends I have made along the way are invaluable. I do hope this helps you with what to expect for your first pole class, whether you've already booked or are thinking of doing so, just remember to enjoy it!

Have you thought about trying pole fitness classes?

Recipe | Sweet Potato Boats

I adore sweet potato.. so much so that I could happily eat it with every meal without complaint. Boiled and mashed, cut and baked in to fries, grated and fried in to rosti; sweet potato is one of my favourite foods. So much so that I could happily eat it with almost every main meal. I've recently started making sweet potato 'boats' which are so tasty and simple, I couldn't not share it with you.

The filling for these can be substituted for any foods you like which can be chopped finely, for these I used red onion, peppers and parsnips.

Ingredients:

1 Small Bag of Sweet Potatoes

1-2 Parsnips

1-2 Peppers

1 red onion

Handful of Grated Cheese (optional)

1 Teaspoon of Coconut Oil for Frying

Method:

- Wash the potatoes, then bake them at 180 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until soft.

- Grate the parsnips and bake at the same time as the potatoes until crispy.

- Finely chop the red onion and peppers, lightly fry in teaspoon of coconut oil.

- Remove from potatoes and parsnips from the oven and cut each potato in half length-ways.

- Using a tablespoon, remove the middle of the potato and place in a bowl, be careful to leave some potato around the edges of the skin else your 'boat' will fall apart.

- Add the grated parsnips, fried red onion and pepper the to sweet potato and mash/mix well.

- Spoon the mixture back in to the potato boats and finish with a sprinkling of cheese before placing back in to the oven for a further 10 minutes.

Many of us do our best to eat healthily most of the time, avoiding foods packed full of artificial sugars and preservatives can do wonders for your body. Around 18 months ago I finally decided to learn more about what I was eating and in turn what it was doing to my body. The results were quite alarming.. if you ever need an incentive not to eat something which you know contains refined sugar and preservatives just google some of the ingredients you don't understand. I promise you it will make you think twice no matter how good it tastes!

One of the things I found hard to restrict in my diet was potatoes. Potatoes contain a fair amount starch which when broken down by your body are converted to sugars, this can then raises your insulin levels. Insulin kicks in to action when your body has elevated sugar levels, it will then take that sugar and store it as fat. Bad news for all the potato lovers out there! Alas, there is a great alternative for getting your carb fix without risking elevation of your sugar levels as much. Sweet potatoes have a considerably lower amount of starch than usual potatoes, when both raw and cooked, meaning if you're going to have a carb-rich meal then these are recommended as the better option over regular potatoes.

Let me know what you think of this particular recipe and if there's any other recipes you would recommend!

The Slaughters Country Inn Review - Overnight Stay

After wondering what we would do to celebrate Scott's birthday, a few weeks prior we finally decided to book an overnight stay at The Slaughters Inn. We found the hotel after searching for dog friendly hotels near cotswolds area, as we always take Harvey with us on overnight stays it typically limits the hotels we can visit.

Autumn Woodland Wedding Theme

Autumn is such a pretty time of year, so what better wedding theme to choose than an autumn woodland theme. A few weeks ago I attended a wedding planned to this theme and it really was beautiful. The wedding had been planned 3 years in advance meaning there were lots of perfect little details which made their day extra special and of course, lots of opportunities for photos!

10 Things I Love About Autumn

Ahhh autumn, how I'm so happy you're finally here. Don't get me wrong I love the sun but after not going abroad this year and the summer being, well... what summer? I'm more than tired of attempting to fake tan and I'm quite simply ecstatic that I can now wrap up and throw the layers of clothing on without the strange looks and the 'I can't believe you're cold, it's not cold!' comments (I am one of those mildly annoying people that are always cold). After going on yet another Autumn walk this morning it's inspired me to put together 10 things i love about the season.

Little Dessert Shop | Review

I can't think of anyone who doesn't like some form of dessert, be it ice cream, cake, chocolate, pancakes etc. So when I got the chance to visit the Little Dessert Shop for a baby shower, quite naturally, I couldn't wait. There's so many choices with waffles, crepes, cookie dough, sundaes, cakes being just a few of them. I had a look at the menu before hand which you can find here, so I had a very good idea of what I wanted to order before I went.

Visit To Attingham Park, Shrewsbury - National Trust

A few weekends ago we visited the stunning Attingham Park in Shrewsbury. Me and Scott were looking for somewhere to visit for the afternoon with our friend where we could take our dogs, so a quick google later and we're on our way to Attingham Park. The park is home to an 18th century mansion and is set in the middle of woodlands which are great for taking your dog for a day out. Entry is pretty cheap at just £7.50 for entry to the park, walled garden and playfield (including gift aid). We didn't opt for the whole property entry as our labradors unfortunately aren't permitted inside, luckily it didn't rain much!

