A friend recently asked me what I take if I have sore muscles after my pole fitness class.

“Yoga,” I replied.

Most of the time that after-workout achiness can be erased with a yummy stretching routine rather than an over-the-counter pain reliever. Luckily, that was the case today. After 20 minutes I felt like some of the kinks from my most recent class were eased away, leaving me a lot more energized.

I had tried different types of exercise classes before falling in love with pole fitness a little over a year ago. Some of them, weight training for example, really bored me. In this case, the weight I’m lifting is me and what better motivation for not letting go when I could wind up on my head if I do!

I am often asked why I like pole fitness so much. It’s fun and I like how I can feel my body becoming more toned and stronger. Yes, it is risky. Sometimes I say it’s like doing yoga with an added complication of hanging off the side of a pole.

Still, there are those moments I continue to get strange looks or am told I’m crazy. In that regard it’s like riding motorcycles then I guess. In which case the saying, “If I have to explain, you wouldn’t understand,” can apply.

Or maybe you just need to get a pole and try it yourself!