Meet Anita: The Pole Dancing Physiotherapist Behind Polisthenics

Anita’s passion for pole dancing began in 2015, and it was love at first spin! So much that she decided she wanted to work in the fitness industry so she can help others experience the benefits of physical activity. That’s when the idea of Polisthenics was born. She became a certified personal trainer and started working as a physical activity activity specialist for a health and wellbeing service whilst teaching pole dancing and other fitness classes.

But Anita faced her fair share of injuries along the way. These setbacks only fuelled her curiosity and passion for injury prevention. Determined to master the art of keeping herself and others injury-free, she completed a degree in physiotherapy, graduating in 2023. Since then she’s been working at a primary care musculoskeletal service at the NHS.

She has gained experience in general musculoskeletal conditions as well as sports injuries. She was the physiotherapy support and sports massage therapist for the England O40s masters hockey team in 2022 and 2023 helping them win the World and European champion titles respectively.

Anita has special interest in the rehabilitation of shoulder injuries and hypermobility. She feels pole dancing offers a perfect mix of physical challenges, supportive community and mental wellbeing. She is keen to help others experience all the positives that pole dancing has to offer and set up Polisthenics to achieve this.

When she’s not defying gravity on a pole, you might catch her mastering a bar muscle-up, working towards a one-arm handstand, or nailing a windmill. She is an avid traveller and scuba diver, with a love for hiking, cycling, and a keen interest in all things tech—especially AI. She’s also a green-thumbed gardener, a bookworm, and a puzzle enthusiast. If you’ve figured out the secret to slowing down time, she’s all ears—because let’s face it, she could use a few extra hours to fit it all in!

Qualifications:

• Bsc Physiotherapy
• Xpert Pole
• Personal Trainer
• Sports Conditioning

Achievements:

• Winner – European Masters Hockey Championship 2023 O40s – physio support and sports massage therapist
• Winner – World Masters Hockey Championship 2022 O40s – physio support and sports massage therapist
• Guinness World Record holder – 2021 Most users to complete a remote 10 km in 24 hours
• Winner – Lincolnshire Pole Championships 2020 doubles
• 3^rd place – IPAAT 2020 doubles
• 2^nd place – Miss Pole Dance UK Semi Pro 2019 doubles and winner of best tricks and best entertainer
• Finalist – Miss Pole Dance UK Semi Pro 2019 instructor
• Winner – Off The Pole 2018 #otpstrength