The park has a dog policy which is fairly simple to follow. There are short lead zones, on lead zones and off lead zones, all self explanatory. The on lead zones are focused around where there is wildlife and a lot of children around and the areas are signposted so you can't miss it (unless you walk around with your eyes closed of course!). They have a policy you can view here if you're unsure.

Dog Walking At Hilbrae Animal Rescue

Being such a dog lover you would have thought by now that I would have already done this, it is something i'd always wanted to do but either put if off or just not had the time. Over the weekend Harvey has left us to go on holiday with my parents for two weeks meaning we are dog-less and the house feels really quiet and strange!
As Harvey was originally a rescue from Sunnyside Kennels, to fill the void we decided to go and help out with dog walking at Hilbrae Animal Rescue in Telford (West Midlands).

Healthy Flapjacks - Deliciously Ella Recipe

Lately i've been looking for something that I can snack on to curb the sweet cravings, but every time i've looked at something packaged and ready to eat i'd turn over to the ingredients and very quickly change my mind! The amount of snack food items which are marketed as being 'healthy' or the timely classic 'low in fat' are usually so full of sugar/sweeteners and additives they actually scare me! I may not understand most of it, though I like to think I do, but the few I've googled to find out what they are put me off anything I can't pronounce! To think just a few years ago this type of food was all I ever ate is a little alarming. Now i'm not going to claim that I eat healthily ALL of the time but I do try to keep it 80/20,  here she goes, the 80/20 bandwagon everyone's jumping on. I do generally eat healthy, home cooked meals most of the time but I won't restrict myself from having a treat or two, or three, if I fancy it otherwise there's a very good chance I will go crazy and turn in to a moody monster.

Cornwall Part 2 - Watergate Bay, Harlyn Bay & Rock Beach

Following on from my Cornwall part 1 post, the next 3 days we visited 3 different beaches! All of them beautiful, all of them dog friendly! We were lucky enough to have some lovely warm weather, yay for British weather (never thought i'd say that without any ounce of sarcasm!).

Our first beach visit was to Watergate Bay which is very popular with tourists/holidaymakers.
As you get to the beach there's a pay and display car park which isn't too expensive for a few hours, although this wasn't in school holidays so i imagine it would be much busier and you'd have to use the car park further back from the sea front which is a little more expensive. There is a short pleasant walk toward the beach and finally a few steps or a ramp depending on which direction you choose.

Cornwall Part 1 - St Mawes Castle & Polperro Village

Can you believe I'd never been to Cornwall? Me either, so me, the fiance and the pooch booked a week in a lovely cottage in Wadebridge (you know you're getting older when centuries old cottages excite you) and we had such a fun but hectic week.

Reasons I Love Being A Dog Owner

I've written a few posts now about my interests and thought it's about time I include the man that brightens every day and makes my life so much more interesting... my pooch (of course my fiance does too but this one's canines only!). One of my loves in life, actually scrap that, one of the main loves of my life is a certain Chocolate Labrador named Harvey. 

Create A New Outfit From Your Existing Wardrobe

We've all been there, you're staring at your open wardrobe wandering what to wear and frustrated that you 'have no clothes when the reality is you have a wardrobe full, right in front of you! It's an amusing fact which plagues many of the female population, usually occurring at the point where you're getting ready to go out somewhere and the jeans and tee combo just won't do.

Quick & Easy 4 Ingredient Biscuit Recipe

Calling all biscuits lovers, this one's for you! After feeling the need to get my bake on this Sunday afternoon, but not wanting to spend a lot of time doing it, I quickly whipped up these tasty little biscuits which only use 4 ingredients. So simple even the most novice of bakers can do it. 

Balance Me Radiance Face Mask | Review

Everyone loves a freebie, so when I picked up my monthly copy of Glamour Magazine I was excited to find the April issue comes with a choice of fab Balance Me products. I chose the Radiance Face Mask but you have a choice of this, the Super Moisturising Body Wash, Pure Skin Face Wash or the Shine on Tinted Lip Salve.

Avon | My Best Beauty Buys

Now I have to admit I do love Avon; I always get excited looking through a new brochure! Some of the first bits of make-up items I used as a young teen were from Avon, I love the fact that it's just so affordable so here's a few of my favourites along with a few new bits I've tried.