Polisthenics Blog
Evidence-based rehab and strength and conditioning for pole dancers
Welcome to the Polisthenics Blog, your go-to resource for evidence-based guidance on pole training, injury prevention, rehabilitation, strength, flexibility and performance. Dive into expert insights, practical tips and research-informed articles to help you train smarter and stay injury-free.
Latest articles
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ADHD-friendly rehab to support neurodivergent pole dancers and patients
Read more: ADHD-friendly rehab to support neurodivergent pole dancers and patientsInjuries and rehab is hard for everyone. But if you have ADHD, it can feel even more challenging – repetitive, slow and boring that couldn’t be further from the thing you love doing. That’s because standard rehab programs are designed for neurotypical brains. This post is the third in our series on ADHD and pole…
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Off the pole conditioning isn’t optional part 1 – injury prevention and performance
Read more: Off the pole conditioning isn’t optional part 1 – injury prevention and performanceIt you think about any athlete – swimmers don’t just swim, they spend hours in the gym building qualities that directly translate to what they do in the water, like shoulder stability, upper body power and core strength. Tennis players do the same. This is fundamental to both performance and staying healthy in your sport.…
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ADHD-friendly pole coaching to support neurodivergent pole dancers
Read more: ADHD-friendly pole coaching to support neurodivergent pole dancersPole attracts a significant number of neurodivergent people. For many of them, it’s the first physical activity that has ever worked for them. The novelty, the creativity, the community and the constant skill progression align well with how ADHD brains engage. But coaching approaches that work well for neurotypical students don’t always work for neurodivergent…
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ADHD and pole dancing – how it affects training, performance and injury risk
Read more: ADHD and pole dancing – how it affects training, performance and injury riskPole dancing attracts a disproportionate number of neurodivergent people. When you understand what ADHD is, that makes complete sense. Pole is novel, physically demanding, challenging, creative, skill-based, risky and community-oriented. These are the exact conditions under which ADHD brains tend to engage and perform best. But pole also requires coordination, body awareness, consistency, fatigue management…
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The pole dancer’s guide to rotator cuff related shoulder pain part 2 – treatment, rehab and prevention
Read more: The pole dancer’s guide to rotator cuff related shoulder pain part 2 – treatment, rehab and preventionIf you’ve read part 1 and recognised your shoulder pain as RCRSP, this is the practical guidance to match it. Treatment, rehabilitation and return to pole for rotator cuff related shoulder pain follows a clear phased structure and understanding the rationale behind each phase is as important as the exercises themselves. Phase 1 – reducing…
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A pole dancer’s guide to monitoring pole progress
Read more: A pole dancer’s guide to monitoring pole progressMost pole dancers have a sense of whether they’re progressing – tricks feel easier, holds get longer, moves that used to feel impossible start feeling accessible. But subjective feel is a limited tool for guiding training decisions, particularly when progress slows or stalls. Athletic testing using specific, repeatable measurements to track the physical qualities your…
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End of year reflection – building the foundations of Polisthenics in 2025
Read more: End of year reflection – building the foundations of Polisthenics in 2025Every successful person or business needs to be aware of their, past, present and future. Without reflection and analysing the past, it’s hard to improve the future. Knowing what went well, what didn’t and why, can guide you moving forward. Whether it’s learning from mistakes, accepting that failure is part of both business and life…
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The pole dancer’s guide to rotator cuff related shoulder pain part 1 – causes, risk factors and diagnosis
Read more: The pole dancer’s guide to rotator cuff related shoulder pain part 1 – causes, risk factors and diagnosisShoulder pain is the most commonly reported injury in pole dancers. The instinct to rest completely, push through or jump straight to imaging is understandable, but rarely optimal. Understanding what’s actually happening in the shoulder, why pole dancers are particularly vulnerable and how the condition is properly identified is the foundation for managing it well.…
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Pole Meets Science #3: Imaging for shoulder pain
Read more: Pole Meets Science #3: Imaging for shoulder painWhen your shoulder is hurting and not improving, the instinct to want a scan is understandable. A scan feels like an answer, something that explains what’s wrong and points toward a solution. The reality of what imaging does and doesn’t tell you is considerably more complicated than that. This edition of Pole Meets Science looks…
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Pole Meets Science #2: Risk factors associated with shoulder pain amongst athletes
Read more: Pole Meets Science #2: Risk factors associated with shoulder pain amongst athletesThe shoulder is one of the most commonly injured body part in pole dancing. Almost every overhead movement, grip, climb and hold places demand on the shoulder complex. Understanding what puts shoulders at risk is therefore directly relevant to how you train, how you program and when you seek help. This edition of Pole Meets…
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