Returning to pole or aerial after a break

Whether its 4 weeks or 4 years away from the studio, returning to pole or aerial can bring out a whole range of emotions and thoughts. From frustration of not being able to immediately achieve moves you once did with ease, to being scared or nervous of starting again in a class you don't know. Let's take a moment to chat through your journey to returning to the studio and what it might look/feel like.

A BIT OF BACKGROUND
So, I guess first of all what we need to talk about is the context. Why have you been off? Has life just gotten in the way, priorities changed, or you just fell out of love with it for a while (no judgement here, it happens to all of us!). The reason i'm asking is that if this has been the reason for your absence, the comeback may look slightly different than for someone who has been off for medical reasons for example.

Whatever your reasoning, we would always recommend having a quick chat with us before signing up to your first class after some time. I'll go into some tips and advice below, but if there is a medical reason why you have been off, we may need clearance from a medical professional/physio etc before your return. We are not qualified in any medical capacity, so we aren't able to give any advice in this area. Don't ever be nervous about dropping us a message after time off, there is never any judgement from having to take a break, whatever the reason is, and we will be so excited to help you return!

Drop us a message here or slide into our DM's on socials if you're thinking of returning to the studio!

START OFF SMALL
Right, now we've got that bit out of the way, lets talk about some of the things that are going to be similar whatever the reason for your break was.
Firstly, we always will recommend easing yourself back in to your training. This not only means making sure you don't book into 5 classes on your first week back after 6 months off, but also that you're coming back in at a level that is going to be safe for you. Almost every single person i've seen come back to pole after some time off has great muscle memory and their body remembers exactly what to do pretty quickly, but that doesn't mean that your strength or flexibility is quite at that stage yet and we need to make sure we're not trying to run before we can walk.
I know it sounds like common sense, but the temptation to jump straight back in where you left off will be REAL. There's probably going to be some ego there that doesn't want to admit you aren't quite ready to do the things you used to be able to do, and you've probably got some friends in your old class that you want to join back in with - the thought of having to join a new class full of people you don't know isn't the most appealing! We get it, and we're not trying to be pedantic by holding you back, but our duty of care to you is to keep you safe and injury free and although its frustrating, we have to think of that first.

IT'S OK TO FEEL ALL THE FEELINGS!
Leading on nicely from that, there's going to be all sorts of thoughts and feelings going on as you return. Some nice and some not so nice ones.
It's totally normal to feel apprehensive after some time off. I can absolutely promise you that anytime I come back to teaching after a holiday I have the worst anxiety about it. I don't know why, as I know the students, I know what i'm teaching, but even so the gurgling stomach and imposter like thoughts are always there before that first session! I have no advice for this really, I just wanted to let you know that it happens to all of us and it's both normal and ok to feel that way.
There might also be an element of disappointment or frustration there, if you've had quite a long period of time off or suffered an injury and aren't coming back in at the same level as you're used to. Again, whilst not being fun, this is a totally normal feeling and very understandable. When I have had time off or am coming back to something I used to be able to do and now can't I try to reframe it by thinking 'this is my opportunity to really train this properly, build it up and get rid of any bad habits I used to have with it so i'm even better than I was before'. That could mean making sure you've got all your basic spins on both sides, making sure your inverts are deadlifted every single time instead of hooking your ankle etc - think of it as an opportunity to come back better!

TRY SOMETHING NEW
This can also be a great time to try out another discipline that the studios have on offer - can you be converted to the dark side of pole or hoop that you didn't dare step foot in before? Equally we have some great cross training classes like our Flexibility and S&C classes at all studios which would be a great way to help you on your way back to your peak and beyond!

IT'S MEANT TO BE FUN
Finally, this is something I have to remind myself about when i'm getting anxious or frustrated with my own training and it goes for anyone, not just those returning to it after some time off - this is all supposed to be fun! You started pole or aerial as a hobby and to do something for yourself, that you enjoy. As much as feeling nervous and feeling frustrated are totally normal and healthy emotions to have about retuning after some time off, if they are starting to ruin the thought of coming back, or if they are ruining your classes when you are back, then we need to have a chat about it. Let's face it, life is stressful enough and you do not need something that is supposed to be enjoyable for you adding to the list of other stressful things in life! If you do find you're struggling let us know. We're by no means trained counsellors, so we can't help in that respect, but we most certainly can listen and probably share some stories of our own about when we've felt similarly. We want the studio to be your happy place, you're part of the KPole family!

Hope to see some old faces again very soon!
Love to you all gang,

Kim xx

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