Winter is Coming! Top Tips to Train in the Colder Months

It's reached that time of year again - the evenings are getting darker, the weather is cooling down and our snuggliest clothes are making their way out of storage! ❄️ Training in winter brings on a whole new set of challenges; gripping onto the pole feels different, our bodies feel a little stiff and finding the motivation to tear away from our warm couches and blankets can be a real mission!

To help you make the most out of your winter training, we've put together our top tips for training in the colder months!

Finding the motivation to leave your house in winter is hard! It's cold out there! Almost every single one of us has, at some point, seen it was cold and raining and decided we'd rather stay home where it's warm and dry. The trick is to push through that urge to stay home and go to class anyway - you know you'll have a great time when you get there!

A great way to motivate yourself is to book yourself into your classes in advance. It's human nature to LOVE routine, so having a set of classes that you do every single week without fail will help keep you on top of your training and feeling good! 💪

Why do you come to pole? Is it for friendships? The fitness? The fun? Because you just love it?

On the days when it's a little too tempting to stay at home and do nothing, think of your why - that can be motivation enough to get you out the door!

Other things that might help bring you to the studio are investing in some lush new gear that you absolutely have to show off (helloooo velvet leggings), putting your pole wear on early so you're committed, having an accountabillabuddy, or even some good old fashioned self-bribery! Whatever it is that lights the fire in you to show up, hold on to it and keep it at the front of your mind ❤️️

Before you even get to class, it can be a big help to rug up in warm clothing so that you arrive feeling nice and toasty 🔥 It's not uncommon to see your pole fam show up in layered leggings, tummy warmers, jackets, oversized hoodies, onesies and even dressing gowns in winter!

Keeping yourself lovely and warm before class has some real benefits - from making movement easier, to helping with our grip and generally feeling more comfortable 🧣

Hands up who gets "lizard legs" in winter ✋ Dry skin can be a real pest when it comes to your grip on the pole. You may find that your leg and body grip just isn't cutting it the way it did in summer. But what can we do about it? You've possibly been told never to mix moisturizer and pole so where does that leave you?

The good news is that moisturizer isn't actually the enemy! You'll probably still want to steer clear of using a rich body butter right before class, but a light daily moisturiser can be great for helping with your grip in winter!

The key is all about the timing - the ideal time to moisturise is in the evenings right before bed. This gives your skin plenty of time to absorb all of the goodies without leaving you greasy for classes the next day 💦

The changing seasons are a great time to experiment with different types of classes! Find some classes that keep you inspired over the cooler season - it's a great time of year to have a go at those supplementary classes you've been meaning to try!

Flow, floorwork and stretch are all great classes that let you keep your layers on throughout the class. If the studio floor is feeling a bit cold for your feet, it's the perfect excuse to try out some heels classes. And NOTHING heats up a room quite like a cardio-intense booty class 🍑

Having different goals between summer and winter is an awesome way to stay motivated and have fun with your training all year round! The different seasons have their own perks and downsides, so if you lean into the seasonal perks then you'll be able to make the most out of your time in class 💪

One of the biggest perks of winter training is that you can hit the cardio and strength moves hard without overheating too quickly, so if you're looking to get stronger or better at flow then this is your time to shine! ✨

You may find that your bendier moves don't come as easily in winter, so if your goals are around splits and getting a bendy back, try adopting the mantra "summer is for flexy gainzzz, winter is for maintainzzz". This means that while stretching in winter is a fab idea, you might not see as much progress as you would in the sweaty season and that's ok!

The weather 100% definitely does impact our grip! In the summer, it can be hard to grip through all the sweat, and in winter, it can be hard to grip because we're too dry! Catch 22!
A lot of polers find that in winter their hand grip is a lot easier but their body grip might be a little more challenging. There's a perfect sweat-to-pole ratio that can be hard to find during the extreme seasons!

Some things that can help with your grip are:

• Keep your skin hydrated! Dry skin is a nightmare to try to grip with
• Try a wet-style body grip such as Dancing Dust Spray, Body Grip or Dew Point
• Keep yourself sweating a little in class, even if that means shaking your hips side to side while your instructor demos the next move
• Squeeze extra hard when you're up the pole! Train that grip strength!

For more tips on grip, see our "Pole Frustrations - Getting a Grip" blog 🐨

Each season comes with its own unique challenges! Be kind to yourself, listen to your body, and remember - you're doing this for YOU!