Slippery Hand Saviours! (Hyperhidrosis)

Help is at hand! (badaboom)

It is extremely common to suffer with hand grip issues when starting pole dance classes.

Usually for most students a grip aid like Girlie Grip, or Dry Hands is sufficient to help with grip and drying out clammy palmsin order to grip sufficiently. It is also true that for most students (just like me when I first started out) grip aid usage tends to decrease over time as grip strength improves. Relaxing into the class and not getting too cross with yourself can definitely help, too.

Girlie Grip is available to purchase through me at a cost of £10 per bottle (60ml)

I do regularly teach students who need a little additional help with excessive moisture on their palms. It can be a bit frustrating for my clients as they are constantly having to wipe the pole, their hands and apply grip aids. If a condition such as hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating of the palms, underarms and soles of the feet) is present, consideration may be given to the following –

  • Dirty Girl Poletice  This powdered product was the one I started with when I found that I my hands were sweating so much that I needed to create a barrier to sweat, rather than just piling grip aid onto my hands. You wash your hands with non-moisturising soap, make a muddy paste with the powder on the hands, let it dry and then rinse off with just water, patting the skin dry. A barrier is then created to stop sweating.
  • Driclor is another product frequently recommended for students suffering from hyper-hydration. I have not personally used this product however, I have seen it recommended often and it is worth noting that it is easily available from highstreet/online shops in the UK. Applied to the palms before bed, it should help with grip the following day at your pole class and over time a cumulative effect of using the product could also be noted.

The products listed above do not form an exhaustive list of available solutions and it is worth noting that what works for one person, may not work for another. You could also consider speaking to your doctor about your sweaty hand concerns.

 

 

 

 

To round of this post, have a look at the funny video made by Daniel Rosen on this subject.

Pink energy smoothie

I needed a boost this morning before a full day of private lessons and classes today. The smoothie looked so pretty, I thought I would share it

Ingredients

1 small banana

Handful of mixed frozen berries (I had raspberries and strawberries)

1 tablespoon of ground almonds

1 tablespoon of ground coconut

100ml soya milk

100ml water

Heels Essentials – Buying guide

With so many new students wanting to try out heels classes, I thought it would be useful to consolidate the advice and websites I give out on a weekly basis.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwEmvatH1vJ/

Q & A

I want to try a heels class – do I need to buy special shoes?

For your first lessons – no you don’t. Any heels with an ankle strap will do. Stilettos, thick heel, wedge – it doesn’t matter. An ankle strap is preferred because it will help the shoes to stay securely on your feet. As you progress, you will require a platform shoe in order to slide over the outside edges of the shoe and learn advanced heels techniques.

Is there anything I do need for my first class?

Yes! Knee pads, knee pads, knee pads. Repeat after me – “I will buy knee pads”

Everyone is always so keen to buy or borrow sparkly shoes but most totally forget about protecting their bodies. Knee pads should be your first purchase!

It might seem like a big investment, but it sure is better to get kneepads than messing up your knees, hun.

If you want to invest in a branded pair, I would recommend grabbing some from Creatures of XiX https://creaturesofxix.co/collections/accessories

Pole Junkie also have a good selection of various brands https://www.polejunkie.co.uk/collections/knee-pads

But I want shiny new shoes, where do I buy them from? And which ones should I buy?

Some brands to look out for –

Try to avoid styles with lots of sparkly bits on for your first pair. They will come off and you will be disappointed. For practice, you need a basic pair, 6 or 7 inches high. I recommend a clear pair, with a clear strap. You can heat the strap to mould to your feet and they will do you proud for a long time.

Don’t go to an 8 inch (or above!) shoe until you have been dancing in 7 inch shoes for a decent length of time. You will not have the ankle stability to wear them safely, potentially leading to painful injuries. 8 inch shoes are heavier and harder to dance in – fact.

For narrow/wide feet, try to stick to shoes with a clear upper, or boots which can be adjusted. In my experience the shoes with coloured straps or slip on boots are a wider fitting.

Some newer styles of Pleaser now arrive with the front of the sole pre-cut. If there is a lip at the front and sides of the soles, don’t forget to shave your shoes once you get them! There are several ‘how to’ videos on YouTube, inlcuding this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jeYJESQXWQ

Some UK websites for purchasing shoes & boots include

What about clothes, what should I wear?

Wear whatever makes you feel comfortable! Layer up, wear something pretty that doesn’t cut in and make you feel uncomfortable. I sometimes wear a hoodie and leggings (with shorts underneath in case I need my legs out for grip) and sometimes I wear a thong and glitter all over my face. It’s not about what you look like to others, it’s about how you feel inside!

My heels classes are a judgement free zone, so just wear what you like!

Happy dancing! xXx

Tropical Blondie Bites

I named this recipe blondie bites as I usually make a chocolatey version flavoured with cocoa powder. (So I can pretend I am eating brownies)

Here the flavour is coconut, vanilla and tropical fruit.

Makes approximately 20 bites. (I am pretty greedy and also lazy, therefore, I can’t be bothered to make them too small, you could definitely change the size of the bites to suit you)

Ingredients

125g tropical dried fruit

3 tbsp fruit juice of your choice (I used apple)

1 ripe banana

1 tsp vanilla extract

4tbsp ground almonds

4 tbsp of crunchy peanut butter (no added sugar, salt or palm oil)

1 packet coconut cream

To finish – About 4 tbsp dessicated coconut to roll the balls in

Method

Place the dried fruit in a small bowl and pour over the juice. Use a spoon to tamp down the fruit so it’s nicely submerged. Leave for at least an hour, ideally two.

Melt the coconut cream in a bowl of freshly boiled water. Keep turning the packet until the contents are melted.

Take the soaked dried fruit, banana and vanilla and pulse in a blender. I didn’t spend too long on this as I like my bites to retain some chunks.

Transfer this to a large bowl and fold in the other ingredients (aside from the dessicated coconut). You should have a squishy mixture which is easy to form into balls. If your mixture is too firm or runny add a little juice, or some more ground almonds until you can easily handle the mixture. Remember the balls will firm up a bit in the fridge anyway.

Spread some dessicated coconut out on a large plate and roll the balls in it, before transferring to tubs for storage.

You can freeze these bites. I tend to just keep them in the fridge, though.

 

 

Green smoothie recipe for Pole Dancers

Happy New Year!

Here we have a recipe for a lovely fresh tasting smoothie to energise you for pole dancing the year away. It couldn’t be easier, tastes lovely and fresh and will energise you without weighing you down.

Top tip – freeze your fresh spinach immediately after purchase. Break bits off and put them straight into the smoothie. No more wilted spinach hanging around in the fridge! I also freeze all my fresh herbs and break or snip bits off as needed.

I use a NutriBullet to blend my smoothies. I like the convenience of it, as the cup you blend in can be sealed with a lid and taken out and about. However, any blender will work just fine.

I have used the larger cup (680ml) for this recipe.

Green smoothie for pole dancers

Ingredients
Two handfuls of spinach
One generous pinch of mint leaves
One pear
One apple
Cucumber (roughly 10cm section)
Water to fill to the maximum line if using NutriBullet. If using a regular blender, I would suggest around 250ml of water. Do add more water if the mixture is too thick.

Method
Blend for around 40 seconds and enjoy!