Basic Warm-Up Stretches for Pole Dancing Exercise:

Click on any of the images to enlarge the picture…

1) LUMBAR SIDE BENDS – 8 bends right, 8 bends left.
Description:  Stand upright with your feet hips width apart and hands by your sides.  Keeping your head up & back straight, bend your upper body to the right, then centre, and to the left, then centre.  Imagine you are sandwiched between two giant panes of glass – you must keep your whole body, especially your back very straight.  Only bend so far that your hand reaches your knee each side.  NO FURTHER DOWN.
Posture:  Feet hips width apart, head up, back straight, shoulders back, chest out, loose knees, don’t twist the hips, don’t bend lower than the knee.

2) THORACIC TWISTS – 8 twists right, 8 twists left.
Description:  Stand with your feet hips width apart, bring both arms in front of you, placing one forearm on top of the other.  Keeping your hips forward and ONLY twisting you upper body, twist right, then centre, then left and centre again.  Keep your back straight.
Posture:  Feet hips width apart, head up, back straight, shoulders back, chest out, loose knees, hips forward, don’t twist the hips.


3) GASTROCNEMIUS – Hold for 10 seconds per leg, once.
Description:  Stand with your right leg behind your left, keeping it very straight, both heels on the floor.  Bend your front leg, making sure your knee DOES NOT overhang your toes.  Lean forward on the bent leg, resting your body weight on it.  Push your bum out and hold the position, then swap legs.  You should feel a tightness along the lower of your back leg.
Posture:  Keep the back leg straight, heels down, front knee must NOT overhang your toes, rest body weight on bent front knee, push bum out, head up, back straight, tummy sucked in, back straight.

4) SOLEUS – Hold for 10 seconds per leg, once.
Description:  Stand with your feet hips width apart, and both your legs straight.  Now lift one leg up so you are resting your weight on the ball of your foot (near the toes).  Bending both knees, drop your torso down.  Imagine you are now sat on an invisible chair.  Rest your hands on your hips, keeping your back straight and not arched and hold that position, then swap legs.
Posture:  Feet hips width apart, head up, back straight, shoulders back, tummy sucked in, rest weight on the ball of the foot, bend both knees, torso dropped down, and imagine the invisible chair.

5) HIP FLEXORS – Hold for 10 seconds per leg, once.
Description:  Stand with your right leg as far back behind your left as you can.  Lift your foot up onto the toes (ball of the foot), and bend the back knee towards the floor.  Bend the knee of your front leg and rest your body weight on that knee.  Gently lower your torso, thrusting your hip upwards.  Keep your back straight and hold the position.  Then swap legs.
Posture:  Bend both knees, lower torso to floor, lean body weight on front leg, thrust hips up, keep your back straight, head up, shoulders back, tummy sucked in.

6) ADDUCTORS – Hold for 10 seconds per leg, once.
Description:  Stand with your legs wide split apart – obviously much wider than hips width.  Bend the left knee, leaning your bodyweight over to the left and stretching out your right leg.  Rest your hands on the bent knee.  Make sure that bent knee does not overhang your toes and push your bum out.  Lower your torso to the floor, keeping your right leg straight.  Hold the position then swap legs.
Posture:  Wide leg stance, bend left knee, do not over hand the toes with the bent knee, lean bodyweight over to the left.

7) QUADRICEPS – Hold for 10 seconds per leg, once.
Description:  Standing with your feet hips width apart, lift your right foot behind you, bending at the knee.  Hold on to the bridge of your foot and pull your leg upwards and back.  Keep your knees together and push your hips forward.  Hold the position and then swap legs.
Posture:  Feet hips width apart, pull upper body up, back straight, head up, HIPS FORWARD, keep knees together, shoulders back, tummy tucked in.


8) HAMSTRINGS – Hold for 10 seconds per leg, once.
Description:  With your feet hips width apart, stretch your right leg out in front of you and lift your toes up.  Bend your left knee and bring your torso down.  Pushing your bum out, rest your hands on your bent knee and lean your bodyweight forwards slightly.  Hold the position and then swap legs.
Posture:  Feet hips width apart, stretch right leg forwards, toes up, don’t allow bent knee to overhang toes, torso down, bum out, lean forwards gently, head up, back straight, tummy sucked in, shoulders back, hips forward.


