Mastering The 'Bail Out' - 8 Top Tips On How To Exit Moves Safely

Picture this; you're in the studio and have just spent a heap of time figuring out how to get into a new move. You have an overwhelming sense of pride knowing that all your limbs seem to be in the right place and now it's time to come out...and oh fish sticks! You have no idea how to exit the move, and now you're stuck living the rest of your life in that exact position!!! 😱😱😱

Okayyyyyyy so maybe that was a teensy bit melodramatic, but you get where we're coming from right? Sometimes you need a bailout plan to make sure you can get out of moves like a champ 

In this blog, we're discussing the many ways you can master exiting your moves safely, every time!

When we're learning a new move or combo, it can be so easy to get caught up in all the excitement of a new move that we forget to think about how we're going to get out again!

In a normal class your instructor will give you a way into and a way out of a move so generally, you're in luck! Make sure you pay just as much attention to the exit as you do to the entry here 😉 If you accidentally start daydreaming of how cool you're going to look when you're nailing the new move while you're instructor is still talking (guilty!) - be sure to speak up and ask them to demo their exit for you one more time (we promise they don't mind!)

If you're in a pole-play class and trying to learn something you've seen online, pay attention to how they get out of the move. If they haven't shared their exit, make sure to think about how you would get out of the pose before you give it a go 👌

Seriously. Don't just let go of the pole during a move!

We know that new moves can be uncomfortable and even sometimes a bit painful, but you should never just let go of the pole unless that was your planned exit (eg. a flip). Letting go while you're up the pole can be dangerous. You don't want to hit the floor at speed, especially when you're in an awkward position!

So no matter how sore or strange a new move is, don't let go of the pole. The pole is your safety net - use it to help make your way back to the ground in one piece!

Remember what we said about new moves being uncomfortable and sometimes even painful? Yeah, that's what conditioning is for! The more you work on your skin conditioning before committing to a move, the more comfortable it'll be when you actually try it. Conditioning will also help you to build up any strength and flexibility needed before you commit to the full move.

Trying your moves from the ground first is a great way to stay safe while training! You can't fall very far from the floor you know!

Figuring out your grip can take a while, even for some old familiar moves. Give things a go nice and low first and then work your way up the pole throughout the class 🦋

Did you know that crash mats are SQUISHY!? Oh yes, they are so, so squishy! Unlike the floor which is most definitely NOT squishy 😵

The studio has crash mats for a great reason - to give you a nice soft landing if you do need to bail out quickly. If you're learning a new move, haven't got the best grip or just feel like you need the emotional support of having a mat there, pop one down and carry on training knowing that you have a squishy surface to catch you 🥰️

You wouldn't do a bench press in the gym without a spotter, so why should a big pole move be any different?

Getting an instructor to spot you during a move is an easy way to test if you're ready to do the trick. It's especially important during some of the scarier moves because you're less likely to freak out and half-commit, winding up in a far worse position than if you'd fully committed 😬

Remember that your instructors have been trained on how to spot you safely, so stick to asking them to spot you rather than your fellow classmates!

Before you give a big move a go, it's always a great idea to spend a little time warming up the drills (even if you've done the move before). This helps you ensure you have decent grip, the right technique and are feeling good about the move.

Starting with drills also gives you the chance to decide whether you want to commit to the full move or not that day, so if you are having a slippery day or things just aren't working, you can spend your time practising your technique instead 🙌

Sometimes the only good exit is to attach as much of your body as you can to the pole and slowly slide to the floor. It's not pretty and it's not graceful, but it is safe and that's all that really matters!!!

If things have gone a bit pear-shaped and you end up stuck on the pole, try to attach as many grip points as you can safely to the pole and work your way down as slowly as possible 🐌

The best type of exit is a safe exit, whatever that looks like!