9)  TRAPEZIUS – Hold for 10 seconds, once.
Description:  Stand with your feet hips width apart, tilting your head down slightly.  Now bring both arms out in front of you, placing one hand on top of the other.  Bend your elbows slightly and bring your shoulders forwards.  Imagine you are holding a giant beach ball.  Hold the position.
Posture:  Head forwards slightly, arms in front; bend the elbows, shoulders forward, one hand on top of the other, back straight, loose knees, tummy sucked in.


10)  DELTOIDS – Hold for 10 seconds per arm, once.
Description:  Stand with your feet hips width apart, sweep your right arm across the chest, keeping it as straight as possible.  Hold it back in the crook of your left arm; do not hold it IN the elbow joint, either just in front of the elbows, or just after the elbows is fine.  Hold the position, and then swap arms.
Posture:  Sweep right arm across chest, keep arm straight, pull it back, don’t hold at the elbow joints, back straight, head up, tummy sucked in, hips forward, loose knees.


11) PECTORALS – Hold for 10 seconds, once.
Description:  Standing with your feet hips width apart, scoop your hands behind your back and interlock your fingers.  Pull your arms closer together, bringing your shoulder blades closer together also, imagine trying to get the two shoulder blades to touch.  Hold the position.
Posture:  Hands behind back, interlock fingers, pull arms closer together, pulls shoulder blades together, head up, back straight, chest out, shoulders back, tummy sucked in, hips forward, loose knees.


12) TRICEPS – Hold for 10 seconds per arm, once.
Description:  Standing with your feet hips width apart, reach your right arm over your head, bending it at the elbow.  Now use the back of your left hand to hold your right arm further back by placing it just below the right elbow.  Avoid holding the elbow joint.  Pull your arm further back and hold the position, then swap arms.
Posture:  Reach right arm over head, use back of left hand to push your arm further back, don’t hold the elbow joint, back straight, head up, shoulders back, hips forward, tummy sucked in, hips forward, loose knees.


13) NECK BENDS – Hold for 10 seconds per exercise, per side.
Description:  Stand with your feet hips width apart.  With your right hand, straighten your arm downwards, and flex your hand – this will drop your shoulder.  Tilt your head to the left and using your left hand, reach it around your head and apply a gentle amount of pressure to stretch the neck.  Hold for hold for 10 seconds.
THEN, whilst in the same position, tilt your head down to look at your left foot and hold for 10 seconds.  Repeat on the other side.
Posture:  Feet hips width apart, straighten arm down, flex hand, tilt head to one side, gently add pressure, look down at foot, back straight, hips forward, loose knees, tummy sucked in.


14) WRIST BENDS -  Hold for 5 seconds per hand, per exercise.
Description:  Bring one hand out in front of you, palm facing away front you, fingers down.  Use your other hand to pull the palm down gently, so you can feel a stretch through your wrist and forearm. Hold for 5 seconds, then turn your hand over, twisting your whole arm as you do so, so that your palm will be facing you.  Again use the other hand to push the palm down.  Hold for 5 seconds and then swap hands.  There is no need to be too concerned about your posture as these can be added in to your warm up, or be done whilst stretching legs.


15) WRIST SCRUNCHES – 10 scrunches, once.
Description:  Hold both hands out in front of you, fingers spread and palms facing away from you.  Now close your fingers and thumbs together to make a fist, then open them out again.  Do this relatively fast, ten times.  There is no need to be too concerned about your posture as these can be added in to your warm up, or be done whilst stretching legs.




16) WRIST CIRCLES – 10 circles per direction, once.
Description:  Hold both your hands out in front of you, but bending at the elbows.  Making a fist with your hands, rotate your wrists 10 times around to the left, then 10 times around to your right.  There is no need to be too concerned about your posture as these can be added in to your warm up, or be done whilst stretching legs.






Photos by Andrew Dobell